Amazon Wholesale Guide: 10 Ways to Find Wholesale Suppliers for FBA Business

Getting the best and reliable wholesale supplier for an Amazon FBA business can be quite a hustle and simple at the same time. Therefore, before starting your search on wholesale suppliers for the FBA business, make sure you know the products you will need. This will make your work of finding a supplier easier. Do thorough research on the products which are on good demand. From that, make a selection on the ones you will trade with. This is important, as it will determine the growth rate and success of your business.

Moreover, these allow you to have a preview of the products, their source and details of suppliers. When you are comfortable with your ultimate decision, it’s time to search for the varieties of suppliers. Advice from well-experienced merchants will leave you with horror. This is due to what they went through with some of their suppliers. But don’t be alarmed, with this few steps on ways to find the best suppliers, you will never go wrong.

Generally, you will be looking for a supplier with a good reputation. The kinds that will deliver efficiently, they are reliable and will have a positive impact on your business. The type of supplier will depend on the type of product, the demand for your products and the quantity of the order. But regardless, the target is to get the excellent supplier.

The steps outlined below will guide you on how to get the best supplier for Amazon business.

1. Understand Products Supply System

The first important step is to understand your product allocation channels. How it works, this will enable you to know ways of accessing the product easily. Moreover, it will also give you a guideline on where to get the suppliers.

Products from the producer usually go through different channels to reach the consumer. Identifying where you fit in the chain of supply is the key purpose. Below are breakdowns of how the products flow from the manufacturer to the consumer.

· From Manufacturer directly to the consumer, this mainly occurs in small industries. This may include products such as vintage clothes etc.

· From the manufacturer to the consumer via the retailer, in these cases, the retailer has direct access to the goods. This occurs in both medium and large companies’ .e.g. this is how boutique stores get there to supply.

· From the manufacturer to the consumer via wholesaler and retailer, in this case, the company is large and only deals with large orders. Therefore its only wholesalers, who deal with big orders, have access to the company directly. In some cases the retailer may have large demands enough to bypass the wholesaler, thus gaining a direct link to the company.

When you begin your Amazon FBA business, it’s imperative to deal with few people in the supply chain. This will not only give you access to better prices but will also give your business a chance to grow.

Some wholesaler distributes goods to retailers and consumers at a very high price. Hence working hard to ensure you have access to the manufacturer is vital. But in some cases, for the branded products, you can have a direct link to the producer, depending on the least order requirement of the company. If your order is too small, they will direct you to reputable wholesalers. This will aid you to start off your search.

2. Contact Wholesalers

Using the list of wholesale suppliers obtained from the manufacturer, contact the various wholesale suppliers. Book for a meeting with them, always follows up with a phone call in case of a late response. During the meetings, your main questions will be on. What is the least order requirement?

What is the unit price of the product? How long are the deliveries? Also, be honest and straight forward. Don’t make your business seem big than it is. Finally, be friendly, this might give more chances of a deal.

A single data collected from a wholesaler isn’t enough. Ensure you have collected data from different places. Do a comparison of this data to determine the best deal which will suit your business. The best supplier is what you will need to have a long lasting and successful business.

Before making a deal, and begin to work together, it is important to ask for a sample from the manufacturer, or major distributor. Through the sample, you will be able to understand the product you will be selling and the quality.

3. Google Search

Apart from the referral list of wholesalers, you can search for some other wholesale suppliers through Google. Here you can search for the products, producer, the suppliers, the brands and models. Or you may decide to search on websites which can give you the best suppliers.

If you are in the USA, all you need to do is search on Google,” The best suppliers USA Amazon suppliers” from there you will have a selection of searches to choose from. But if you are in another country, then replace the USA with your country’s name. When you get the list, select what you need, and then make a call and request for the price catalog of their products. Moreover, inform them about your intention of being a merchant of their product.

Sometimes, Amazon may not have all the products. This is because some of the producers are not aware of the amazing facts of trading on Amazon. Therefore you may be required to upload the manufacturer catalog using the bulk product upload. This will ensure your goods will be viewed easily by consumers online in Amazon.

4. Amazon

Apart from being the site of doing your FBA business, Amazon is also resourceful when you are searching for suppliers. It’s so easy, all you need to do is the search for the products you need. Then check for the top sellers. It’s from the list of top sellers that you will get the information about the manufacturers. This information also contains the addresses and contact number.

If you feel searching on Amazon platform stepwise till you get product best seller is complicated, you can use the link below, which get you directly on bestseller page. From there you can pick the product category, and select the one you are interested in. use the manufacturer name to Google for their details. http://www.fulltimefba.com/bestsellers

5. Using B2B Marketplace

This is similar to any market place. The difference is on the customer. At B2B the consumer is companies. The goods at these place are priced according to, frequency of purchase, the size of the order. There is also a discount for constant buyers. This is a good place for a starter in business. Moreover, with time, one gets better prices due to the consistency and size of the orders. In the USA, B2B companies which exist include Buyer Zone, eWorld Trade and Global Sources.

There are three types of B2B market place, each one with a different role. They include a vertical market place, this deal with a specific industry. The buyers can get goods and services from this marketplace; horizontal marketplace, this deal with several industries; the third one, this deal with functions and capabilities.

B2B marketplace has many benefits which are productive to a retailer. Some of them include, has a greater potential for profits due to lower purchasing cost; buyers get access to lower priced goods created by the B2B market place; ensures everyone has access to the market; inventory required is very low; ensure low cost during buyers operation; gives no room for the brokers; who are out to exploit the customer; it is trustworthy with a well-organized market place.

6. eBay

If your search gets tough, eBay can be a shoulder to cry on. At eBay, you can find some small wholesale suppliers, who trade on your goods. Moreover, it can be a good stepping stone for a starter. The supplies are also in a low amount, but it can be sufficient for your FBA business.

In the past, the online supplier lists were hardly there to access, this made it difficult for retailers to get the best supplier. But with the birth of eBay, apart from getting the supplier lists, the retailers can view the products and get a detailed description. In addition, there are also details of the manufacturer and supplier.

Thus eBay has made it easy to access suppliers. With details of producers and distributors listed below the products, having access to either of them is easier.

7. Attending Trade Shows

Trade shows are specifically created for retailers. They offer a platform where the manufacturer, wholesalers, and retailers can meet and discuss various issues. With trade shows, you are sure of getting facts. This is very important for merchants, as it’s through it that you form trade networks. It also gives you a clear picture on which direction to follow, compared to some of the rumor information that clogs the web. Among the largest shows is ASD which occurs in Las Vegas in March and August.

The trades shows usually happen at least in big cities in some countries make sure you attend one. You can Google to be sure where it will happen in your region. Through trade shows, you will be able to receive shared experience from the well-established manufacturers, wholesalers, and even fellow retailers. At the trade shows, the manufacturers, and wholesalers are usually out there to meet with potential consumers. At this point, if you had identified what you will be trading with, getting a potential manufacturer or supplier is a sure chance.

Get to listen to every one of them who are involved with the product you will be trading with. Make sure you have picked their contacts, for further dealings after the show. In the shows, it’s the only place where you will not need appointments; everyone is looking for a potential person to do business with. Ensure you have utilized the occasion to the fullest. Click here to see trade shows across the country.

8. Directories

A directorate is available both offline and online. The offline directorate is available in printed form. This gives you access irrespective of having an internet or not. But the most reliable is the internet directorates. This is because they are automatically updated with time. This makes it simple to access the latest posted information.

With a directory, the information available is accurate. Therefore it’s upon you to select the category of the products you will need. On the category, they have details about the supplier. This includes addresses and phone number. After getting the details, it’s upon you to decide whom you will call, and negotiate a deal with. You can use this link to have access to USA best suppliers directorate. Here are few wholesale directories worth to look at

http://www.4wholesaleusa.com/

https://www.wholesalecentral.com/

https://cleverwholesale.com/

https://www.mylocalwholesaler.com/

9. Subscribing to Your Product Industries Advert Publication

From time to time, manufacturers usually advertise their products. This is in order to increase the number of customers, who include suppliers, retailers, and consumers. Therefore you are supposed to have access to magazines and newspapers that target retailers. This way, you will be able to look at those related to your products.

On the magazines, there are usually contacts of the company advertised. Use those details to communicate with the product company. Then find out if you can work together. Subscription to the blogs, newsletter and other information, will notify you also during products offer.

10. Industrial Forums and Professional Networks You Can Join and Participate

Getting contacts and list of best suppliers from your fellow retailers will not be easy or possible. This is because of competition among them. Thus getting suppliers takes longer. But you can get these contacts and links to the supplier through forums and groups which merchants participate.

Joining any of them which relates to your products is one way of moving you closer to your targets, who are the suppliers. Moreover creating business relationships with industry insiders takes you closer to be one of them. It is through these professional networks that you will get the best supplier for your FBA business.

After your find your suppliers and make sure to follow both your supplier and the brands policies when selling them on Amazon. Many brands have specific policies when it comes to Amazon such as not allowing bundles, MAP requirements etc.

Good luck!

About the author

Serkan has been in the e-commerce and warehousing industry for over a decade. He provides unique and innovative 3PL services for ecommerce businesses. He is focussing on providing a comprehensive solution that helps his clients grow and succeed, more specifically helping FBA sellers improve their productivity and expanding other sales channels.