Many people know how to find a wholesaler but don’t know which one to choose. Not all wholesalers are the same, and you want to make sure you find the right wholesaler that can help you generate top-notch sales of your products in the minimum amount of time possible without spending too much money on advertising or any other promotional activity. Here are some tips that will help you find the right wholesaler.
What Is A Wholesaler?
A wholesaler is a person or company that buys and sells goods from other businesses. Wholesalers buy large volumes of goods at a discount and then sell them to retailers, who mark up the prices before selling them to consumers.
Categorizing Wholesalers
Wholesalers can be categorized based on how they get goods to their customers:
-Buyers carry out the wholesale business using their trucks or other vehicles. This type of wholesaler might sell food or other goods direct to restaurants and grocery stores, as well as other businesses that need large orders of merchandise delivered quickly.
-Buyers acting as agents for other companies find products from manufacturers and wholesalers, then take those products to retailers. They may also handle warehousing and distribution for these items when needed.
-Wholesale distributors buy bulk from manufacturers or distributors and then sell them to retailers at wholesale prices. This business usually sells household goods like paper towels, toilet paper, and dish soap.
Reasons To Work With A Wholesaler
There are several reasons why you should consider working with a wholesale distributor.
The first reason is that it allows you to connect with your local market. A wholesaler has access to the same products and services as a retailer but can also offer you better prices. This means that if you are looking for a new supplier, the wholesaler will be able to give you the best price on your product or service.
You can get exclusive deals from wholesalers because they have more leverage than most retailers when negotiating prices and deals with their suppliers. This means they are more likely to offer you better terms than other retailers.
A wholesaler also offers some additional benefits over retailers. These include access to new products and services and savings on shipping costs. Many wholesalers also offer loyalty programs that allow customers to earn discounts on future purchases or even points redeemed for cash back rewards at checkout.
Wholesale distributors are great for companies who want to reach out into new markets or expand into new areas of their business and those looking for ways to grow their current customer base through offerings such as free shipping.
Finding the Right Wholesaler In Short Time
Follow these steps to find a wholesaler to supply your business with products.
1. Look for a wholesaler that specializes in your product.
Look for a wholesaler that specializes in your product. If you’re looking for something like a bulk food item, or if you’re looking to purchase products in larger quantities, look for a wholesaler who specializes in those items.
2. Contact the manufacturer of the product/s you want to purchase.
Contact the manufacturer of the product/s you want to purchase. If you have any questions about their product or if they have any concerns about the quality of the products that you’ll be purchasing from them, they will likely be willing to help you out. This is especially true if they sell their products directly to consumers and not just wholesale to retailers.
3. Find an online wholesaler.
Find an online wholesaler. Some sellers also sell their products through third-party websites like Amazon or eBay. These websites allow buyers to buy directly from manufacturers without finding a local retailer. You may also want to check out other websites like Etsy or eBay, where sellers offer goods and services directly from their homes.
4. Make sure they’re reputable.
Make sure they’re reputable. This step is important because many dishonest people are trying to take advantage of others, so it’s always best practice to do some research before buying anything from anyone!
5. Look at the distributor’s return policy.
You can find a good wholesaler by looking at the distributor’s return policy. If you buy from a wholesale distributor, the company is responsible for shipping your product back to you if there are any issues.
6. Ask about costs and fees
If you’re buying in bulk quantities, it’s worth asking about costs and fees. Some companies will charge a fee for larger orders, while others may offer discounted or free shipping on orders over certain amounts. This will be important to know if you’re buying large quantities of products.
7. Look for Wholesale Lots on eBay
You can find wholesale lots on eBay, which allows you to buy items in bulk and have them shipped directly to your door at a reduced cost — but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be authentic or even in stock when they arrive (or that they’ll still be available).
If you’re looking for an affordable option for buying wholesale lots, look for these auctions instead of standard auction listings. You can also see what other people have purchased from this seller by checking their feedback and purchasing history.
8. Check Major B2B Marketplaces
Another step in finding a wholesaler is to check the major business-to-business marketplaces. These sites are the best places to find wholesale suppliers and are often the first place you should look when trying to find a new source of wholesale products.
9. Use the U.S. Customs Database
The U.S. customs database has information on over 4 million companies, and more than 3 million are in the trade industry. To find out if your company is a wholesaler, you need to enter your business name, address and contact information into the search engine. This will give you the results of all companies registered with the U.S. Customs Office. If you want information about other trade agencies or businesses, check out our guide on finding wholesalers via social media.
10. Attend Local & International Trade Shows
The best way to find a supplier is by attending local and international trade shows. These events are designed to bring manufacturers, distributors, and other wholesalers to promote their products. If your business has something new or unique that you think might interest others, then it’s worth attending these shows. You can find schedules of local trade shows at the following websites:
Trade Shows News Network
Events Eye Trade Show Directory
Trade Fair Dates
Absolute Exhibits
You can gain valuable insights from other businesses that have already succeeded with similar products or services. You may also come across suppliers with the same products you need but at a lower price. This could save you money if they are willing to negotiate terms with you on behalf of their customers.
If you have the time and resources, consider attending a trade show overseas, such as:
Canton Fair: This twice-yearly event attracts over 25,000 exhibitors and over 190,000 overseas buyer visitors.
The Global Sources Expo: This trade show is more focused on electronic products and consists of over 9,000 trade booths and more than 90,000 buyers.
These trade shows help you build connections with splendid wholesalers, and they even offer discounts.
11. Make a decision and enjoy!
Once you’ve found some potential suppliers, it’s time to decide on who you want to work with. Make sure that all of the parties involved are happy with the arrangement before finalizing any agreements or contracts.
12. Figure out your industry’s distribution channels
There could be a number of ways the product you’re looking to sell could be passed around from the manufacturer to the retailer. Not all the products can be sourced from wholesalers. Hence, understanding the industry’s distribution channels and supply chain is important to finding the right wholesale supplier for your retail or e-commerce store.
Different types of distributors in the wholesale circle can include:
Manufacturers: They buy directly from small manufacturers. Boutique stores generally buy from small (sometimes one-person) manufacturers.
Exclusive Distributor: Sometimes a company has the exclusive rights to import and distribute a product in a certain region. These exclusive distributors can sell directly to the retail store or can sell to other smaller local wholesalers who then go to retailers.
Regional Distributor: They disassemble boxcar-sized lots and sell them to local wholesalers, who then sell them to small businesses.
Jobbers: A business which buys goods and bulk products from importers, other wholesalers, or manufacturers and then sells them to retailers is called a jobber. Hence, each industry has its own distribution channel, and you should always do proper research before finding a supplier for your business. When you’re just starting out, you’ll initially buy from smaller wholesalers at much higher prices, but as you eventually grow, you’ll find better wholesalers for your shop.
13. Contacting the manufacturer is a good option.
Wholesalers are the middle men. They also get into your budget. Instead of going to them, you could try contacting the manufacturer of the product you’re looking to sell. Simply find the company that makes the product, locate their website, and get in touch with them through a phone call or email. They could supply their product directly to you, thus cutting the cost and allowing you to be competitive. And if they aren’t willing to supply a newbie, then you can ask them for a list of trusted distributors. There’s an added advantage to this scheme. Most wholesalers can source many different products from numerous manufacturers. This means you can quickly select a variety of goods for your niche.
14. Use Google to find the wholesaler
However, as obvious as it sounds, googling to find wholesalers is still the way to go, but for that you have to google smart and hard. Wholesale suppliers often have medieval-looking websites. Therefore, the websites aren’t search engine optimized. So, it’s highly unlikely you can find the best wholesale suppliers on page 1 of Google SERPs(Search Engine Results Pages). There could be some highly rated wholesale vendors on pages 2, 3, or even page 50. All you’ve got to do is dig deeper and deeper. Additionally, try to switch up keywords. Like using words like “bulk” or “distributor” in your searches.
For instance, if you’re looking for wholesale perfume suppliers, try looking up: “Wholesale perfumes,” “perfume wholesaler,” “perfume distributor,” “wholesale supplier for perfumes,” “Buy perfume wholesale,” “Perfume supplier.”
Also, try to find local suppliers. Just add your location to the search query to find a wholesaler locally. This could help to minimize shipping costs, plus you get to meet the supplier face-to-face, and it really helps to build a strong connection with your local wholesale supplier. This could be a great way to create a network for your business locally.
15. Check wholesale supplier directories.
There are loads of online wholesale marketplaces available. These supplier directories are typically organised by location, market, product, niche, and more. This makes it easy to zero in on the best wholesale supplier for your store. And that’s not all. Most wholesale supplier directories look over the companies before listing their details. In other words, they filter out the bad ones and provide you with the legit ones. These supplier directories are also a convenient way to ponder new product ideas and stay on top of trends. Here is a gist of some of the most popular online databases to find your business a wholesaler:
Alibaba
Alibaba is the biggest name in the B2B consumer market. It connects wholesalers, vendors, and retailers in more than 200 countries. Some analysts consider Alibaba a better investment than Amazon. It also holds the record for holding the largest IPO in the US—even bigger than Google, Amazon, and Facebook. Therefore, it has a massive collection of wholesalers to choose from. The sellers collect reviews to share their trustworthiness, and as a result, you can select a variety of products without having to think twice. When looking for a certain product, I suggest checking off the “Trade Assurance” and “Verified Supplier” filters so that you will start seeing sellers trusted by the platform itself.
Handshake
It is a wholesale marketplace backed by Shopify. Each wholesale supplier is strictly vetted, and the platform still has a vast selection of products available. Plus, you won’t find the universal products that you see plentiful on Alibaba or Global Sources. Handshake connects retailers with suppliers selling unique products.
Global Sources:
Based in Hong Kong, Global Sources maintains a whole range of lists of suppliers in a broad range of industries. You can get a huge number of products at low prices. Another great feature of this marketplace is its built-in margin calculator tool. Just get your research done when you’re ordering in bulk.
Wholesale Central
One of the best directories of active wholesalers and wholesale goods is Wholesale Central. Thousands of wholesalers have joined the site’s extensive network of suppliers and customers since its creation in 1996, and millions of active wholesale buyers rely on it to find reputable vendors and the most recent products. While browsing this site is free, providers who want to be included on WholesaleCentral.com must pay a fee. Despite having a US base, the website lists vendors from all around the world.
Wholesale Circles
Well, we have to mention ourselves too, because we are also managing a B2B directory for you. All the suppliers in our directory are vetted before being entered into our database. Our mission is to offer you a free online supplier directory and a long-term business relationship through fast, honest client service. If you are a reseller, then you don’t require registration on our website. You can join our premium directory and explore our thousands of suppliers for free.
IndiaMART
The largest e-commerce site in India, IndiaMart, is overflowing with potential wholesale partners. Many of the wholesale vendors on the website work in the industrial sector. However, because of how big this wholesale database is, you’ll find suppliers in just about every industry. IndiaMart’s accreditation program aids in confirming each wholesale vendor’s reliability. And like in other marketplaces, you’ve got to look out for con artists.
16. Subscribe to your niche’s publication.
Subscribe to any publication or newsletter that focuses on merchants in your sector. Keep in mind that every advertiser in these periodicals is likely to be a distributor or manufacturer of a certain product. The advertisements in the magazine’s back should provide you with a few dozen possibilities. Contrary to supplier websites, trade periodicals frequently have advertisements with current contact information and invite merchants like you to call.
17. Ask for Referrals from Local Business Networks
Seek referrals from your local contacts and business networks. The benefit of becoming a member of a professional network, such as a Chamber of Commerce, is the ability to reach out directly to other company owners with a range of skills. Contact these specialists and ask if they can recommend particular providers; they will often have a list of different suppliers that they are happy to recommend. You should also join online forums, which can be a source of free information and help in building a network. LinkedIn can also be helpful in finding wholesalers online. Overall, networking is beneficial in your search for a distributor.
18. Try the C2C marketplaces.
The C2C consumer sites can have limited options, but you can definitely check them out. The wholesale options you’ll find here are usually only suitable for very low volume retailers. But when you’re starting out, sites like eBay can be a good option to get into the retail business. It’s also likely that those using eBay to sell directly to customers simultaneously have a business-to-business segment. You can easily get in touch with them on eBay to find out whether that’s the case.
How to Find Wholesalers for Clothing?
You want to buy wholesale clothing but are unsure where to start.
Don’t stress—we’ve got your back. Here’s how to find wholesalers for clothing:
1) Look at the company’s website or social media pages.
2) Check out their About Us page—what are they all about? Do they have a story? Or are they just a brand? How do they describe themselves? What makes them unique?
3) Try contacting customer service with any questions about the brand and its products. You might get lucky and get an enthusiastic response from someone who knows the brand inside and out! If not, try starting a conversation with one of the people behind the brand on social media or in your community.
4) If all else fails, visit your local mall! There will always be shops willing to take wholesale orders from brands that aren’t yet huge enough to have their own storefronts. You can also ask around in costume shops and costume rental warehouses—they’ll often work with small brands too!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do you find out where a product is manufactured?
To find a product’s manufacturer, check the product for a label or look up the brand. You can also research the brand. Some manufacturers list their products according to their NAICS code.
How do I work with a wholesale supplier?
When choosing a wholesale supplier, ask for references and check whether there are any complaints against them. Consider the logistics of their service—including delivery timeframes and return policies—to ensure you’re getting enough for a discount without overspending.
Can anyone buy from a wholesaler?
If you buy from a business that sells wholesale to the public, you should have no trouble buying wholesale. However, if you buy from a company that imports goods and resells them at a higher price than they paid, you might have some problems. Doing your research before making any purchases from these companies is important.
How do I find bulk buyers?
You should participate in local networking events, and trade shows to gain more visibility and reach. You’ll have the opportunity to meet interested investors, potential buyers, and others who may be interested in your product or service.
To reach even more people, consider launching an email marketing campaign – you can reach large numbers of people with your message this way.
Finally, don’t forget the power of face-to-face interaction by handing out business cards to people you meets – you never know who might be interested in what you’re selling!
What Are The Best Wholesale Sites To Buy From?
When researching wholesale shopping strategies, there are a few key factors to consider. Using Alibaba or Global Sources will be your best bet if you’re looking to source from China. Using Reference USA or Wholesale Central would give you better results. Wholesale directories are generally less effective than if you try to find the distributor yourself.
The Verdict:
Finding a wholesaler for your product is not a difficult task. We have covered 11 important steps to help you find a wholesaler for your product. The first thing to do is list down the qualities you are looking for in a wholesaler. After that, you can begin your search by calling various wholesale directories.
You can also ask your friends, family, or business acquaintances if they have any wholesalers in mind. This will help you narrow down your search.