Even before deciding on a type of product to sell on your website, it's not a bad idea to understand how the wholesale supplier system works.
But here's what:
It's not a well-structured system at all. It's a large collection of random suppliers scattered all across the world. Some of them are great, while others not so much.
Not too long ago there were hardly any sites organizing lists of suppliers, making it difficult for retailers to locate the best ones.
However, the advent of eBay got the ball rolling, and now we're seeing wonderful marketplaces like AliExpress or Alibaba.
Both in AliExpress and Alibaba, you can search to see what types of products are popular before making a decision on what to sell. In addition, it allows you to filter products, see what they look like, find pictures, and look for detailed supplier information.
Once you decide on a niche, it's time to see exactly what types of suppliers are available. Experienced ecommerce professionals will tell you the horror stories they've encountered with wholesale suppliers, so this is an extremely important topic to touch on.
Overall, you're trying to partner with reputable suppliers that deliver on time, provide reliable contact, and give you some perks for working with them.
Some ecommerce stores can opt for big suppliers in places like China, but sometimes a unique brand (like one that sells vintage clothing or furniture) would have to opt for a niche local supplier.
Regardless, your goal is to find the best of the best, and that's what we're going to talk about today.
Continue reading How to Find the Best Wholesale Suppliers for Your Online Store
