They provide the product to consumers – i.e. the wholesalers, the distributors, and the retailers. Suppliers are the manufacturers, packagers, processors, dealers, and merchants.
While not all of the suppliers in the directory are manufacturers, you will still find hundreds, if not more, of them in the directory. Aliexpress.com is owned by Alibaba, but it was built to serve a different market. You won’t find as many manufacturers on AliExpress, but the plus side is that you can place smaller orders, which makes it a good option if you’re starting with limited capital.
Etradeasia.com is one of the world’s largest trade portals and online marketplaces with more than 700,000 members and a million products. No matter what your niche is, you’re bound to find suitable manufacturers on this website. It’s a lesser-known option than some of the major online marketplaces and could therefore contain untapped potential. indiamart.com Indiamart.com is an online marketplace, similar to Alibaba and Aliexpress, only smaller.
Factories in Asia are likely to be much cheaper than those in the USA and Europe, so if the price is the most important factor to you, it’s worth checking out Indiamart.com. As with many of the other websites listed above, make sure to go with verified suppliers where possible. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based manufacturers, traders and service providers.
With more than 6 million Facebook likes, this website is popular and trusted worldwide. Product quality, price, availability, reliability and customer service are all important factors in identifying a good supplier. A solid reputation is good indicator of this and the willingness to work with you to grow your business by selling more products to you. You can research reviews, feedback, references or testimonials, and company credit checks. Contact several different suppliers to decide on the most suitable for your business.
To make it simpler, we may take the example of vendors from our daily lives. The vendors get connected to the manufacturers through a third party known as a supplier. The sale scale, i.e. bulk or small depends upon the vendor’s market scale. Alibaba.com is the world’s biggest supplier directory with an estimated 279 million active buyers and 8.5 million active sellers.
Check Major B2B Marketplaces
And you keep rinsing and repeating until you have a large selection of profitable products that you are continually selling on Amazon. While membership directories can be helpful, especially for brainstorming ideas, they are by no means necessary. If you already know the product or niche you want to sell, you should be able to find the major suppliers in your market with a bit of digging and the techniques discussed above. Plus, once you start your dropshipping business you likely won’t need to revisit the directory unless you need to find suppliers for other products. Since most wholesalers carry products from a variety of manufacturers, this strategy will allow you to quickly source a selection of products within the niche you’re exploring.
You can then contact these wholesalers to see if they dropship and inquire about setting up an account. To get genuine wholesale pricing you’ll need to apply for a wholesale account, prove you’re a legitimate business and be approved before placing your first order. Any wholesale supplier that offers products to the general public at “wholesale prices” is just a retailer offering items at inflated prices.
However, if you become a verified buyer you can gain access to Alibaba’s more detailed supplier directory. This allows you to search for experienced suppliers, view their trade records, see some of their main customers, and other background information.
- A trade show allows you to connect with all the major manufacturers and wholesalers in a niche.
But if you have the time and money to attend, it’s a great way to get to know the manufactures and suppliers in a market. Lightinthebox.com offers lifestyle products at attractive prices direct from the manufacturers — no middleman needed. It’s a global online retail company specializing in apparel, small accessories and gadgets and home and garden products. While it’s not officially a supplier directory, many of the listings include contact details for suppliers. This means that you can contact them directly to ask about manufacturing.
Tips for Finding a Wholesale Distributor
While you can find trusted manufacturers off your own back, becoming a verified buyer provides you with more information and security. It’s also recommended to seek out Gold Supplier members, which have been verified by Alibaba. Selecting the right suppliers for your business needs is vital to ensure that you are able to deliver your products and services on time, at the right price, and in compliance with your quality standards. By implementing specific supplier’s selection criteria, it’s possible to identify companies that will work with you to meet the demands of your customers. Suppliers are individuals or groups that provides the source for goods and services.
One way to ensure you’re dealing with reliable suppliers is by sorting listings by ‘seller rating’. Typically, wholesalers, or suppliers, will only agree to sell their products to established businesses that have a good reputation. Starting out, you will need to take some steps in the right direction. A vendor is a person or a company that supplies goods to the people.
A trade show allows you to connect with all the major manufacturers and wholesalers in a niche. It’s a great way to make contacts and research your products and suppliers all in one spot. This only works if you’ve already selected your niche and/or product, and it isn’t feasible for everyone.
After making a couple of calls to the leading manufacturers in a niche, you’ll quickly be able to identify the leading wholesalers in that market. This is our favorite way to easily locate legitimate wholesale suppliers. If you know the product(s) you want to dropship, call the manufacturer and ask for a list of its wholesale distributors.
Have a Productive First Contact With a Wholesale Supplier
You will need to do a bit more digging on AliExpress to find manufacturers. It will require contacting suppliers and seeing if they can manufacture your product for you. The good thing about AliExpress is that you can buy one of lots of different products in your niche before settling on the one that you want to have manufactured.
It’s a valuable resource if you’re looking at manufacturing clothing in Asia. A search for ‘ladies jackets’ showed more than 4000 different suppliers, many of which would also offer manufacturing services.
It’s a lesser-known supplier and manufacturer directory for a huge range of products, from auto parts and accessories to electronics, jewelry, textiles, and toys. There’s even a pop up message box to email the supplier directly. Just make sure you check that the supplier is verified and has a third-party reference before you contact them about possibly manufacturing your product. The SaleHoo Wholesale Directory has more than 8,000 low-cost suppliers and 1.6 million products and brands. The SaleHoo team checks and verifies each supplier before adding them to the directory, which means that you don’t have to worry about dealing with potentially problematic suppliers.
What is an example of a supplier?
The definition of a supplier is a person or entity that is the source for goods or services. A company that provides microprocessors to a major computer business is an example of a supplier. A drug dealer who provides heroin to a heroin addict is an example of a supplier.
Whatever your niche or product is, you can almost guarantee you will find a manufacturer here. Most manufacturers on Alibaba have an MOQ (minimum order quantity), which means you have to buy in bulk. This is good in terms of getting the best price, but can be a stretch financially when you’re starting out. You can find suppliers and manufacturers simply by searching your product and the words ‘private label’ or ‘manufacturer’ in the search bar.