Eco Friendly Product Wholesalers

[Laurence Grant]

Hi,

I’ve had an idea to sell eco friendly products through ebay at first and then my own site. I would like to know the best places to look for wholesalers to buy the products from, plus best ways to buy for a good price from wholesalers, and how to price the items once bought at the right price?

Thanks

Laurence

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi,

I’ve had an idea to sell eco friendly products through ebay at first and then my own site. I would like to know the best places to look for wholesalers to buy the products from, plus best ways to buy for a good price from wholesalers, and how to price the items once bought at the right price?

Thanks

Laurence

Well Laurence I guess like us you have not found it easy.

We are a retailer and every time we try and look for genuine wholesalers it’s not easy.

We have found it’s often best to go direct to the manufacturer. They run a site themselves from which you can buy. This is particularly popular now and in the eco industry as it keeps costs down.

There are lots of portals claiming to be wholesalers but they place order with supplier when you place your order with them, you have to place a minimum order based on the individual supplier rather than the wholesale site in total.

The only way you can get a good price from anyone is to buy in volume and buy where shipping rates are competitive.

Good luck.

 

[Mark T Jones]

The secret of any suyccessful retailer is a great supply chain - which is why they will closely guard that information.

 

[Mr D]

Look at the autumn fair at the nec.

How to price the items? However you want, usually higher price than you paid is a good start.

However you may have trouble being accepted by some of the suppliers due to where you want to sell. They do not have to supply you and may not want their products on eBay. Or indeed on your website.

Best way to buy from suppliers? By the method they accept.
Maybe they want bank transfer, maybe they want payment through a website. They will usually dictate to you how they in particular want to be paid. Not a choice so much.

 

[Laurence Grant]

Well Laurence I guess like us you have not found it easy.

We are a retailer and every time we try and look for genuine wholesalers it’s not easy.

We have found it’s often best to go direct to the manufacturer. They run a site themselves from which you can buy. This is particularly popular now and in the eco industry as it keeps costs down.

There are lots of portals claiming to be wholesalers but they place order with supplier when you place your order with them, you have to place a minimum order based on the individual supplier rather than the wholesale site in total.

The only way you can get a good price from anyone is to buy in volume and buy where shipping rates are competitive.

Good luck.

Is their a directory site with a list of manufacturers I can contact that you know of?

 

[Laurence Grant]

The secret of any suyccessful retailer is a great supply chain - which is why they will closely guard that information.

But shouldn't the wholesalers/manufacturers be looking to be easily found so they can sell more?

 

[Socio South West]

Mr D frequently mentions the Spring and Autumn Fairs: Unfortunately, like most similar shows, these are rapidly becoming dead ducks for wholesalers as improved communications render the costs of exhibiting uneconomic.
Generally speaking, the approach to the distribution chain in most industries has shifted markedly over the last 20 years towards manufacturers having more and more direct to consumer outlets which has hit the traditional wholesaler trade markedly.
The traditional chain was based on rigidly enforced Minimum Orders by manufacturers which prevented the small retailer or end user from buying direct and forced them to go through wholesalers: In turn, the wholesaler's MOQ/MOV were more acceptable to the smaller customer/retailer, but still forced the end user wanting individual units to shop with a retailer.
With the advent of web shops and fulfilment specialists, manufacturers (quite reasonably but unpalatably) have found a route to get maximum margin and get direct to the end user.

A sad trend, but one that anyone seeking to set up selling to end users needs to be able to combat to stand any chance of survival in the modern market place.
Many selling on eBay and Amazon have little appreciation of fixed costs or margins, and most would be better off taking a night shift doing shelf replenishment at a supermarket than peddling for peanuts.

 

[Laurence Grant]

Well Laurence I guess like us you have not found it easy.

We are a retailer and every time we try and look for genuine wholesalers it’s not easy.

We have found it’s often best to go direct to the manufacturer. They run a site themselves from which you can buy. This is particularly popular now and in the eco industry as it keeps costs down.

There are lots of portals claiming to be wholesalers but they place order with supplier when you place your order with them, you have to place a minimum order based on the individual supplier rather than the wholesale site in total.

The only way you can get a good price from anyone is to buy in volume and buy where shipping rates are competitive.

Good luck.

I typed in UK eco friendly manufacturers and believe I've found quite a few just from the first page that comes up. I also saw different brands a wholesaler sells, so thinking if I google search the brand name and then contact the manufacturer directly they may sell me stuff.

 

[Laurence Grant]

Mr D frequently mentions the Spring and Autumn Fairs: Unfortunately, like most similar shows, these are rapidly becoming dead ducks for wholesalers as improved communications render the costs of exhibiting uneconomic.
Generally speaking, the approach to the distribution chain in most industries has shifted markedly over the last 20 years towards manufacturers having more and more direct to consumer outlets which has hit the traditional wholesaler trade markedly.
The traditional chain was based on rigidly enforced Minimum Orders by manufacturers which prevented the small retailer or end user from buying direct and forced them to go through wholesalers: In turn, the wholesaler's MOQ/MOV were more acceptable to the smaller customer/retailer, but still forced the end user wanting individual units to shop with a retailer.
With the advent of web shops and fulfilment specialists, manufacturers (quite reasonably but unpalatably) have found a route to get maximum margin and get direct to the end user.

A sad trend, but one that anyone seeking to set up selling to end users needs to be able to combat to stand any chance of survival in the modern market place.
Many selling on eBay and Amazon have little appreciation of fixed costs or margins, and most would be better off taking a night shift doing shelf replenishment at a supermarket than peddling for peanuts.

I struggle to see how it can be combated to be honest if that's the case. I don't see what business ideas can actually work that easily either if manufacturers are selling straight to consumers.

 

[alanpro]

You can try to find the product supplier or manufacturer from the largest marketplace Alibaba.com. there are many factories there can supply better price, so if you want to wholesale, just choose from there.

 

[Laurence Grant]

You can try to find the product supplier or manufacturer from the largest marketplace Alibaba.com. there are many factories there can supply better price, so if you want to wholesale, just choose from there.

Yeah thanks, I thought of Alibaba a few days ago actually. I've found enough I reckon at the moment to try out and keep me going but if people have further handy information to offer me them I'm open ears.

 

[MarkOnline]

Hi,

I’ve had an idea to sell eco friendly products through ebay at first and then my own site. I would like to know the best places to look for wholesalers to buy the products from, plus best ways to buy for a good price from wholesalers, and how to price the items once bought at the right price?

Thanks

Laurence

Its a growing market and customers are becoming more aware of its added value. We have moved/still adapting into a more eco aware trading ethos both in terms of product and our position in our marketplace. If you can do it right its a great adder of value.

As for finding suppliers and pricing, thats where you have to do the legwork. If it was too easy everyone would be doing it. I would never disclose the suppliers we now have, why should I give away an edge I have over others?

Good luck.

 

[Mr D]

Mr D frequently mentions the Spring and Autumn Fairs: Unfortunately, like most similar shows, these are rapidly becoming dead ducks for wholesalers as improved communications render the costs of exhibiting uneconomic.
Generally speaking, the approach to the distribution chain in most industries has shifted markedly over the last 20 years towards manufacturers having more and more direct to consumer outlets which has hit the traditional wholesaler trade markedly.
The traditional chain was based on rigidly enforced Minimum Orders by manufacturers which prevented the small retailer or end user from buying direct and forced them to go through wholesalers: In turn, the wholesaler's MOQ/MOV were more acceptable to the smaller customer/retailer, but still forced the end user wanting individual units to shop with a retailer.
With the advent of web shops and fulfilment specialists, manufacturers (quite reasonably but unpalatably) have found a route to get maximum margin and get direct to the end user.

A sad trend, but one that anyone seeking to set up selling to end users needs to be able to combat to stand any chance of survival in the modern market place.
Many selling on eBay and Amazon have little appreciation of fixed costs or margins, and most would be better off taking a night shift doing shelf replenishment at a supermarket than peddling for peanuts.

I saw several suppliers that met his requirements at the spring far this year. At least in terms of products.
Whether they would take him as a customer is more questionable.

Whether you like it or not the fairs have the advantage of being where the buyers go - seeing a product on screen or seeing it in person... I prefer to see in person.
They are not the only source of suppliers. But they are a large grouping that a buyer can easily see in one place.

Could of course arrange with a few hundred suppliers to do on site visits all over the world - rather more expensive for the buyer.

Agreed, some sellers on any site appear to not understand how to make a profit.

I get eBay alerts about a certain seller - a product he often puts on is a pound wholesale, he sells at a pound plus 99p postage. His eBay cost is say 20p, his PayPal cost is 15p and his royal mail cost is large letter 2nd class.
Plus the envelope.

 

[SillyBill]

Narrowing down to "products" and "eco" yields a few million options...Just about every product has an eco alternative. First step is identifying what you are going to specialise in and focus in on, just "eco" anything is not a business model. I'd have thought it be best to figure out what is selling/what you know and then look for supply after.

 

[Mr D]

A good method is go visit competitors. Look at the websites currently, then go visit shops after middle of next month.

Look at products, look at labels. See the brands, see the type of stuff.

Then search for that.

You may end up with a few suppliers that way. Though of course no guarantee they will supply to your business type.

Still plenty of snobs in the business world that won't sell to any business using a 3rd party site. Quite who they will sell to in a few years having burned bridges is open to question...