What is a wholesale business and how to get the most out of it? Check out the list of top wholesale items to sell and best practices for a proper start
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Starting your own wholesale business from scratch can become a daunting prospect if you’ve never done it before. It’s a time-consuming endeavor, and if you don’t know what is wholesale and why you’re doing it, the business could fail before it gets off the ground.
Luckily, plenty of other entrepreneurs have started the wholesale business model before, so you can benefit from the wisdom they gleaned and learn from their successes and business mistakes. That’s what this overview is all about!
We’ve gathered this wholesale guide to help you get reliable information about everything connected with starting a wholesale business: from finding and validating your money-making idea to figuring out your shipping strategy to finally launching your product or service. And by the end of reading this, you’ll be ready to go out and make some money!
Let’s start from the basics: what does a wholesaling company do?
In essence, a wholesale business sells goods in bulk to another retailer, offline or online, who will later sell them to new customers at a higher price. Initially, wholesaling was associated with brick-and-mortar store giants like Walmart, but these days, the niche is filled by direct-to-consumer eCommerce companies. That’s pretty simple: for offering wholesale items to sell, it’s enough to reorganize the space in the store for bulk products. You no longer need to spend a fortune on starting a separate company. The striking examples in the category of stores that have chosen this strategy are Amazon and Wayfair.
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Read moreThat’s all clear, but why did these companies decide to learn how does wholesale work? The answer is the wide range of benefits a wholesale business possesses.
Selling wholesale products for resale is more than just a way to make money. It’s also an opportunity to build relationships with retailers and buyers, learn about new markets and stay ahead of trends, as well as grow your business in several different ways. But perhaps most importantly, the wholesale business allows you to capitalize on selling high-value products at low margins, which gives you all sorts of flexibility when it comes time to raise prices or scale up your business. To explore a wide range of wholesale opportunities and connect with retailers, visit Faire.com.
If you’re trying to start a retail or online business that sells goods and services at full price (or close), the wholesale program will help you get established without taking on too much risk or spending lots of capital upfront.
Retail & wholesale may sound very different in theory, but in practice, businesses tend to mistake these two approaches and try to combine them to use all their benefits.
Let’s start with definitions of retail & wholesale. Retail is about selling a product directly to a customer, and wholesale is about dealing with several products or customers at once. This key distinction creates dramatic differences in the selling process. With retail sales, you sell your product directly to consumers in your brick-and-mortar store or online. While selling wholesale, you sell directly to other businesses which then sell their products to consumers. In this case, you’re not dealing with customers directly: you are either selling one product at a time or in large batches.
We’ve summarized all the other main differences between retail & wholesale in the list below.
There are many reasons why someone would want to wholesale products — and one of them is that selling wholesale could lead to retail sales as well. The most obvious benefit of starting a company that unites the retail approach and the wholesale business model is having two sales channels with which you can make money.
A second benefit is that you can start building your business even before it’s operating at full capacity by selling your inventory in whichever way makes more sense — wholesale or retail. If you start with only one channel and don’t get enough customers, it could take longer than expected for your business to become profitable. By using both wholesale & retail strategies from day one, though, you can ensure that every dollar spent on inventory pays off.
But don’t try to match retail & wholesale anytime. Since there are such vast differences between wholesale & retail, it’s important to know what works best for your business before you get started.
For example, if you have $500 in inventory sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust, that may be an indication that wholesale isn’t right for you (yet). Similarly, if no one buys from your storefront but they come running when they see what you have available wholesale, it might be worth rethinking how you do business. It can take some trial and error to figure out which model will work best for your business — so don’t get discouraged! Just remember that there’s an option to choose just one side of things; many retailers also offer wholesale items to sell on occasion.
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Try NowFrom jewelry and clothing to candles and home decor, there are many wholesale items to resale worth your attention. But be careful! Don’t assume that all wholesale products to sell are created equal. If you aren’t educated about different types of wholesaling, you could end up with a lot of inventory you can’t sell — meaning you spent money on something that never earns any revenue.
To find wholesale products for resale, it’s a great idea to figure out what kinds of items your customers want — and then sell those things! A good start here is to check the best products to sell on Amazon or how to sell wholesale on Shopify, for example. That way, you can attract repeat business and get better at selling those types of items. Best of all, your customers will know exactly what they’re getting when they shop with you — which makes them more likely to buy from you again in the future.
And of course, as you research wholesale products for resale, be sure that you’re choosing items that you know and love. Because if you’re not passionate about an item, why would anyone else be?
There are dozens of popular wholesale products that retail shoppers look for as well as tons of consumer goods that might not immediately come to mind when you think wholesale. So let’s take a look at some of these lesser-known items and see if they might be an opportunity worth pursuing. In this section, we’ll overview the bestsellers among wholesale items to sell from home, we’ll show you what types of products are most commonly sold at discount prices.
Even though the pandemic has affected the number of people working in offices (and thus, needing office supplies), the constant flow of students and teachers never ends, and these people always need stationery and supplies. This is especially true for the back-to-school season.
The annual back-to-school rush is a great time to stock up on notebooks, pens, crayons, glue sticks and anything else you can think of that can be useful for school. To make the most of this period, make sure you get your inventory in before school starts.
5 most popular wholesale items to sell in this category:
Lockdown forced people to spend more time in their homes, and that’s how their attention to home decor has become stronger. It’s not just about getting a new wholesale product to sell for a house; it’s also about getting items for revamping what people already have in their homes.
If you can get your hands on good quality furniture at wholesale prices, then you can buy such wholesale items to resell for higher prices without having to worry about competition from other sellers. Just make sure you know what styles are popular so you don’t end up with an entire warehouse full of unpopular items.
5 home decor things to sell wholesale:
Clothes are the basic items for living, and so this product category works great for selling wholesale. You can sell them both in bulk and in small quantities — the relevant approach depends on the style and audience you’re aiming at.
Also, clothing and accessories let you combine wholesale & retail. If you get your hands on some good quality clothes at wholesale prices, then you can easily double or triple your profits by selling them at retail prices.
5 best wholesale items to sell in the clothes and accessories category:
Food is another basic item that people will always need. Even if a person isn’t in dire need of food, the chances he/she will buy a lot for friends and family or store are high.
For wholesale business, we recommend getting foods with a long storing period so you will get enough time to use these wholesale items for resale.
5 top foods for the wholesale business model:
The best entertainment for people sitting at home is experimenting with cooking, and the kitchen items are the best partners in this crime. If you can get rare supplies in huge quantities at wholesale price, you can make a great wholesale business in this niche.
5 best wholesale products to sell for the kitchen:
Statista predicts the wellness market size to grow from $4.37 trillion to almost $7 trillion by 2025. What does it mean for your future wholesale business? It means that the trend toward leading a healthy lifestyle is about to prevail in the near future.
To start selling wholesale to retailers in the health and wellness niche, it’s better to get at least one of these types of products: exercise equipment (e.g., treadmills), supplements (e.g., protein powder), or apparel (e.g., yoga pants). If your customers find you as a reliable wholesale cooperation partner, get ready to expand the range of your products depending on their needs.
5 top health and wellness wholesale items to sell:
Did you know pet owners spent an average of $860 on their pets in 2020? That’s a lot, and it leaves room for starting a wholesale business. Just make sure that you choose wholesale products for resale that are of high quality yet affordable.
The pet care category has lots of items online at wholesale prices, so we recommend searching hard and starting by reselling the wholesale items found.
5 top pet care wholesale products for resale:
Say you’re currently making money from selling things wholesale; now, it would be a good time to expand that side of your business. If you’re new to wholesaling, or just want some tips on how it works, here is everything you need to know: how to get started, what wholesale companies look for in sellers, and more. If you’re looking for tips on how to become a small-business wholesaler, we’ve got those in our wholesale guide too.
As you’re getting your business off of the ground and at a small size, it can be tempting to discount prices just so you’ll have more customers. Don’t do it! This only attracts bargain shoppers that are looking for deals and aren’t willing to spend more than they absolutely have to. If someone has trouble paying full price on your goods or services, they aren’t going to value what you provide enough to recommend your store or business.
Another tip for small wholesale businesses is is always keep an eye out for new opportunities. If you’re selling wholesale goods, you need to make sure that your inventory stays fresh and current. This means regularly checking in with your suppliers and getting rid of items that aren’t moving.
Be attentive to your inventory. In fact, many wholesalers will discount slow-moving items just so they can get them off their shelves. If you’re not willing to do that, rethink your business model timely and refer to another reliable wholesale vendor/supplier if needed.
Trust is at the core of healthy and long-lasting relations with your retailers. To become a reliable partner to them, you have to be able to offer them products that are worth their while, delivered on time in high-quality packaging. It’s also important for you to understand what they need from you as a supplier so that you can deliver it consistently over time.
If you’re just starting out with an idea for your own wholesale store, one of your biggest challenges will be finding products your retailers can trust. Working with suppliers who have experience in retail is always best – they know what works and what doesn’t because they’ve been there before. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about who sells their product and where. Be prepared that some manufacturers won’t have answers because it’s not always worth their time tracking down those leads themselves.
Your relationship with retailers will never be one of equals: they have more buying power than you do, and their decisions about which suppliers they work with will always be based on factors outside your control (like whether or not they like you). That said, you as a business owner should invest the maximum to establish yourself as someone who’s worth doing business with — like preparing a step-by-step presentation plan before meeting them.
There are several resources available for finding wholesale cooperation partners, especially online. Reach out to other businesses in your industry and find out who they purchase from and what they pay attention too. Ask them about their experience and make your conclusions on which wholesalers or distributors are worth working with.
If you’re looking for wholesale products, don’t forget to check out sites like Amazon and eBay as well. These platforms are great places for several purposes: conducting market research, making a competitor analysis, finding suppliers — and even selling your wholesale items online.
For the latter case, Sellbery assists with multichannel selling from different eCommerce platforms. We help businesses sell online with ease, work with several eCommerce channels at once, and get rid of manual product management. Try us now, and become a top-selling wholesaler right away!
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Free TrialPurchasing the right wholesale towels can make a huge difference for your business. Take these factors into consideration to meet your customers’ needs and expectations.
RELATED: How To Choose the Right Spa Robes For The Ultimate Luxury Experience
In this article:
You must first identify your business’ needs for towels, so you can determine which type you need. Do you need a bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, or a microfiber towel?
If your business needs all towel types, make sure to purchase wholesale towels of each kind.
In most cases, bath towels are available for bulk buying. However, some uncommon towel types like quarterback towels may only be offered by specific wholesalers.
Wholesale towels don’t only vary in type but material as well. To meet your customers’ standards, you have to acquaint yourself with various towel materials.
The most common materials used are cotton and terry cloth. While both are widely used in making bulk towels, you have to identify which will best suit your business needs.
Soft and fluffy cotton towels are commonly used in hospitality businesses. Some wholesalers also offer a mix of cotton and polyester.
Terry cloth is usually used for making bath towels and bathrobes. Gyms, salons, and spas typically use terry bath towels because of the absorbency power.
While uncommon, velour towels make a great option if you want to give your customers a luxurious experience. Hotels commonly provide velour towels, which are either woven or knitted and is velvety in texture.
Getting the right size for wholesale towels is just as important as choosing the right type and material. Towels also range in sizes to suit different purposes.
Wholesale hand towels, for example, are usually 25 to 30 inches long and 15 to 16 inches wide. On the other hand, wholesale bath towels range from 40 to 54 inches in length and 20 to 27 inches in width.
The standard bath towel size for an average person is 27 inches by 52 inches. You can also opt for a bath towel that provides full coverage, measuring 35 inches by 60 inches.
It also matters to pick the right towel weight, which is measured by grams per square meter (GSM). Towel weight ranges from 300 to 900 GSM.
The lightest and thinnest towels are around 300 to 400 GSM. These lightweight towels are ideal for gym use.
Medium-weight towels range from 400 to 600 GSM. They make a good choice for beach and bath towels.
Towels with a premium weight of 600 to 900 GSM, are heavier, denser, and more absorbent than others. Take note, though, that these towels take longer to dry.
It’s also important to look for wholesale towels that can stand the test of time. You’d want your towels to remain plush and strong even after multiple washes.
Durability is a crucial consideration so make sure your wholesale towels will be able to endure numerous uses and the rigid cleaning process. If you want your towels to last long, always opt for high-quality materials even if they’re pricier.
Your brand color is also a consideration when buying towels in bulk. Purchasing wholesale towels that match your business’ theme can boost your brand identity.
RobeMart offers a myriad of color choices that can suit your brand. You can take your branding efforts to the next level by having these towels customized with RobeMart’s embroidery option!
RELATED: Why Use Custom Towels To Promote Your Business
Nobody wants to buy towels in bulk only to be disappointed when their colors fade or become blemished easily. Sadly, it’s hard to tell whether a towel is colorfast or not, at face value, but it helps to read customer reviews.
Keep in mind, though, that you should not rely on the towels’ colorfastness alone. You also have to do your part and make sure that the towels are handled and washed with care.
If you want to take the safe route, it’s best to stick with white ones. Just be careful when handling these towels as a stain can be an eyesore on white towels.
When it comes to business, quality is non-negotiable. Pick a wholesale towel made with the highest standards.
Towel quality depends on the factors we’ve mentioned earlier such as type, the material used, size, weight, and other key factors. These include absorbency power, softness, durability, drying time, and colorfastness.
These factors may be hard to distinguish at the store or when you’re scouting wholesale towels online. You can get insights from customer reviews to have an idea of whether a towel is of high quality or not.
Better yet, buy a couple to test them personally. It’s the best way to assess the quality of the towels.
Before proceeding with your towel wholesale purchase, determine the quantity you need. You don’t want your customers complaining of insufficient supplies so always have more than enough to be safe.
Consider purchasing wholesale towels through a wholesaler or online store that offers bulk options such as RobeMart. Buying in bulk not only cuts the hassle, but it allows you to save money as well.
Of course, you also have to consider how much you are willing to spend on wholesale towels. Bulk buying is ideal for businesses because it is more practical than buying at retail prices, and it will lower down the business’ expenses.
While the price is a consideration, remember not to compromise the quality of the items. You will realize that purchasing quality products will save you more money in the long run.
Balancing both price considerations and product quality is key to making a wise and sustainable investment in wholesale towels for business use.
Don’t forget to consider the urgency of your wholesale orders as well. Some wholesalers may take longer to deliver the orders compared to other suppliers.
Knowing the expected delivery time will assist you in aligning your buying decisions and planning ahead before you run out of stock. People expect hotels, spas, gyms, resorts and wellness centers to provide plush towels that exude luxury and comfort, that’s why it is essential for business establishments to meet those expectations consistently.
Remember to weigh your options carefully and choose high-quality towels that can satisfy your customers’ needs and expectations. RobeMart’s wholesale option promises the best quality at the best prices!
What type of wholesale towels do you need? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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