The supplier determines the timeliness of deliveries, the quality of the goods, the size of the trade margin and other metrics important for the business owner. In this article,They purchase goods from the we will tell you where to look for suppliers for e-commerce and how to choose the most reliable ones.
Decide who you need: a manufacturer or an intermediary
First, you need to understand what kind of supplier you need: the manufacturer of the product or an intermediary. Manufacturers are factories and plants that produce the product. It is profitable to cooperate with them, since there is no markup from third parties, bec
ause you buy the product directly. But manufacturers mainly sell only in large quantities, so a large amount will be required for the purchase,
usually at least 100 thousand rubles. Of course, there are exceptions and small wholesale can be negotiated, especially with small local
manufacturers.
Intermediaries are distributors and dealers. They purchase goods from the manufacturer for the purpose of reselling them in small and
medium wholesale. To make a profit, intermediaries set their markup, so the cost of their products is higher than that of the manufacturers.
But you can buy small lots – from 10-20 thousand rubles, and sometimes less. Some dealers work on dropshipping: they store and send
goods to customers themselves, so you do not need a warehouse and funds for purchase. Dropshipping is a good option for a limited budget,
we wrote about it in detail in this article , and here we made an overview of suppliers who work according to this scheme.
How to Find Suppliers of Goods: 7 Working Methods
To find reliable suppliers, you will have to go throughThey purchase goods from the many options and compare the terms of cooperation.
For convenience, we recommend creating a table and entering all the information into it. We will list the sites and methods for finding
suppliers.
Method 1: in search engines
The most obvious way to find a supplier is to use Yandex or Google search results.They purchase goods from the Enter the name of the
product in the search bar and add the phrase “buy wholesale”. The first page of results will contain companies that have invested in website promotion and they most likely have many clients. In this regard, purchase prices can be quite high, so it’s better to scroll further: interesting
offers often appear only on pages 5–20.
When it is important to find a manufacturer, additionally study the results for another suitable request, for example, “toy factory”, “sewing
factory”, “shoe factory”.
Method 2: on competitors’ websites
Competitors are unlikely to disclose their suppliers. But you can get the information yourself, here are a few ways:
- Study the product cards on the website. The description and phone number list characteristics often mention the manufacturer, and
- the photographs may have watermarks of the supplier company.
- Check the warranty section. There may also be useful information there, as warranty service is often provided by manufacturers or
- their official representatives.
- Buy the product and request certificates,They purchase goods from the they may have supplier seals.
It is not a fact that the supplier will work with you on the same terms that he offered to the competitor. This is often decided individually: it depend
s on the volume of the batch, the distance of the warehouse and other factors.
Method 3: Look to local producers
There are several advantages to working with local producers:
- Possibility of a personal meeting. You can come and talk to the manager in person, get to know the company better, evaluate the
- quality of the products, discuss all the details.
- Logistics are easier. There is no need to organize delivery create a mobile-friendly website from another region or country, so there
- will be fewer problems with deliveries and exchange of defective goods.
- Saving on logistics costs. Transportation costs can significantly increase the cost of production, especially for large and heavy loads.
You ca
n find manufacturers in your city on the website Proizvodstvo Rossii : enter the desired city in the search bar and see the result. You can
monitor nearby cities in the same way.
Method 4: Check out the wholesale markets
There are wholesale markets in almost all large cities, they are easy to find on maps by the corresponding request. In Moscow, for example,
popular are “Moscow”, “Sadovod”, “Yuzhnye Vorota”, they sell almost everything: clothes, shoes, textiles, jewelry, cosmetics and much more.
Markets are convenient because different products can be purchased in one place.
It is better to come early in the morning on weekdays, at this belgium numbers time there are fewer people and more chances to find free parking spaces. The lowest prices are usually in the far rows, so do not linger at the entrance and bargain, sometimes the price can be
reduced by 30-50%.
Method 5: Attend specialized events
Exhibitions and fairs are held in large cities, where supplier companies present their products. At such events, you can examine the product
in detail, get samples, and make useful business contacts. There are many manufacturers here, you can find brands that are just entering the
market and offer favorable terms of cooperation.