The 4 types of basic wholesale websites
•B2B Marketplaces - large network of suppliers; Request for Quotations (RFQ); comparison quotes
•Brand to retailer Marketplaces - curated selection of wholesale goods for boutiques
•Industrial Suppliers Directories - Custom manufacturing, OEM, components sourcing
•Wholesale Directories - vetting of supplier lists
Top Wholesale Websites by Use case
Sourcing in China (Factory and exporter)
•Alibaba - B2B Marketplace where one can search for bulk suppliers or OEM products and also export items.
•1688 - discover factory prices from China for wholesale only (requires an in-country sourcing strategy)
•Global Sources - verify international suppliers.
•Made in China - a verified international trading system with reliable suppliers.
•DHGate - low minimums on quantities. Best suited for small or mid-level retailers.
Boutique friendly shopping
•Faire - Connects small businesses with an assortment of fashion wholesalers/makers.
•Ankorstore - an EU-based marketplace with a merchant friendly model.
•Amazon Business - has a broad spectrum of products combined with business features
Industrial & Manufacturing
•ThomasNet - Search for detailed product and service information about suppliers from North America and OEMs and Industrial purchases
India & South Asia
•IndiaMart / TradeIndia - premier B2B marketplaces from India for supplier search and for comparative benchmarking
Global general B2B
•EC21 - international supplier hunting, cross-country trade
•Pre-verified supplier lists
•Wholesale Central, SaleHoo, Worldwide Brands - all are great resources for inexperienced dropshippers and resellers but require additional verifying from your part.
Selecting your suitable Wholesale Platform:
•Factory direct/OEM -> Alibaba, 1688, Global sources
•Boutique friendly -> Faire, Ankorstore, Amazon Business
• Industrial North America -> Thomasnet
•Pre-verified supplier lists -> SaleHoo, Worldwide Brands
Best Practice for Wholesale Procurement
1. Prepare your procurement needs (specs, volume, cost/unit, packing and delivery)
2. Narrow your list of suppliers to a minimum of three and a maximum of five.
3. Submit RFIs/RFQs on a standardized format.
What to avoid when buying from manufacturers
•Choosing suppliers solely based on their unit prices
•Skipping the quality control process
• Poor specification leading to wrong shipments
•Unclear terms for returned defects
• Not having a secondary source for top-selling SKUs.
Conclusion
Choosing your most appropriate wholesale platform depends on the volume that you need, the class of goods that you are purchasing and the amount of risk that you are willing to take. Seek your next business venture on one or many of these platforms and be sure to be successful by implementing a well-defined plan for specification, sample evaluation, quality control, and re-order.
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