CBD ecommerce?

[birdintreeed]

Hey, I have been thinking of starting a CBD store and was thinking of different business models, and came to the conclusion that dropshipping would be the best.

Does anyone here know for a good company in EU that offers CBD products and have dropshipping program?

 

[WebshopMechanic]

Dropshipping can work well if you can drive a good level of targeted traffic. If it's medicinal then you need to focus on the problem it is solving and who has a need for it.

Facebook ads can be expensive until you have the right audience. Google Ads are also expensive unless you are VERY targeted and have great landing pages.

Longtail SEO (niche searches) is probably a good strategy as is adding value and helping people on forums and in Facebook groups. Don't sell, just help. The visits will come once you've built up your credibility and trust.

You could try organic outreach to micro Instagram influencers (Less than 5k followers). It's laborious but it's cheap. You may have to part with £25 a post or some product. The returns could be worth it.

Try to get every visitors onto your email list. Give them something of value, even when they don't buy. They may buy further down the line once they've researched a bit more.

Your email list is everything!!

Try these dropshipping suppliers:

https://cbdoileurope.com/wholesale-...lesalers/lovehemp-wholesale-and-bulk-cbd-oil/

https://www.hempking.eu/en/wholesale/

https://hempura.co.uk/distributors-affiliates/

Hope that helps.

Matt

 

[bharris]

Despite being completely legal CDB products are classed as a high risk item by credit card processing providers so you will have to pay over the odds to process your transactions. PayPal also ban it as a product.
Hope you find a way to take payments. Perhaps someone knows of a payment / merchant bank that will allow the sale at a reasonable cost.

 

[Bainzee]

the cbd market is one of the fastest growing that i've come across in a long time. the product is fantastic, if purchased from a good retailer. there are challenges around the ability to get a bank account and card processing. FB are currently closing down any page(s) that promote CBD and Google do not allow Google ad words, so marketing this product via SEO will be the main option for now for any ecommerce business

 

[antropy]

BCD is such a grey area at the moment and as highlighted above banks and Paypal do not look upon it favourably. There are a lot of misconceptions about it as because Cannabis is involved people just presume that you can get high, hence the stigma against it. However as I am sure you all know it is brilliant for joint pain and helping with getting you to sleep. So my advice is tread carefully and do not rush into a venture like this. Alex

 

[Mr D]

And with growing demand there's also the fraudsters who sell different product / unsafe product / fake product. High value small item that some won't be able to tell the difference...

 

[bharris]

The CBD oil on sale comes from Hemp and not cannabis and has very little THC (almost nothing) so you can not get high from it at all.
We used to sell Hemp based products (creams/lotions) and Worldpay (Streamline) insisted we remove them from our site or they will close our merchant account.

Whilst on the subject of so called high risk items is there any Merchant account that charge a higher rate per transaction but do not insist on an upfront payment, which make selling some low volume items not viable?

 

[Mr D]

For payment processor to check out I'd suggest looking at sites already selling the stuff.
If they are using XXXX for payment processing then could be that XXXX will do your payment processing too.

 

[Jay K]

I am a writer for a CBD retailer called for the Ageless and can help with a few bits of knowledge here so you are clearer.

Drop shipping isn't a bad choice as long as you find someone that has a good product and can sync up with your site easily. Make sure that any products you drop ship are independently tested and have reports available publicly. This will breed trust and ensure you are not just selling snake oil.

Medical Info
Someone mentioned helping with medical information. Avoid doing so at all costs. This is a way to guarantee that attention will be focused on you from the MHRA and Trading Standards. CBD products cannot be sold based on health related use. As it stands it is a food supplement and why it is sold in so many places. If you make these claims you will soon be receiving a letter from the authorities.

Facebook
Advertising here is a no go. You will not be able to run paid ads so you will have to be creative and work to build an audience for your page.

They won't pull your page, they reinstated all those that were pulled back at the start of this month and apologised.

Payment Processing
This is where the costs are. If you want to skip this hassle look at affiliate programmes. Lot's of sites have them paying anywhere from 5-30% of a sale.

 

[Deleted member 349712]

I stumbled across this post and thought I would drop in a comment, albeit three years later. I am surprised that this thread has not grown since then. The market has evolved since your initial question and as you probably know, there are many brands now competing for their position.

Did you get your brand started?

Social media sites are still looking at CBD products but still have them on their naughty list. That said, we have seen many brands successfully running ads, whilst others get banned after just a few posts. It appears to be those with the large budgets that are getting away with it, or maybe buying their way in.

The UK space specifically has gone through a lot of pain in the past two years, with the rise of Novel Foods has caused many brands to leave the space. Others are awaiting validation of their products whilst those with huge capital have risen to the top, despite breaking the rules that others have stood by. We have some fantastic products on the market, and a huge number of people feel the benefits. CBD seems to be changing lives, despite brands not being able to say too much due to marketing restrictions.

Compared to 2019 there are more established brands now, and of course, many of them offer dropshipping and affiliate programs. There is plenty of time to still get into the space, not just in the UK but globally. Hemp and CBD in the wellness industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. Whilst some say it's a competitive space, there is room for innovation, and for brands to find their niche. It's more than just CBD in my opinion. The overall use of the plant is now creeping into the home, pet products, clothing, sunglasses and even surfboards. Watch this space, and let's see where we are in 2025!

If you are a brand looking for help, please feel free to reach out to us. We are here to help those who are helping others. With many CBD products now being purchased online, there has never been a more important time to ensure that your digital marketing is up to scratch.

Happy to chat with anyone in the space, at any time.

Good luck!

Regards

David - wecann