So, you’ve started searching for a wholesale distributor to make bulk purchases.

If you’re a new retailer, then this is a choice that you’re going to have to consider rather carefully. Choosing a less than ideal distributor can have severe ramifications for your business as a whole and can generate serious problems. This is a process that you’re going to need to move through with a trained eye and determine what will the best distributor for your business.

However, what exactly does that entail, and how do you know you’ve found the right distributor?

Merchandise

Before anything else, you need to know what products you’re going to be purchasing.

Now, you might be thinking that it should be a no brainer. After all, if buying in bulk is cheaper than buying individual units then wouldn’t it make sense to buy everything in bulk and save yourself money?

No.

If you’re buying products in bulk, then you should be doing so with the expectation that they’re going to sell. These are the products that need to be leaving your shelves so that you can be making a profit off of them. If you end up buying something that your customers aren’t buying, that’s now an expense that you’re not going to be able to recuperate.

Before looking as wholesale distributors, you should be looking at your own customers’ spending habits. What are they buying, how much, and does this seem to be a common trend and not a one-off?

Once you’ve done this, you can move onto the next step.

Price

As you’re probably already aware, when purchasing products from a wholesale distributor, individual unit prices are far cheaper when compared to their retail counterparts.

However, simply because the individual units are cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re making a profit.

Since minimum order requirements are so common when making wholesale purchases, you might find that your orders are large and expensive enough that you’re not going to be making any real money back. What sort of profit margins you should be expecting from the prices that wholesale distributors offer should be one of the first things on your mind when looking at wholesale prices.

Your ultimate goal should be to find the lowest wholesale price you can (without compromising the quality of your products). A detailed cost-benefit analysis can go a long way to helping you figure out which distributors you should be using to make purchases.

Reliability

Now that you’ve determined what sort of products you’re going to be purchasing and the price range that’s suitable for your business’ budget, there’s one last critical issue that you need to consider.

Is this wholesale distributor going to be a reliable partner?

Even if they have everything else that you want from a wholesaler, having an unreliable wholesale distributor is not going to result in a healthy long-term relationship. It would be best if you were taking some time to contact other clients of theirs and ask them about their experience with the distributor. Read reviews about the company and what their services are like. Even contact their customer service and see how they treat you.

You want a distributor who fulfills their orders, who doesn’t ship late, or break merchandise while in transit. Every single one of these is an expense that will come out of your business if your customers start getting antsy about not having their favorite products.

While getting the lowest price should always be your goal, if you find a distributor who has a better reputation and higher standards, you may wish to consider them instead. You could very well save more money with their competence than you would at a lower price.

Now, this all probably sounds like something that’s going to take a significant effort on your part.

It will.

However, the effort that you put into this work will reap you tremendous rewards once you figure out which wholesale distributor is best for you and your business.

Tips

  • Trade shows are an excellent place to find the right sort of wholesaler that you’re searching for, especially since you can meet with their representatives face to face.
  • When you first contact with the distributor is productive and take the time to learn more about them, develop the relationship.