How to Find and Work with Wholesale Distributors in Europe. Do you wish to launch an online store? If so, you will need products to sell. To buy stock in bulk and quickly fill your inventory, you should purchase these products from a wholesale distributor. But where do you find wholesale ecommerce suppliers? And how can you convince a European wholesaler to sell their products to you?
What is Wholesale Ecommerce?
Wholesale ecommerce is the online sale of goods to anyone other than an end consumer. These items are purchased specifically for resale. In other words, if you are buying products in bulk from a middleman who sources them from the manufacturer, you are working in wholesale ecommerce.
The middleman in this supply process is called the wholesaler or wholesale distributor. These businesses buy goods in bulk from a producer, store their products in a warehouse, and then ship them to retailers (or directly to end customers if they offer dropshipping) through a distribution center.
Popular European Wholesale Suppliers
Finding European wholesalers online can be difficult because they do not always actively promote themselves. Although goods may come with a higher price tag, buying from a wholesaler in Europe ensures fast delivery. Deliveries will be significantly faster than if you purchase from a wholesaler in China. Here are some wholesale ecommerce platforms you might want to consider for your stock.
European wholesale businesses often operate within local countries, but there are also some larger cross-border wholesale ecommerce platforms available.
Orderchamp: This European wholesale platform brings independent retailers and brands together. It offers low minimum order values and free shipping on orders of €250 or higher. Big retailers use the platform to source complementary items, but small boutiques and concept shops can easily stock their entire inventory here.
B2B GRIFFATI: This Italian wholesaler offers several designer brands, including some exclusive fashion labels from Europe, at wholesale prices with reasonable terms. With the Sync2Fashion dropshipping plugin, you can easily add products to your Shopify store without needing a warehouse or logistic management.
SaleHoo: This platform features an online database of more than 8,000 suppliers worldwide. It claims to verify every vendor and provides a full guarantee on your purchase in case of damage or fraud. Over 1.6 million products across 75 categories are available. You will need to create an account and pay $67 to access the database.
Ankorstore: This French B2B marketplace connects brands and creators with online retailers across Europe. The platform is active in Germany, Belgium, and Spain. It has a customer base of 15,000 brands and 200,000 retailers.
Faire: This wholesale ecommerce platform includes over 60,000 independent brands and wholesalers from North America and Europe. Both small and large online retailers can use Faire to expand their product range.
Note for Dropshippers: Do you want to start dropshipping but are still looking for good ecommerce software? Shopify offers plugins that are optimized for running a dropshipping online store.
Dropshipping Companies
With dropshipping, the wholesaler sends a parcel directly to your customer. You do not need a warehouse with inventory or any supplies yourself, and there is no requirement to buy in large quantities. Margins are often a bit lower and delivery times can be longer, but this model is still ideal if your starting budget is low or if you want to test which new products to add to your range.
Here are some recommended dropshipping suppliers:
dropshippingXL: This supplier offers over 90,000 vidaXL products to add to your online store or marketplace account. vidaXL is known for its extensive furniture and home & garden categories but also supplies products from many other categories. It offers fast delivery in Europe and integrations with Lightspeed, Magento, and WooCommerce.
BigBuy: This Spanish dropshipping supplier has more than 150,000 products and can dropship across Europe. Product categories range from home and garden, health and beauty, sports, toys, fashion, and electronics. In addition to purchasing products at wholesale prices per item, dropshippers can become subscribers at BigBuy for extra benefits. With their Marketplace package, you can easily sell their products on various marketplaces.
Spocket: This platform connects you with European and American dropshipping suppliers. Thousands of products are listed on the platform, from clothing to beauty products and more. Spocket has a higher price range and shipping costs compared to AliExpress dropshipping. The platform offers integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, and WooCommerce.
Print-on-Demand Companies
Print-on-demand companies work similarly to dropshipping companies. However, instead of premade products, you can print your own designs on items and create your own unique product range. A few years ago, you could only print on a limited range of products, but printing on demand is rapidly expanding into new areas.
Printful: If you are interested in selling white-label products with your own designs, Printful is a suitable dropship supplier. The company works on a print-on-demand basis. They can print your designs on clothing, as well as bags, mugs, and phone covers. In Europe, the company is located in Latvia and Spain, making shipping within two to four days possible. Integrations are available with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce, and Prestashop, as well as marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Wish.
Printify: Printify is similar to Printful. It is a fast-growing, transparent print-on-demand network that directly connects retailers to major print providers worldwide. This allows you to sell custom printed products that are printed and shipped directly to the customer.
Spreadshirt: Spreadshirt is similar to other print-on-demand suppliers but is also geared toward private customers. This German-founded company offers businesses mass-customization tools, on-demand production, and fulfillment as a service.
Asian Wholesalers
Asian, and especially Chinese, B2B platforms have the advantage of generally good prices and an unlimited product range. However, not all products are in high demand in Europe, and shipping may take considerable time. If you wish to do business with an Asian wholesaler, be sure to take your time selecting both the products and the suppliers you want to work with.
Alibaba: This is the most well-known B2B marketplace from China. Here you can find a wide variety of products, from clothing to toys, and from auto parts to gadgets. Finding reliable suppliers on Alibaba can be challenging, so be prepared. Alibaba also owns the popular B2C marketplace, AliExpress.
Banggood: This is another popular B2B marketplace from China. Its partnership program includes wholesale, affiliate, and dropshipping options. With the Banggood Wholesale program, buyers can enjoy greater discounts on their wholesale orders.
DHgate.com: Founded in 2004, DHgate.com was one of China’s first cross-border B2B ecommerce platforms. It primarily links Chinese SMEs to businesses and individuals worldwide.
How Do You Find a Wholesaler in Europe?
Finding wholesale distributors and suppliers online can be quite difficult. This is because most of them do not actively promote themselves online. More often than not, they do not have a website. Additionally, wholesale ecommerce websites are often very basic or outdated. However, they are essential if you want to find products to sell online.
Most wholesale distributors have websites that are very basic or outdated.
Visit Trade Shows, Festivals, and Events
One effective way to find a distributor is to attend business-to-business trade shows, fairs, and events organized for players in your industry. For example, if you want to sell home decor and interior design products, there are likely several events in your country where you can meet wholesalers and manufacturers. Visiting such events is also an excellent opportunity to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
Look for Suppliers in China
Another interesting option, which has gained popularity in recent years, is searching for a wholesale business in China. Through popular online platforms like Alibaba, you can find many companies willing to do business with European ecommerce businesses.
Do a Reverse Image Search
Have you found something interesting on a competing website? Try doing a reverse image search on the product picture. You can do this in Google, but also via websites like Tineye or Yandex (in our opinion, Yandex is very underrated and unknown for reverse image searches!). In the results, you might find a seller page on Alibaba, which you can contact directly to ask if they want to sell to you.
Finding a Distributor on Alibaba
As mentioned earlier, one of the largest and most popular platforms for finding a wholesale distributor is Alibaba. This Chinese marketplace is full of suppliers who can help you start your business. The only thing you need to do is search for the products you want to sell and get in touch with a supplier.
But how do you find the right one? The supplier who has years of experience, knows local rules and restrictions, and has been assessed, certified, or inspected? Read our guide on finding suppliers on Alibaba to learn how to find the best wholesale distributor for your needs.
Important Things You Should Know About Distributors
Most wholesalers prefer to sell inventory in bulk. Therefore, they may not be interested in you if you are still a small retailer with a small order request. However, on Alibaba.com, for example, you can filter by minimum order amount. This way, you will only find suppliers willing to meet your order request.
When you contact a wholesale ecommerce website, tell them who you are, what kind of business you run, and what you want from them. Ask if they would be interested in selling to you. The more you can tell them about yourself and your company, the better the chance they will want to do business.
Pro Tip: If a wholesale distributor is interested in selling to you, follow up with more questions.
If a wholesale ecommerce website is interested, it is time to ask follow-up questions. For example, ask what the price per product would be if you order more units at once. Do they have special offers for returning customers? Ask about shipping time, available colors, payment terms, and even what type of customers they are currently selling this product to.
Typical Terms of a Supplier
Finding a wholesale distributor is the first step, but it does not necessarily mean you have found a source for the products in your store. This is because wholesale suppliers do not do business with just anyone, especially if you have just started your online store.
Some wholesalers refuse to sell to online retailers without physical stores. They sell products they want to be visible in shopping malls or on high streets. If you do not have a brick-and-mortar store, these suppliers are likely to deny your request.
Important: Some wholesale companies only sell to retailers who also have a physical outlet.
Other wholesalers will only partner with online retailers that purchase a minimum of 10,000 units. Do not get ahead of yourself if you think you have found the perfect ecommerce wholesale distributor. Do your research and find out what kind of stores they usually work with. Do they accept small online stores? Do they partner with pure online players? What is the minimum you must order?
Don’t Be Surprised If You Have to Pay More
Also, do not be surprised if you have to pay a higher price than your competitors, or if you can only do business under stricter rules than those applied to your competition. If that is the case, it may be because the distributor is more familiar with your competitor. They have known that company for a long time; the competitor is a reliable and loyal customer, so the risk of working with them is relatively low.
However, these things can change over time. Do not forget that your competitors once started as small retailers, too. Finding your first wholesale distributor can be hard, but once you are established, it becomes easier to attract more suppliers or to expand your business with that first distributor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is wholesale?
Wholesale refers to the sale of goods to a reselling party. If you are an online retailer, you can buy products from manufacturers and distributors and then sell those products to your customers. You are then conducting wholesale ecommerce.
How is wholesale different from dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a form of B2B ecommerce as well, but there is a crucial difference. With wholesale, you normally buy the items you want to sell. With dropshipping, another company (the dropshipper) handles the storage of goods and the fulfillment (getting the items to your customers). You only pay for items customers have ordered. A wholesale platform supplies your store with items, but you are the one sending them to your customers.
Why is Alibaba so popular?
Alibaba is the most popular wholesale ecommerce platform in the world. It is part of Alibaba Group, which can be seen as the ‘Amazon of China’. Alibaba was founded in 1999 and managed to grow significantly due to its local success and the launch of additional services and online branches. Today, Alibaba is known for its broad assortment and low prices. We have created a guide for finding Alibaba suppliers. Its popularity stems from the vast number of suppliers listed there and their competitive pricing. However, other ecommerce platforms also offer plugins to help you find suppliers.
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