Between the manufacturers making products and retailers selling the products, the wholesaler supplies the products to store shelves. Before the internet, finding and scouting wholesalers was a mammoth task that took hours. But now, there are wholesale marketplaces for selling online.
These online wholesaler marketplaces have breathed new life into the wholesale business. Retailers don’t have to worry about finding the right wholesaler to get the products from. But if you are a wholesale business, which wholesale marketplace will you sell?
This article will try to show you the best wholesale marketplaces for selling online and what you should consider before selling in an online wholesale marketplace.
11. Best Online Wholesale Marketplace For Selling
1. Amazon Business
If you are looking for the best, then there is no better option than Amazon Business. For B2B wholesale, it provides bulk pricing, quantity discounts, and a wide range of exclusive selections. The popularity and product recommendation feature for visibility gives the king of Western eCommerce an edge over other marketplaces.
In addition, you have access to millions of retail and other wholesale businesses willing to pay wholesale prices for your products. Amazon offers wholesale businesses a trusted and familiar platform with data analytics on your product sales and customer service support for additional help. You can also access Amazon’s marketing tools and analytics to reach a broader audience and optimize their sales strategies.
2. Alibaba
If there is anything bigger than Amazon, it probably has to be Alibaba. Alibaba is one of the largest B2B marketplaces for low-cost B2B business ideas. You get both the source of your product and can sell them in the same online marketplace.
You get a global network of buyers and suppliers where you can compare prices with similar products to match your pricing strategy. You get access to secure payments so all parties are safe from fraudulent transactions. The advanced search feature and filtering option open your business to potential clients. This increased visibility to your store can bring in new clients in the competitive B2B marketplace.
3. Etsy Wholesale
If you are looking to wholesale goods that are handmade, vintage, or artistic, then Etsy is your go-to online marketplace. Etsy provides the perfect platform for independent small businesses starting their wholesale business.
Etsy is positioned in the wholesale marketplace because of the uniqueness of the products being sold. It offers a platform with a strong focus on creativity and craftsmanship, which can attract buyers seeking unique goods from your store. Since marketing is a big issue for wholesalers, wholesaling unique products on Etsy is an excellent advantage for your business.
4. eBay Wholesale Deals
eBay has been around for a long time. What once started as a customer-to-customer marketplace for resale now has wholesale selling features. eBay Wholesale Deals is a section of the eBay platform dedicated explicitly to offering businesses discounted merchandise in bulk quantities. It features various products, including surplus inventory, overstock items, and wholesale lots from various sellers. This means you can attract many different types of clients from eBay.
The platform offers pricing and listing options flexibility, allowing sellers to reach buyers with different budget requirements. Additionally, eBay’s reputation as a trusted e-commerce marketplace can help wholesale sellers build credibility and attract buyers to their listings.
5. Global Sources
While low-cost Chinese wholesales dominate Alibaba, Global Sources targets all of Asia.
This B2B platform connects your business from anywhere in Asia to the rest of the world. It offers a comprehensive range of products across various industries, meaning you can sell in different niches. This includes electronics, fashion, and home goods.
Selling on Global Sources gives wholesale businesses access to a vast network of reliable suppliers and manufacturers in Asia. The platform offers tools for product sourcing, which is how new customers will find you. Communication is critical for Global Sources, as it helps your business find the right client and negotiate favorable terms. Global Sources also hosts trade shows and industry events, which gives you the perfect networking opportunities to find new clients and get to know new trends in the B2B segmentation.
6. Newegg Business
If you want to sell electronics, tech products, and accessories, Newegg Business is the B2B electronic marketplace haven. Many customers, from offices to tech stores, require electronics to run their business.
Newegg Business offers competitive pricing, fast shipping with trucking, and excellent customer service, helping a seller like you attract and retain the right customers. Additionally, Newegg Business provides marketing opportunities and other resources to help best promote products and increase sales for your business.
7. Faire
If you want to start a small wholesale business, Faire is the online marketplace to enter. It allows you to find independent retailers and reputable brands looking to buy wholesale products. Selling on Faire is more accessible because of how easy it is for retailers to find products that you wholesale.
On Faire, you can accept pre-orders and samples through the mobile app. As a wholesaler, providing samples is a great way to gain trust. Your clients will likely buy from your products if the samples are good quality.
You can also communicate with your buyers from the app. Not to mention that Faire also has integration features with e-commerce platforms to make the process much easier. Additionally, Faire offers transparent pricing, fast shipping, and excellent customer service, helping you, as a seller, quickly build trust and loyalty with your customers.
8. Orderchamp
Just like Faire, Orderchamp contacts your wholesale business with independent brands. These are mainly from Europe, but the best feature of Orderchamp is its intelligent matching system. It gives your wholesale business the proper channels to connect seamlessly with potential customers and buyers.
Orderchamp might be newer than the rest, but it already has over 100,000 retailers to which your business can connect. It offers features like easy ordering, transparent pricing, and efficient logistics, making it convenient for you to reach buyers and fulfill orders. Additionally, Orderchamp provides marketing support and promotional opportunities. This takes the burden of marketing away from your business so you can do your best to fulfill orders, while Orderchamp helps you attract new customers.
9. Droply
If you want to be a dropship wholesaler, Droply is one of the best platforms. It helps streamline your supply chain and expand market reach to retailers looking for dropshipping suppliers.
It can integrate with most eCommerce platforms and provide statistics on your dropshipping business. Droply helps you monitor revenue and provides insight into what products are doing well in the dropshipping market. This gives your wholesale business an advantage in choosing the right product to sell at the right time.
10. TradeIndia
India has one of the largest markets in the world. If you want to enter such a market, TradeIndia is your way into wholesaling in India. It is a B2B marketplace connecting you to Indian manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters. The range of products on TradeIndia is endless, giving you a wide variety.
The platform offers features such as product catalogs, RFQs, and trade leads, making it easy for sellers to showcase their products and connect with potential buyers. Additionally, TradeIndia offers trade shows, buyer-seller meetings, and business matchmaking services to help businesses forge partnerships and grow their international trade relationships.
11. Shopify
Last but not least, Shopify is the best platform to sell. Shopify allows you to have a wholesale channel to sell your products, which requires a Shopify Plus account. If you are starting your wholesale business, you don’t need a Shopify Plus account.
Shopify gives your store versatility. You can do wholesale and retail on Shopify and completely control your business. It might be difficult to reach clients in the beginning. However, integration with other marketplaces like Faire ensures you don’t have to worry about looking for clients who integrate with different marketplaces.
The most significant advantage for Shopify is its Shopify app store. Your wholesale business will need extra features like minimum order quantity (MOQ). Minimum order quantities or MOQs are a much-needed feature for wholesalers. As a wholesaler, you can set up however much a retailer needs to buy to order the product. However, on Shopify, the native options do not have an MOQ feature. However, with the help of the Shopify app store, you can get these features from a bulk order app with an MOQ feature. Here is an example:
The store can set up a minimum quantity before adding the product to the cart. Here, the MOQ is set at 42. Even when the unit is selected at 41, the ‘Add to Cart’ button is greyed out and cannot be selected. Once 42 product variants are chosen, the customer can add all variants to the cart in one click. The customer gets to see whether the product variants are in stock with the app.
So why is an app like with an MOQ helpful feature for your wholesale business? Buying in bulk often leads to lower per-unit costs, increasing profit margins for the wholesale industry. That is where MOQ can help you set up the quantity you need to sell to maintain profit margins. It streamlines the ordering process so your company does not have to deal with small orders that increase the shipping costs. MOQ keeps inventory in control and offers competitive pricing and value-added services to your clients willing to meet your MOQs.
It also provides inventory checks for customers to let them know which variants are available for purchase to make it easier for them when ordering. The app also allows a smoother shopping experience, allowing all product variants to appear on a single product page. Customers get to choose which variants they want in the quantity they prefer and then add everything to the cart with one click.
With just one, the store gives customers many benefits that encourage them to buy your wholesale products. An efficient app like this on your Shopify store can increase sales and bring in more customers.
Choosing the Best Wholesale Market Place For Selling For You
I have mentioned some of the best wholesale marketplaces for selling your products. But not all of them will be right for you or your business. Here are some of the considerations when you choose a wholesale marketplace to sell in:
Know your audience
The marketplace you are selling in must be where most of your audience will be. If you want to enter the Indian wholesale market, it would be better to sell on TradeIndia over Amazon Business due to the higher market penetration that TradeIndia has over the market. So make sure the buyers you want to sell are buying from the marketplaces you have narrowed down.
Ease of use
The ease of use here is for both you as a seller and the retailers who are your customers. As a business, you want to be as efficient as possible. Inventory management, stock levels, reorder points, etc., must be maintained in the wholesale marketplace you are selling in.
For your customers, you need to make their shopping experience smooth and seamless. That is where Shopify and Faire provide that personalized experience for wholesale customers while streamlining logistics for your business.
Relationship building capabilities
B2B business relationships are meant to last a long time. Vendor relationships must be good so customers return to you for business instead of competitors. That is where Global Sources, Faire, and eBay Wholesale Deals are marketplaces to deepen the B2B relationship you have with your customers.
Payment terms, commissions, and conditions
Wholesale payment is much different than buying from your local stores. You need to read the terms and conditions when selling in online marketplaces. Some marketplaces take a commission on sales. They will also have conditions for when you will get paid for using their marketplace. The best options will be marketplaces that allow multiple payment methods for customers. Shopify has many payment gateways and a multi-currency feature for overseas clients.
Shipping Methods And Storage Solutions
Some online marketplaces have their shipping and warehouse storage solutions. Others even have fulfillment centers like Amazon to access overseas clients worldwide. So, research the shipping methods and storage solutions the marketplace provides to get your products to clients as efficiently as possible.
Product Returns
Most clients will want to return the products after a while. This might be because they ordered too much or were unsatisfied with a batch. Whatever the case, see if the online marketplace takes care of product returns for you. If not, you need to make a return policy for your clients so they can quickly ship the products back to you.
Bottom Line
Wholesale business is more popular than ever before. This is due to an increase in wholesale marketplaces for selling online products. Wholesale e-commerce will continue to grow, so choose the wholesale market that suits you and your business’s needs to start your business journey.
