3 Ways to Find a Good Wholesale Supplier

Finding quality wholesale supplier is essential to the success of every e-commerce business. Without reliable sources of in-demand products, getting inventory will be a struggle and your business won’t thrive.

While there are many ways to find legitimate wholesale suppliers, locating a supplier specific to your niche may not be as easy as you’d imagine.

First, decide: who are you looking for?

There are so many wholesale suppliers, but not all of them are true wholesale companies.

When looking for a legitimate wholesale supplier, your goal is to get the contact information from the manufacturer’s authorized wholesaler. This is the supplier that has been authorized by the manufacturer to resell their products.

The first place to look;

With more than 4,000 trade shows across the U.S. each year, it’s not a question of if you should attend a trade show but rather which one and when. In addition to the U.S., there are thousands of trade shows all over the world, in places like Honk Kong, Tokyo, Paris, Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Canton.

A trade show is a large exhibit destined to bring legitimate wholesale suppliers and retailers together. Trade show exhibitors (the suppliers) showcase their new products at the show. They’re also there to talk to customers (you) and sell products. Catch Naftali Inc. at the CES show in Las Vegas starting January 5, 2017.

Wholesale suppliers must apply to exhibit at the show, and it costs a significant amount of money to rent a booth. This means the suppliers you meet there are serious about doing business.

These events typically host many thousands of vendors who display thousands of products. You’ll get an opportunity to make deals with them and often get discounts on products.

1. Trade Show Websites

If you do not want to travel to a trade show, trade show websites will often provide lists of current and past exhibitors online.

You’ll find the trade show Web sites either at TSNN, or by searching for the name of the trade show in the search engines.

2. Trusted Suppliers

Since large manufacturers won’t sell directly to retailers, it’s important to go with boutique wholesalers that can service retail. The best are distributors who have exclusive authorization to sell a certain product – they can usually get you the best deals.

3. Search Engines

Use the search engines to find wholesale suppliers can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. A good way to watch out for fake wholesale companies is by checking whether they have the words “wholesale supplier” on their site or language advertising for steep discounts on Coach Handbags or smartphones.  Real suppliers will never advertise in this matter.

Once you’ve done the grunt work and have found a great supplier, dedicate time and effort to build a great relationship with them. For an E-commerce business owner, great supplier relationships are like money in the bank!