How to find reliable suppliers
SPS FulfillmentYou have decided to open an online store, perhaps in dropshipping, and you have also understood that the choice of supplier is practically the most important part of the activity, because the packaging and shipping (in the case of dropshipping) or the supply of all your products in stock (in the case of stock sales) will depend on the latter.
With this article, today we want to help you understand how to find reliable suppliers , because, as you may have already realized, there are many suppliers out there who unfortunately do not work seriously!
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How to understand if a supplier is reliable
Let's say you've already found the supplier "Pinco Pallino" that sells exactly the product you were looking for. Now, how do you know if it's a reliable supplier? Here are some things to consider.
First of all, do an online search , even just on Google, to find out other people's opinions about this supplier. For example, you could use a site like Trustpilot that allows you to read the ratings and reviews of the sites. Read the reviews carefully and look especially for those of other sellers who have already worked with this supplier, if available.
Now try to find out if it is a supplier or a manufacturer . What is the difference? A "pure" supplier is a company (or a person) that in turn buys the products in bulk and then resells them. A manufacturer, on the other hand, makes the products themselves and then sells them to resellers like you who run a store. Generally speaking, a supplier has higher prices than a manufacturer.
Then check if the supplier offers any deals . Typically, many suppliers offer significant discounts if you buy a certain amount of products. For example, they might sell the wallet branded "whatever" for 10 euros per piece up to 100 pieces. However, if you buy 200 pieces, the price could drop to 9 euros each. This could be a prerogative of a reliable supplier.
At this point, before purchasing large quantities of products, try asking the supplier if they can send you a couple of test products. This will allow you to test the quality of the products first and then also get a general idea of the shipping times.
We still have some advice for you. In fact, try to find out if the supplier also sells to consumers . Generally, a reliable and serious supplier has a B2B type of activity and does not sell to consumers/end customers, but only to companies or retailers. If you discover, therefore, that the supplier you have identified also sells to consumers, then avoid it, because it could be a retailer like you who is passing itself off as a supplier.
Now comes a piece of advice that is as important as it is difficult to implement: to understand if a supplier is reliable, make sure of their financial stability . Are you wondering how to do it?
Try to ask the supplier very direct questions or maybe search the site for information about: how long has it been in the industry? How many employees does it have? What is its turnover? Does it have patents or trademarks? Questions like this will help you understand what kind of supplier you have in front of you. Of course, a supplier with a certain financial stability will be able to provide you with products over time and not just one-off .
Best sites to find reliable suppliers
Now that you have more or less understood what to look for in a potential supplier, we want to tell you about 3 sites that we consider trustworthy.
Alibaba
You have probably heard this name, Alibaba, because it is the world's number one e-commerce in terms of wholesale suppliers. It is a giant Chinese company that is probably the ideal choice if you want to start looking for a product to import.
Generally speaking, Alibaba is a reliable site, however, there are many suppliers within the platform. Therefore, follow all the advice we gave you in the previous chapter before diving head first into the first low-priced product you find.
AliExpress
Another very famous site that allows you to buy wholesale products from China at really convenient prices.
The catalog of products available on the platform is practically endless, so you will hardly have trouble finding the product that is right for you. AliExpress is another excellent choice ideal for those who, like you, are taking the first steps towards opening an online store, whether it is dropshipping or stock sales.
DHGate
This is another site where you can find many products to buy wholesale. The suppliers present on the platform are countless and its operation is similar to Alibaba in many ways.
A really great thing about DHGate is that you can buy just 20 (sometimes even less) units of a product. On other platforms, this number is often a minimum of 100 or even more.
SPS Fulfillment
At the end of the list we couldn't help but put us, SPS Fulfillment. We act a little differently than the three sites we just mentioned, as we offer complete management of your e-commerce. In short, if you are looking for a specific product to sell on your store (be it dropshipping or stock sale), we will do everything possible to find it on the market at the best price, contacting a reliable supplier.
Once this is done, if you wish, we can then take care of everything, both the packaging and shipping. However, we also offer the possibility of sending the products to your warehouse and then you will take care of everything else.