Loading...
Answers
MenuI have started a wholesale business and I want to know how to sell to retailers as a wholesaler? How to contact them and sell to them?
This question has no further details.
Answers
How to sell to retailers? As a former Retail Buyer from Target, here's my suggestion. You need to first ready your sales communication and materials to explain how 1) You will drive sales at their stores (best told through sales traction and history in comparable or slightly smaller retailers than the one you are targeting 2) Demonstrate how you will support sales with a marketing plan. Marketing mitigates sales risk and that's a retailer's #1 concern and 3) Prove you will deliver flawless vendor execution. There are many hiccups that happen along the supply chain and it takes an experienced company to flawlessly deliver inventory to the right stores/DC's in the right quantity on the right day. The best way to prove this is by showing that you are currently working with retailers of the same magnitude. So in short, you have to scale up slowly - from small retailers to larger retailers - in order to manage risk, build sales traction, build brand awareness, and manage cash flow.
How to contact them and sell to them? Use Linked In to find retail buyers. I have a short video on how to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwbfUMRHiq0 Trade shows are also effective; you can get the mailing address of retail buyers in attendance plus meet them face to face if they come to your booth. Also, network within your industry. You'll find your peers are wiling to trade buyer lists with you. But in short, don't bother reaching out to a retail buyer until you have talking points that address those 3 things I mentioned above all.
I'm happy to do a clarity call if you have follow up questions.
This would depend on the product you are selling and the industry you are in. Most consumer products, packaged goods and fashion industries have annual or more frequent trade shows throughout the world. Research your consumer market or the final audience you want your products to reach, then find a trade event and sell to retailers who attend these shows. Having a booth and good presence at these shows also builds your brand. In between events, reach out directly to retailers you want to see your products at. Offer them to sell products on consignments or give them samples to test out demand. The retailer is mostly interested in turning sales as quickly as possible with minimal space requirement, use this knowledge to sell your product. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
You may want to check Doba.com or inventorysource.com. They work with a lot of smaller manufacturers/wholesalers, and provide broad access to e-tailers.
Related Questions
-
How can I manage both the wholesale business and the webshop?
Setting up a proper accounting system should be your #1 priority. There are many services such as Webgility that will sync your inventory with Quickbooks, Xero, etc and all of your sales channels (ebay, ecommerce, etsy, etc).PR
-
Any tips on how to structure a first-time wholesale deal?
I would offer them a proposal to reveal their source to you in exchange for a small percentage or fixed amount of each unit ordered. You would also need to structure the offer in such a way as to guaranty that you would not compete with them or circumvent them, if they agree then you would need a legal contract drawn up between you and themVM
-
How do I start a successful business for a beginner with a low budget? Buying wholesale then reselling? What products to start with and where to sell?
Budget is definitely important for a successful business, but it is not everything! As a young entrepreneur, I started a similar business earlier in my career selling eyeglasses on eBay. I created an eBay store, worked on advertising, and was fortunate with my results. I would love to speak with you about starting a website and marketing effectively to consumers with a very small budget. The biggest recommendation I can provide is to test different services at a low budget to see what works. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on a marketing agency, there are many services that can help your iPhone case business in marketing effectively. Feel free to reach out to me!JS
-
What's a middle ground between dropshipping and wholesaling for an ecommerce business?
You can use something like Amazon FBA where you send all your inventory to one of their many warehouses around the world and they will securely store it for you. Then, when you have a sale, they will pack and ship the order to the customer for you. They even handle things like returns and customer service. I would recommend checking it out.DG
-
I have my own shopify store and sell wholesale. How do I encourage customers to buy from me rather than my stockists?
We sell both through the retail chain and direct on our website. The only way to encourage customers to buy from you rather than your stockists is to provide more value than your retailers. The advantage you have as a manufacturer is your intense knowledge for your products. Educate your customers on exactly why your products are the perfect fit and show them how the product would function in their lives. Make the process easy, delivery quick, customer service awesome, and build a unique connection with your customer by telling your story. The one thing you WILL NOT want to do is under cut your stockists on price. Stick to your MSRP and encourage your stockists to abide by that as well. Take price out of equation and rather than thinking of "how can I cut price to move more products," think "how can I add more value to this product to move more products." Hope this helps!EB
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.