It’s a good idea to learn about the wholesale supplier system before you decide on what product you want to sell.
Here’s the deal:
It is not well-structured. It is a vast collection of random suppliers spread all over the globe. Some are excellent, others less so.
It was difficult for retailers to find the best suppliers when there weren’t many sites.
But, eBay’s advent set the stage for great marketplaces such as AliExpress and Alibaba.
You can search on AliExpress or Alibaba to find out what products are most popular before you make a decision about what product to sell. It also allows you to filter products and view their appearances, as well as find photos and detailed information about the suppliers.
After you have chosen a niche, it is time to find out what suppliers are available. This is an important topic that ecommerce professionals should discuss.
You want to work with reliable suppliers who deliver on time, are available for contact and offer perks.
While some ecommerce sites can choose to work with large suppliers in China, others may prefer to deal with local suppliers.
No matter what, you want to find the best and this is what we are going to discuss today.
Find and Work with the Best Wholesale Suppliers
The first step is to outline how you want to fulfill all your orders . Many companies use dropshipping. This means that the supplier handles all aspects of shipping, including packaging and storage.
A third option is self-fulfillment (or partial self-fulfillment), where the company stores the products and then ships them to customers. Although this is more costly, you have more control over the shipping process.
We have the third-party fulfillment option, which is one of today’s most popular. Amazon fulfillment is the most applicable example. You can send all your products to Amazon and they will store and ship.
It is essential that you decide on your fulfillment process before anything else. You need to know if suppliers can provide this type of fulfillment. Many suppliers will sell your products wholesale and ship them directly to you. It can be difficult to find suppliers who offer dropshipping.
AliExpress/ Alibaba
The company also owns Alibaba and AliExpress. Alibaba is a B2B platform that allows businesses to buy wholesale from manufacturers and suppliers around Asia. Alibaba offers a huge selection of products, making it a great way to find products for your store.
AliExpress is a B2C platform that allows consumers to search for products at a reasonable price. AliExpress may allow you to purchase small quantities of products before you go wholesale.
Alibaba and AliExpress are two of the most well-known supplier platforms worldwide. They both offer a large online directory and easy access to suppliers from all over the globe. A system that lets you assess the trustworthiness and reliability of suppliers by rating them, reviewing them, and assessing their transaction levels is a bonus. These features include:
- Suppliers of trade assurance who adhere to strict quality standards
- Suppliers of assessed and gold who have been authenticated
- Secure payment service that holds your money in escrow until you confirm
- Global access to suppliers
- It is quick and easy to locate and evaluate supplier options
- Simple platform design
- There are many payment options available
AliExpress and Alibaba are very popular but there are also some drawbacks. You will be purchasing products from Asia through these services, so delivery times may not always be great. You should also remember that not all suppliers speak English. This can create a language barrier for you if you have difficulties with a transaction.
If you aren’t familiar with AliExpress and Alibaba, there are many risks. It’s important to remember that AliExpress isn’t intended for wholesale. Before you start shopping, make sure you are clear about which service you require.
SaleHoo
Salehoo, a wholesale supplier directory for your online store that has been around for over 15 years, is a popular choice. Although it is one of our smaller suppliers directories, it still has access to over 1.6million products.
Salehoo requires businesses to pay a small fee to be able to access their suppliers database, unlike other wholesale clothing and product sellers. You can choose to pay an annual or lifetime fee, depending on your preference. The lifetime pass is a good option if you plan to stay with Salehoo for the long-term. If you are not satisfied with the products or shipping cost, you can get a full refund.
Salehoo is notable for how carefully vetted their suppliers are. Not only will you get quick shipping and low order quantities, but you’ll also receive genuine products from companies such as Sony and Disney. There are many product categories that can help you increase your profit margins. You also get extensive support, which is often more than what you would get from Amazon FBA and similar solutions. These features include:
- The USA is home to many high-quality brands that are authentic and trustworthy
- Huge selection of wholesale products
- Many support resources available for beginners
- Fast shipping and low order quantities
- Education and training
- Excellent overall platform experience
Salehoo can help with any questions that you may have. This includes how to master SEO and how to advertise on LinkedIn. You can find tons of educational resources to help you link to your store to dropshipping through Shopify and email automation. To answer your questions, you can also call real people in the USA.
Salehoo will be a great choice for businesses who don’t have time to vet suppliers but still need high-quality products to build their brands.
Wholesale Central
Wholesale Center is one of the most well-known B2B wholesale directories. It supports both wholesalers as well as retailers. You can search for suppliers in endless categories and choose from the best products to stock your shop. You can even find the most popular products by listing which items are trending on the site.
There are many bonus deals available from different suppliers. You can get free shipping for your first order and find deals in the “deals & steals” section. Wholesale Central will list the top suppliers to ensure you receive the best support possible from a reliable manufacturer. This allows you to see which companies have the highest reviews and the best results.
You don’t have to worry about anything when shopping wholesale through Wholesale Center. However, you may find the initial environment a bit confusing. The inventory lookup and website experience are quite old compared to the other leaders.
These features include:
- To find the right supplier, organize suppliers by category
- Locate products
- Lists of top suppliers and ratings
- Every day, new deals
- Both suppliers and retailers can get support
- A wide range of products available
If you are new to the industry, most experts would not recommend Wholesale Central. This is because, although the company is diverse, you will need to spend a lot more effort in connecting with suppliers. It will also be difficult to find easy-to-use places to shop for products for your business.
There are platforms that offer higher levels of support for those who are new to wholesale. However, if you are an experienced wholesaler, you will find it easy to navigate this environment.
DHgate
Dropshippers and online retailers now have many options when it comes to sourcing products. DHgate, another reliable wholesale marketplace, is also available. DHgate is one of the largest marketplaces in the world. It houses thousands of suppliers and offers a marketplace that has millions of products from a variety of categories.
This Chinese directory has a lot of sellers who have very low minimum orders for dropshipping or retail online businesses. You can purchase a lower amount to test the quality before you spend your entire budget.
Importers can also give ratings to help ensure you get a high-quality item at a fair price. Buyers of small businesses can choose to deal with premium wholesale distributors that have excellent reviews or high-quality merchants who often have higher sales volumes. These features include:
Alibaba.com offers lower order options than other sites.
Tools that fit any business model
Premium and top merchants
Many brand-name items
Dropshipping at an affordable price
Buyer protection for your online business
There are many counterfeit products on this platform. You will need to improve your brand if you want to be different from other ecommerce platforms. While many of the branded products on this platform will not grow your audience, they can end up getting in trouble if you aren’t careful. Before ordering new products, ensure you do your research.
Tundra
Tundra might seem small in comparison to market leaders AliExpress or Alibaba. Although the platform is relatively new, it’s already attracting significant attention from around the globe. Tundra isn’t like other supplier platforms. This means that you will often get a lower price for your products.
Tundra may offer free shipping on a variety of products. This makes it easier to stock up on products for your store. Tundra will offer a guarantee that they will refund your purchase and let you keep the products if delivery is delayed.
Tundra works with many great suppliers in the USA and Canada. This is great for those who are looking to work with local companies. There are many categories available. Tundra has over 800,000. The range includes toys for children, homeware, jewellery, and even household items.
Tundra is one the fastest-growing suppliers on the market. Features include:
- Navigate to the wholesale market easily
- There are hundreds of thousands of products to choose from
- There are no seller commissions or membership fees
- Support for more than 25,000 buyers in over 180 countries
- More than 175,000 orders shipped via wholesale
- Reimbursement credits available for product samples
- Amazing flexibility
Tundra’s newness compared to other suppliers is the biggest problem that most users will have. Don’t let this stop you from giving Tundra a shot. It is one of the best local suppliers and is among the most efficient on the market.
Get in touch with the suppliers first and cut out the middle men
You can contact suppliers via email or telephone, but the goal is to reach someone who can make decisions. There are many supply and distribution systems in different industries. If you don’t speak to the supplier first, you may find middlemen in your process. The supplier should also be open with you about the involvement of other companies in the process.
This is the best way to reduce costs and increase profits if you work directly with the supplier.
It is important to remember that suppliers don’t compete with all other suppliers. If a supplier of mobile phone cases tells you that your business is too small, they can offer suggestions.
You might be able to get a complete list of other suppliers who service smaller brands. After you have grown, you might be able to give them some business.
Be sure that your first contact is productive
It is important to establish professional relationships with suppliers. It’s not always easy, however. Sometimes, you may speak to a completely different person each time you call them.
It is best to have at least one person who knows you well and can recall details about your relationship. This will not only speed up the conversation but it also allows you to get to know the supplier better and build trust as your partnership grows.
To establish contact with the company, you will need to make your first phone call. You might want to look elsewhere if they are unable to provide this information. You might be assigned to speak with another person as your business negotiations become more serious, but for now, that’s the person you need.
Additionally, getting enough information from the person you are calling is a part of your productivity.
The following should be your first line:
“Hello, I am launching a small business.” store. Thank you for your information. Thanks!”
It is important to return calls and emails promptly. Suppliers are busy businesses with busy employees. Try again if you don’t receive a response. Keep your fingers crossed.
Ask for samples
Although samples are not always provided by all suppliers, it is becoming more common. This is especially true for products that are less expensive. A sample is necessary because you shouldn’t sell a product until you have seen, touched, and tried it.
You can tell your customers this and build trust between them.
There are many suppliers available, so it is a good idea to avoid those that don’t offer samples.
Use this template to send a simple message:
“I love the way” It looks great online. But I wanted to get a sample of the product before we started selling it. Is that possible?
Ask about receiving a batch of 20-30 products if you are purchasing multiple products from the supplier. Although they may request payment, most often it is only for shipping. After you have tried the products, and decided on which ones you like, you can ask for samples to ensure that you are able to test the entire product line on your website.
Grab a Deal for Lower Prices
You can only get your supplier to lower the price if you have leverage or a bargaining chip. A pulse is not enough to request a discount.
These are some items that you can bargain on:
- Demonstrate that you are able to introduce the supplier into new markets.
- Minimize risk for the supplier
- Consolidate all your purchase orders
- Instead of buying identical products in bulk, bundle different types of products.
- Mention the competitive prices.
- Ask about price reductions and incentives.
Dropshipping arrangements should be avoided at the beginning
Dropshipping is a popular trend in ecommerce, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s right for all businesses.
We recommend that you avoid it as a startup because it can be difficult to keep the prices low and deliver products on time.
Here’s why:
Dropshipping is a common method of shipping from China. Shipping from China is very slow and you have no control over it. Smaller stores are more likely to receive lower rates.
An established retailer (physically or online) can negotiate better deals. Dropshipping can help these companies increase their sales and they don’t usually have to pay too much. Dropshipped products represent a small portion of the inventory so not all items take too long to ship.
First, find a supplier who offers dropshipping. Once you have gained traction, you can sign up for a dropshipping arrangement.
