{"id":1295,"date":"2020-03-09T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/wholesale-distributors\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T18:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:01:50","slug":"wholesale-distributors","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/wholesale-distributors\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a Wholesale Distributor: 6 Tips on Finding a Great Wholesaler for Your Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is a wholesale distributor?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 ways that wholesale distributors can help ecommerce businesses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 challenges ecommerce companies face in finding a wholesale distributor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 tips on finding a wholesale distributor for your ecommerce business<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 resources to source a wholesale distributor for ecommerce<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let ShipBob manage your inventory and fulfilment<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wholesale distributors FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For ecommerce businesses, having access to a large volume of inventory and general merchandise can be beneficial. That\u2019s why some ecommerce stores have chosen to rely on a wholesale distributor to ensure they have plenty of inventory<\/a> on hand. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re considering working with a wholesale distributor, here\u2019s what you need to know. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a wholesale distributor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A wholesale distributor (aka wholesaler) buys large quantities of goods directly from manufacturers and resells them to retailers and ecommerce businesses<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 ways that wholesale distributors can help ecommerce businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wholesaler businesses traditionally work with brick-and-mortar retailers, but are starting to work more with small businesses like ecommerce merchants because of how quickly ecommerce is growing. Here are some of the ways wholesale<\/a> distributors and wholesale suppliers can benefit your ecommerce business. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Consistent access to products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wholesale distributors get discounted pricing from suppliers for purchasing in bulk. You can worry less about running low on your best sellers since they provide a reliable stream and steady amount of product. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Access to products you otherwise wouldn\u2019t have<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019re running a larger business, creating your own products takes a lot of time and resources. Wholesalers are needed when your business is unable to purchase directly from suppliers because purchase quantities are too low to meet suppliers\u2019 minimum order requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Better prices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even for business owners that do meet supplier\u2019s minimum order requirements, wholesalers can often purchase products in bulk and obtain better prices from suppliers. If you work with a wholesaler, they\u2019ll likely have relationships in place that offer better low-price discounts for quality products in your industry.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Geographical access to products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With a wholesaler, you can access a wider range of product because you\u2019re not restricted to suppliers closest to you. The wholesale distribution model gives you access to a larger range of new products to choose from if you want to expand your product inventory and SKU<\/a> count, wholesalers can help you meet these goals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Quality control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By working with a reliable wholesaler, you can monitor product quality control by tracking how their products perform with customers. If they receive too many negative reviews or complaints, you can make the decision to switch to a different wholesale distributor. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 challenges ecommerce companies face in finding a wholesale distributor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wholesaling is fairly new to the ecommerce industry. Many wholesalers prefer to work with traditional retail stores who have been around for a long time, and they sometimes can be skeptical about working with ecommerce businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the challenges ecommerce businesses face when sourcing a wholesale distributor. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Some wholesalers are better than others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Talk to any ecommerce brand who has had experience working with a wholesale distributor and they will tell you that some are better than others. Finding a quality wholesale distributor to work with is critical, but also difficult. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are no review sites for wholesalers, so you\u2019ll want to ask for references or ask people in your network to source a high-quality wholesaler you can trust. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Many wholesale distributors don\u2019t dropship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many ecommerce businesses want distributors to dropship so they don\u2019t have to keep too much inventory on hand<\/a>. Unfortunately, many wholesale distributors steer away from dropshipping<\/a> since it doesn\u2019t fit their business model. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Wholesale distributors are often reluctant to work with ecommerce companies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even with the rise of ecommerce, wholesalers are still skeptical about working with ecommerce companies. These reasons include: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n