The key and probably the most important part of selling in dropshipping is finding the right wholesaler who will handle orders for your customers.
Picking the right supplier can make or break your store.
So how do you find the right wholesaler who will actually help you profit?
What should you pay attention to before starting to work together?
How does the ordering process work and what are the most important things to settle with the wholesaler?
You'll find the answers to these questions in this article.
Before you jump into a partnership, you need to pick a wholesaler that fits your business model (meaning dropshipping) and your product niche (like sports).
What exactly should you keep in mind when choosing a wholesaler?
The most important question you gotta ask yourself: Does the wholesaler offer products you want to sell?
If you want to sell sports accessories, for example, make sure the wholesaler has a wide selection of those products, plus options to diversify (like different brands, models, and colors).
Not every wholesaler offers the option to cooperate via dropshipping.
Lately, lots of wholesalers have opened up to sellers using this model—but there are still plenty who don’t do it.
Besides that, before you start working together, check out the other terms like:
Does the wholesaler ship products directly to customers?
What are their requirements for cooperation? (Do they need you to run a business?). Just 2/3 years ago it was hard to start working with them without a business – today a lot of wholesalers make it possible.
Are there any extra costs for working with them, and what are they? (like subscription fees, packing and shipping charges)
Because you probably don’t want to work with a supplier who can’t meet deadlines or ships low-quality stuff, right?
Here are a few ways to judge a wholesaler:
Check reviews online (Google, Facebook, e-commerce groups, TrustPilot)
See product reviews they offer
Contact customer support and check their initial approach to working together (don’t introduce yourself or give any details yet).
Alright, but... Where do you actually look for these wholesalers?
If you’re using EcomFly, you can find a list of verified wholesalers (also those that don’t require a business) in the product panel.
It’s the easiest way to quickly and directly connect your shop with a supplier.
The search engine is one of the best tools for finding a wholesaler.
Here's how you can look up such a wholesaler (let's pick the sports niche as an example):
In the search engine, type “Wholesaler {niche} dropshipping”:
Next, you do some research on the results:
You pick a specific item and check the conditions:
There are tons of topic groups on Facebook where sellers share their experiences.
It's worth checking out groups focused on dropshipping – entrepreneurs there often swap experiences, give recommendations, and ask about trusted wholesalers.
Before you pick a specific supplier, it's good to pay attention to a few important things:
Make sure to check how often the wholesaler updates product availability info. If updates are missing, you might end up selling something the wholesaler doesn't actually have anymore.
Every wholesaler has their own rules for returns, cooperation terms, and complaints, and they can be different from other wholesalers.
Find out:
Does the wholesaler accept returns, and if so, how?
How does the complaint process look?
Does the wholesaler require you to run a business?
Customers expect fast delivery, so it's worth making sure the wholesaler sends out orders on time.
Find out how long order processing takes and which courier companies deliver the packages.
If you’ve already found a perfect wholesaler and want to start working together, here are three steps you need to take:
Your first inquiry to the wholesaler should include three important elements:
Info about what you do and what you sell
A question about the specific terms of cooperation
A question about sending a product sample (if you need it) or a presentation video.
And don’t be afraid to write to wholesalers – remember, working with you is their chance to sell more stuff.
Get straight to the point. Introduce yourself, say which products you like and how you want to sell them.
Ask all the questions that really matter for your cooperation right away.
Here's a real example of what that first conversation with a wholesaler might look like:
Remember, the better your relationship with the wholesaler, the more benefits you can get from working together!
Good relationships can lead to better discounts and deals.
It may turn out that the wholesaler will be more flexible when it comes to payment and cooperation terms.
In the future, the wholesaler might let you know about new products, before they go to the competition.
The wholesaler wants to sell their products, so if you show them that you’re ready to cooperate – they’ll be more open and willing to help.
Once you get a reply from the wholesaler, the next step is to work out the specific terms of cooperation. Here are the key things you need to talk about:
Payment terms – Do you pay upfront, or can you pay later? Some wholesalers let you pay in bulk once a week or month, which can make managing your finances easier.
Order fulfillment method – Can you order single products from the wholesaler directly, just like your customer bought them from your store?
If the wholesaler is out of stock on a given product, you need to know before you sell it in your store.
Surprisingly, once you've picked the right wholesaler and made a good deal – the cooperation itself should be much easier.
In 99% of cases, working with a wholesaler goes like this:
A customer makes a purchase in your store → you log in to the wholesaler’s site where you get your products and place an order using your customer's shipping info. You enter your email in the order, so you get the invoice for the purchase.
The wholesaler processes the order, and the package gets delivered to the buyer.
You change the order status in your store to “completed”.
As proof of purchase, you issue an invoice to your customer, and if you don’t run a business - use a personal invoice.
You send the invoice to your customer's email. You can automate sending invoices, for example with fakturownia.pl.
At this stage, it’s super important to keep an eye on product availability in the wholesaler.
Imagine a customer buys a product in your store, and only afterwards you find out it's out of stock at the wholesaler.
That could mean losing the customer's trust and getting bad reviews.
How do you prevent that?
Check stock levels a few times a week
You can ask the wholesaler if they can automatically let you know from time to time about product availability changes
Just pick wholesalers who update their stock regularly
Working with a wholesaler is also about building a relationship for the future.
The more orders you place, the more likely the wholesaler will give you better prices, discounts, and priority treatment.
After all, every wholesaler wants to sell as much as possible – and if they see you’re a valuable partner who delivers results, they might offer you better cooperation terms.
The wholesaler earns – and you earn too.
Working with a wholesaler isn’t just about ordering products, but also about building relationships, negotiating terms, and taking care of smooth sales.
If you approach this the right way, you can seriously boost your profits and streamline your sales process. Put the steps from this entry into practice!
