Launching your own online store is an exciting process. However, there are a lot of tricky parts involved. Retailers need to build an ecommerce store, market themselves, and even source product inventory that they can send to their clients.
Inventory is easily one of the biggest costs for any business, because youโre not just paying for the physical items, youโre also paying for storing those products too.
Dropshipping suppliers can take some of the stress (and costs) off your shoulders. Dropshipping involves working with a separate company who handles the inventory and the fulfilment of orders on your behalf. Dropshipping eliminates the headaches of storing inventory, packing and shipping products, and so much more.
The question is, which vendors are the best for your dropshipping business?
The Quick Verdict:
Our number one choice for the best dropshipping supplier in the UK today is Printful, a dropshipping and print-on-demand vendor offering companies a huge range of products, from custom clothing to accessories. Printful is easy to use, promises high-quality products, and the platform also integrates with a wide variety of platforms and digital services.
Our Top 3 UK Dropshipping Suppliers: Summary
If youโre in a hurry, and donโt have time to read this full list, hereโs a quick overview of our top 3 dropshipping supplier recommendations for UK vendors:
- Printful: Printful is our number-one pick for UK dropshipping companies. Ready to integrate with a host of platforms, this powerful solution makes it easy to not only source incredible goods, but create customized items. There are tons of personalization options available, and you donโt have to worry about any minimum order requirements.
- DSers: Recommended by leading ecommerce platform, Shopify, Dsers is a highly flexible dropshipping solution which offers access to thousands of products through AliExpress, as well as a number of unique items. The platform also supports automatic product updates, affiliate marketing, and automated pricing rules.
- Spocket: Spocket is one of the most reliable dropshipping solutions on the market, and it integrates directly with both WooCommerce and Shopify stores. Spocket offers a range of unique products you wonโt find anywhere else, as well as real-time order tracking, automated order fulfilment, and an easy-to-use backend environment.
Today, weโre going to cover some of the best dropshipping suppliers UK companies can access.
Letโs get right to it.
In this article
What is Dropshipping?
Before we discuss some of the best dropshipping services for your company, letโs explain what dropshipping means. Dropshipping is a simple business model that can be a lot less expensive than just selling through your own store or eBay.
With dropshipping, you work with third parties like manufacturers and wholesalers who produce the goods you want to sell for you. The process begins with you receiving an order, which you forward to your supplier, and your supplier handles the work of packaging and sending.
There are tons of dropshipping solutions out there, from Printful to Oberlo. Weโre going to cover just a handful of the solutions available in the United Kingdom here.
Click the + for more info:
What are the Best UK Dropshipping Suppliers?
- Printful – Best Print on Demand Dropshipping Platform
- Dsers – Best for Shopify
- Oberlo – Discontunued
- Spocket – Best for EU and US Suppliers
- Modalyst – Best for Wix Stores
- SupplyMeDirect – Best for Private Labelling
- Doba – Best for Affordable Products
- Salehoo – Good Customer Support
- Inventory Source – Vest for Pre-Vetted Suppliers
- Avasam – Best for Local UK Suppliers
Comparison Table
Supplier | Supplier Type | Pricing | Average Shipping Time | Product Return/Refund Policy | Product Types |
Printful | Print-on-Demand | Free | 2-7 business days | 30 days | Print on Demand |
DSers | Dropshipping automation | Freemium | 10-18 business days | 15 days | General |
Spocket | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Paid | 2-7 business days | Varies by supplier | General |
Modalyst | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Freemium | 5-8 business days | Minimum 14 days | General |
SupplyMeDirect | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Freemium | 4-7 business days | ||
Doba | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Paid | 4-7 business days | 30 days | General |
SaleHoo | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Paid | Varies by supplier | Varies by supplier | General |
Inventory Source | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Freemium | Varies by supplier | Varies by supplier | General |
Avasam | Multi-supplier dropshipping platform | Paid | 4-5 business days | Varies by supplier | General |
When it comes to sourcing a dropshipping supplier, itโs worth noting that there are many different kinds to choose from. Many dropship companies offer a variety of different products for you to sell through your online store. However, there are also brands out there that focus on a specific kind of product.
1. Printful – Best Print on Demand Dropshipping Platform
Printful is a popular dropshipping solution for something known as โprint on demandโ selling. If youโre planning on selling accessories, clothing, and creative goods with your own designs, then Printful could be the product for you. There are tons of different items to choose from, and Printful stands out as an industry leader in print-on-demand solutions.
Printful offers various exclusive services to store owners, including designer support and white label printing. The amounts you spend on things like printing and production will depend largely on what kind of items you want to sell.
Features
- Integrations with multiple marketplaces and ecommerce platforms
- Customizable products with a mockup generator
- Free logo maker for beginners
- White-labelled packaging and packing slips
- Assistance with customer support
- Value-added services such as video creation
Printful Pricing
The price youโll pay for Printfulโs services will vary depending on the items you want to sell and your customization requirements. Thereโs a free plan, which gives you full access to the service, with automatic order fulfilment, global shipping, the Printful design maker, mockup generator, and Printful logo maker. You also get white-label packing slips, and round-the-clock customer support.
Printful also offers two membership plans, including โPrintful Growthโ, which is available for free if you earn $12k of sales per month. This plan includes access to 20% of DTG products, 30% off other products, and branding discounts of 7%. You can also purchase a subscription to the Growth package.
Thereโs also Printful Business, which is only available to high-volume sellers with more than $60k in sales per year. This includes all the benefits of the Growth plan, plus free digitization for all embroidered products, 9% off branding, 22% off DTG products, and up to 33% off other products.
Pros ๐
- Easy setup and performance
- No monthly fees or minimum order purchase
- High-quality products with white labelling
- Branding services available
- Integrations with popular platforms
- Guarantee policy for damaged/lost packages
- Tons of personalization options
Cons ๐
- Intended mostly for designers and creatives
- Some products have an expensive starting price
๐ Read our Printful review.
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Learn how to find high-margin products, import them into your store, and start selling โ fast.
2. DSers – Best for Shopify
Currently one of the most popular apps for dropshipping through Shopify, DSers provides business owners with access to a wide range of products through AliExpress. Flexible and easy-to-use, this service works not just with Shopify, but Wix and WooCommerce too.
Loved for its simplicity and intuitive interface, DSers allows you to quickly search through products in a vast directory and order products in bulk. You can place orders in seconds with a couple of clicks, and manage multiple stores in the same environment. Plus, DSers offers some of the best customer service in the market, with 24/7 support when teams need it.
Features
- Access to thousands of unique and affordable products
- Connections for multiple PayPal accounts
- Manual and automated price updates
- Inventory syncing and order tracking
- Integrations with various ecommerce platforms, including Shopify
- Integrate your own supplier apps
DSers Pricing
Thereโs a free version of DSers available, with full access to bulk ordering, customer support, and integrations with a range of platforms. You will be limited to up to 3,000 products per account, and only 3 stores, however. You can also only connect to one PayPal account.
Paid plans include:
- Advanced: $19.90 per month for all the features of the free plan, plus first-priority customer support, order tracking, 20,000 products per account, 10 stores, 2 PayPal accounts, 3 supplier app accounts, and variant mapping.
- Pro: $49.90 per month for all the features of Advanced, plus 5 PayPal accounts, 25 stores, 75,000 products per account, support for up to 3 platforms, and the option to change prices in bulk manually 10 times per month.Enterprise: $499 per month for all the Pro features, plus a product limit of 10,000, a platform limit of 5, and a store limit of 50. You can also connect 10 PayPal accounts, 10 supplier apps, and create unlimited staff accounts.
Pros ๐
- Access to thousands of products through AliExpress
- Integration with Wix, Shopify, and WooCommerce
- Easy to use interface with automatic product updates
- Fantastic customer service and support
- Affiliate marketing and variant mapping
- Automated pricing rules
Cons ๐
- Limitations on the free account
- Priority support reserved for paying customers
3. Oberlo – Discontinued
Oberlo is a very well-known name in the world of dropshipping, mainly because of its close connection with Shopify. At its heart, Oberlo is a plugin for the Shopify store experience. Within this plugin, you can find a directory where you can track down tons of different products. The dashboard also provides you with valuable information on things like how many star rankings, sales, and page views a seller might have.
Oberlo is an easy-to-use product which makes filling your store with unique products quick and simple. Product selection and the fulfilment process are both handled for you, so you can focus on getting as much traffic to your store as possible.
Thereโs a free starter plan, so you can jump into action straight away and begin experimenting with the features available. You can also find paid plans with Oberlo, which increase the number of sales you can make.
Pros ๐
- Fantastic product that works well with Shopify
- Modern user interface
- Easy importing for AliExpress products
- Lots of products to choose from
- Free account option available
Cons ๐
- Only works with Shopify stores
- No shipment or fulfilment tracking with free account
๐ Read our Oberlo review.
Note: Oberlo shut down on June 30 2022. You can find more details here.
4. Spocket – Best for EU and US Suppliers
Spocket is a convenient and flexible dropshipping app capable of integration with both WooCommerce and Shopify stores. With a few clicks on a simple interface, you can build your entire dropshipping business on Spocket, with suppliers based in the EU, UK, and the US.
Spocket doesnโt source its products from AliExpress like most solutions. Instead, it gives you a wide marketplace full of high-quality creators to explore. There are tens of thousands of products to choose from, and you can sample all kinds of products too.
Features
- Countless dropshipping products across numerous categories
- Integration with leading ecommerce platforms and tools
- Automation for inventory and product information
- Automatic order fulfilment
- Unique branding options (branded invoicing)
- Bulk checkout and product requests (on higher plans)
Spocket Pricing
One of the best things about Spocket, is you can start using it for free, with full access to Spocketโs range of AliExpress products. If you want more advanced features, you can opt for packages like:
- Starter: $39.99 per month for all the features of the free plan, plus 25 unique products.
- Pro: $59 per month for all the features of Starter, plus 250 unique products, 25 premium products, supplier communication, image search, and branded invoicing.
- Empire: $99.99 per month for the features of Pro, plus 10,000 unique and premium products.
- Unicorn: $299 per month for all the features of the Empire plan, plus bulk checkout, product request, and 25,000 unique and premium products.
Pros ๐
- Automatic inventory updates
- Real-time order tracking
- One click product importing
- Automated order fulfilment
- Automated pricing
Cons ๐
- Limited supplier locations
- Custom duty and taxes not included
- Some limitations to platforms
๐ Read our Spocket review.
5. Modalyst – Best for Wix Stores
Speaking of dropshipping tools designed to work with a specific store building service, Modalyst is a plugin designed specifically for Wix. This convenient plugin helps to automate your entire dropshipping business, connecting you to suppliers that can help get your customers the products they want. Thereโs a wide range of product options to choose from, including accessories, and jewelry.
Modalyst is a wonderfully centralized product thatโs very easy to use. You can connect with suppliers from your combined dashboard, and thereโs a mobile app if you need to check on things when youโre on the move. Modalyst also really stands out in their ability to integrate with Wix at just a single click. There are very few easier options around.
Features
- One-click product importing and mapping
- Thousands of unique and premium products
- Order tracking and inventory syncing
- Variant and image mapping
- An integrated profits calculator
- Automated markups
- Integrations with leading ecommerce platforms
Modalyst Pricing
Like many UK dropshipping platforms, Modalyst allows vendors to start for free with a โHobbyโ account. This includes access to non-premium suppliers, one-click product importing, and the convenient Modalyst backend, though there is a 25 product limit.
Paid plans include:
- Start Up: $35 per month for all the features of the Hobby plan, plus a 250 product limit.
- Pro: $90 per month with unlimited access to premium items and as many products as you want.
All Modalyst plans also include real-time product updates, tracking, and inventory syncing, variant and image mapping, automated markups and a profits calculator.
Pros ๐
- Lots of high quality products
- White label program for dropshipping
- High profit margins
- Quicker shipping
- Automatic tracking included with all places
- Integrates with BigCommerce, Wix and Shopify
Cons ๐
- Limited products on cheaper plans
- 5% transaction fee on all tiers
๐ Read our Modalyst review.
6. SupplyMeDirect – Best for Private Labelling
SupplyMeDirect is an often-under-appreciated provider of drop shipping solutions in the UK, designed to help businesses scale. Like most leading wholesalers, this company helps dropshippers to make the most of their online business, either through Amazon sales, or company websites. Youโll have access to private labelling functionality, so you can make your brand stand out. Thereโs also easy access to various kinds of distributors across the US, UK, Europe, and Canada.
Unlike other companies that tend to get their esources from Asia, most of SupplyMeDirectโs products are stored in the local warehouses they have in the UK, Europe, and similar locations. You can shop for anything from kitchenware to toys here, and rest assured that your customers will get a fast and reliable delivery speed.
Features
- Integrations with platforms like Shopify
- Wide range of products across various categories
- Automated price and inventory updates
- Communication tools for suppliers
- Multi-store management
- Local supplier options
- Reliable smartphone app
SupplyMeDirect Pricing
You can start using SupplyMeDirect as a free plugin for Shopify, with full access to a wide range of suppliers and automation features. However, additional fees may apply if you want to take advantage of the companyโs private labelling services.
Pros ๐
- Excellent for global sellers
- Very responsive and reliable app that works with Shopify
- Local shipping for quicker delivery times
- Excellent range of products to choose from
- Easy to use interface
Cons ๐
- Still quite new to the market
- Some limitations in products
7. Doba – Best for Affordable Products
Doba is a state-of-the-art dropshipping solution designed to make life easier for entrepreneurs. With a range of high-quality wholesale suppliers to choose from, youโll have no problem finding dropshipping products for your company. This massive product database doesnโt just give you access to a range of suppliers for your online business. You can also place customer orders directly within Doba too.
Doba allows you to find, list and sell products within a matter of minutes. Itโs free to try for thirty days, and you even get excellent analytics to track which of your products are driving the best results for your business. Since your customer receives the product direct form the supplier, there are no long shipping times.
Features
- Business analytics and insights
- Emails about trending products and discounts
- Straightforward shipping automation
- Inventory and order automation
- Integrations with leading ecommerce tools
- Saved suppliers and searches
- AI access
- API support
Doba Pricing
Unlike most dropshipping companies, Doba doesnโt offer a free plan, although there is a 14-day free trial available, with an inventory limit of 30 and a product export limit of 10. Once you complete the trial, youโll need to sign up for a paid plan, options include:
- Start-Up: $24.99 per month for up to 60 inventory items and 30 monthly product exports, 2 saved searches, 5 saved suppliers, 1 storefront integration, 30 storefront product listings, inventory, order and tracking syncing, and a dedicated account manager.
- Business: $49.99 per month for all the features of Start-up, plus up to 5,000 inventory items, 2,000 exports, 5 saved searches, 10 saved suppliers, 5 storefront integrations, 2,000 storefront listings, and 500 Doba shopping assistant responses.Enterprise: $299.99 per month for all the features of Business, plus 15,000 inventory items, unlimited products and product exports, 10 saved searches, 20 saved suppliers, 5000 assistant responses, and a fully automated API.
Pros ๐
- One of the largest networks of suppliers with over 2 million products
- Easy access to products around the world
- Quick and convenient shipping process
- Easy to use interface for listing new products
- Email updates about trending products, discounts and more
Cons ๐
- Quite expensive for the membership
๐ Read our Doba review.
8. Salehoo – Good Customer Support
Salehoo is another excellent option for companies in search of UK dropshipping suppliers. Unlike many dropshipping solutions, which primarily source products from China, Salehoo vets and lists a range of UK-based manufacturers, as well as companies from various other regions of the world.
The wholesale and dropshipping platform allows users to place single or bulk orders, depending on their preferences. You can browse through a range of product categories, and even access a convenient market research lab, designed to help entrepreneurs choose the most profitable products, from the best suppliers in their industry.
The built-in dropshipping functionality includes plenty of automation options, so business leaders can reduce the amount of work they need to do when adding new products to their existing stores. Salehoo even goes above and beyond for companies looking for branded products, with access to some of the worldโs better-known manufacturers. Itโs a great alternative to options like Alibaba if youโre looking for exceptional quality and streamlined order processing.
Features
- Dedicated market research lab
- Extensive range of products and suppliers
- Automation for inventory and order updates
- One-click importing to Shopify
- Dedicated onboarding support
- Regular deals and savings
Salehoo Pricing
Unfortunately, thereโs no free plan for Salehoo, however there are a number of paid plans available. If you just want to access the Salehoo directory, you can pay either $67 per month, or $127 as a one-off payment for lifetime access. This will allow you use the Salehoo market research labs, member forum, chat and email support, and the supplier directory.
For dropshipping, plans include:
- Basic: $27 per month for 1 user account, automation, 500 products from AliExpress, personal email support, one-click importing to Shopify, and access to the members forum.
- Premium: $97 per month for 3 user sub-accounts, 3 stores, unlimited AliExpress products, and a dedicated onboarding account manager.
Both plans also include a 30-day money-back guarantee. There are also โEducateโ plans, which provide customers with access to expert guidance. For $47 per month you can access a โDropshipping on Shopifyโ course, or an โAmazon Product Launchโ course.
Pros ๐
- Excellent pre-vetted UK suppliers
- Unique products available at wholesale prices
- Quick and reliable order processing and fulfilment
- Excellent range of branded products from leaders
- Relatively low shipping costs and a good return policy
Cons ๐
- Limited number of suppliers from some regions
- Upfront costs for directory access
๐ Read our Salehoo review.
9. Inventory Source – Best for Pre-Vetted Suppliers
Designed to appeal to a range of start-up companies from across the UK and beyond, Inventory Source offers direct access to a range of dropshipping solutions and suppliers. One of the best things about Inventory Source is it makes it easy to integrate your supplier directory with a range of other tools, from Shopify to Magento and BigCommerce.
There are even FAQs and guides to walk you through the process of finding the best UK suppliers, and getting your store up and running. Inventory Source provides access to a range of different items from various categories, including beauty products, fashion, and technology.
Like many other directory solutions, Inventory Source offers the option to buy in bulk, or opt for a dropshipping service. When you choose to connect with a supplier on the platform, youโll be able to monitor their feed within your account dashboard, and set up notifications in case your supplier ever runs out of stock. The solution is easy to navigate for UK-based companies, and relatively flexible.
Features
- Wide range of products across all categories
- Pre-vetted suppliers for peace of mind
- Automated order and inventory tracking
- Bulk feed management options
- Optimized product syncing for multiple stores
- Integrations with ecommerce platforms and marketplaces
Inventory Source Pricing
Inventory Source users can access a simple โDirectory accountโ for free. This allows you to view all of the dropshipping suppliers on the platform, and their product feeds. You can also access contact info, and valuable educational resources on the website.
If you want to automate your dropshipping strategy, there are two options available:
Inventory Automation:
- Basic: $99 per month for 1 integration, a 50k SKU limit and 2 daily syncs
- Plus: $149 per month for 2 integrations, 250k SKU limit, and optimized sync
- Power Seller: $299 per month for 6 integrations, and a 500k SKU limit
Full Automation:
The Full Automation plans come with all the features of Inventory Sync Plus, as well as some extras, options include:
- Basic: $199 per month for 1 integration, 50k SKU limit, 100 orders per month and 2 daily syncs
- Plus: $249 per month for all the features of Basic, plus 500 monthly orders, optimized sync, a 250k SKU limit, and 2 integrations.
- Power Seller: $399 per month for all the features of Plus, as well as 6 integrations, a 500k SKU limit, and 1,500 monthly orders.
Pros ๐
- Fantastic range of products across all categories
- Most suppliers are pre-vetted for peace of mind
- Lots of automations to save your business time
- Bulk feed and inventory management options
- Free directory access for beginners
Cons ๐
- Full automation can be a little costly
- Fast shipping isnโt always guaranteed
๐ Read our Inventory Source review.
10. Avasam – Best for Local UK Suppliers
Avasam advertises itself as the ultimate UK-based dropshipping platform. The convenient solution provides all the tools businesses need to start building their online store, sourcing quality products from leading manufacturers, and automating order processing requirements.
All of the suppliers are already vetted and approved by the Avasam team, so you can rest assured youโre going to get excellent quality and support. You can search through the platform to find the products best suited to you, and stay up to date with discounts and pricing changes. The system will also integrate with ecommerce websites for automated order management.
You can leverage inventory syncing tools, rapid downloads for crucial product information, and thousands of products for your dropshipping business. There are also plenty of useful resources to get you started. Unfortunately, thereโs no free plan available.
Features
- Integrations with ecommerce platforms and marketplaces
- Thousands of products across various categories
- Marketplace account integrations and product listings
- Onboarding calls and account management (on some plans)
- Automated order and inventory syncing)
Avasam Pricing
You can try out the Avasam platform for free, but this only allows you to browse through potential vendors and suppliers. If you want to access all the features, plans include:
- Starter: ยฃ15.75 per month for 100 products, 50 orders per month, 2 marketplace listings, bulk product management, automatic order, stock, and price syncing, and order tracking.
- Advanced: ยฃ34.99 per month for all the features of Starter, plus 1,000 products, 250 orders per month, 4 marketplace account integrations and 4 marketplace product listings. You also get live chat and telephone support.
- Business: ยฃ59.99 per month for the features of Advanced, plus 10,000 products, 1,000 orders per month, 6 marketplace account integrations and product listings, additional product discounts, onboarding calls, and account management.
- Guru: ยฃ74.99 per month for all the features of Business, plus unlimited products, orders, marketplace account integrations, and marketplace listings.
Pros ๐
- Pre-vetted suppliers from the UK for peace of mind
- Excellent support on most plans
- eBay listing tools available for cross-channel selling
- Integrations with most sales tools
- Easy-to-use interface for beginners
Cons ๐
- No free plan available
- Some complexities with product sourcing
What Happened to Oberlo?
Shopify is one of the number one tools used by dropshippers around the world today, thanks to its ease-of-use, wide range of integrations, and flexible scalability. Oberlo was among the most successful Shopify apps of all time, with over 100,000 active installs from merchants using the app to fulfil dropshipping orders via AliExpress.
In 2017, Oberlo was acquired by Shopify for $15 million, and has since been one of the top-recommended apps for Shopify users. Unfortunately, the app was de-listed on May 12th, 2022. Although the reason for the delisting is unclear, Shopify has recommended looking for alternative apps, like DSers, for dropshipping needs.
At present, there doesnโt appear to be any evidence that Oberlo will be returning to the Shopify marketplace, but Shopify still remains one of the best platforms for dropshippers. You can check out the full list of Oberlo alternatives here.
Should You Run a Dropshipping Store?
Running a dropshipping store with Wholesale distributors is a great way to launch a business that could potentially earn a lot of profit, without much initial investment. Although youโll still need to handle things like SEO and marketing on your end, there are tons of companies out there who can do the work of fulfilment for you. From Oberlo to Chinabrands, youโre sure to find a provider you can trust.
The key to success with dropshipping is doing the right research. Since youโre not able to exert much control over the fulfilment process on your side, you need to ensure that youโre working with a third-party who will do everything right. Someone who can deliver products quickly to the regions youโre supporting is a must have.
Itโs also worth searching for dropshipping suppliers in the UK that can offer a wide range of products for your store. The more diversity available, the easier it is to scale your store to suit the new trends and expectations of your audience. Make sure that you can add products to your store quickly and easily with a convenient system.
Dropshipping can be a very valuable way to run a business, but you do need the right support. Which dropshipping supplier are you going to work with?
Insightful read, thanks.
Hi Iโm looking to start an online pod business if anyone can guide me ๐ thanks
Printful is not in the UK.
Hey Adam
No, but it works perfectly in the UK.