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by Chris Marton
Being fully equipped with vital information that your boss needs to run their wholesale business successfully is crucial. This can make you productive and attain better results for the business and personal growth.
Let’s discuss some essential aspects of a wholesale business you need to know. It’ll impress your boss, help you stand apart from other employees, and also expand your knowledge of wholesale businesses.
A wholesale business is a business-to-business (B2B) model in which you sell products in bulk for profit. The process is as follows:
The wholesale business model is part of a diverse supply chain. It begins with the manufacturing company. A manufacturing company prepares a product. The manufacturers sell products to either distribution firms or direct wholesalers. Similarly, wholesalers can buy directly from other wholesalers or through distributors.
Wholesalers then sell products in bulk at cheaper prices to generally retailers or sometimes end consumers. However, because the wholesale industry requires a large amount of storage space, there is an urgent need to modernize your storage facility; hence, you may look into some of the most inventive Modula storage systems to find unique solutions for your warehouse.
There are two ways of wholesale order fulfillment:
Wholesalers rent out a warehouse to store the stock bought from manufacturers. Currently, there are a total of 19,190 warehouses in the USA according to Statista in 2020.
There are many expenses of a warehouse including:
According to the latest industry research, warehousing has been a profitable venture for small businesses in the US. In 2021, Statista reported that the warehouse industry generated an estimated revenue of about $34.4 billion.
There are many benefits of warehousing for a wholesaler. These benefits include:
Warehousing has some issues like overstocking where your number of stock exceeds your requirement. According to a report published by Reuters last month, wholesale inventories have increased by 2.2% while sales have slowed down.
Your stock is dead if:
Wholesalers can avoid these issues by using the best automated:
Dropshipping is a process where wholesalers do not keep inventory by themselves. Retailers place orders and manufacturers or distributors directly send the stock. Sellers play the role of intermediaries in dropshipping. Sellers earn their commission with minimal investment.
Dropshipping is a very profitable business model. According to a statistical analysis by Statista, the estimated value of the global dropshipping market was $128.6 billion in 2020.
Dropshipping is very beneficial for wholesalers as it:
While it provides a lot of benefits, dropshipping also puts a seller at some disadvantages such as:
The advanced technology has opened up new opportunities for wholesalers which they can explore to expand their business. With so many online platforms, wholesalers can run their online businesses. They can either set up their own websites or begin selling on marketplaces.
According to the latest research by industry experts, B2B eCommerce is on the rise. According to Digital Commerce 360, online sales on the B2B eCommerce platforms amounted to $1.39 trillion in 2021, 17.8% up from the previous year. Now 65% of the B2B companies are transacting online in 2022 according to McKinsey & Company research.
Wholesalers run their businesses through online websites. You can promote your business online and gain many benefits.
An eCommerce website helps you:
Websites can generate better sales leads and revenue. However, it is not as easy as you think. It requires a lot of effort to build a website. You have to:
It is not possible for every wholesaler to set up his own website. It is an expensive process. They can switch to marketplaces. A marketplace is a place where buyers gather to buy products. Sellers can easily sell to buyers through marketplaces.
Some marketplaces deal in a huge catalog of products such as Alibaba, SeeBiz, and eWorldTrade. Others sell products of a specific niche. Examples include:
Alibaba is the world’s largest online marketplace, with over 500 million active users. The site offers a wide variety of goods and services, including wholesale products. Alibaba is a great option for businesses looking for a one-stop shop for all their needs.
SeeBiz is a great wholesale marketplace for buyers and sellers to connect. With this marketplace, you can find a wide variety of products at wholesale prices. If you’re looking for a wholesale marketplace that offers a great selection of products at competitive prices, SeeBiz is the place for you.
eWorldTrade is one of the world’s largest online B2B marketplaces. With over 10 million registered users, eWorldTrade offers a unique opportunity for businesses to connect with international buyers and suppliers.
eWorldTrade has a wide variety of products and services available, making it easy to find the right product or service for your business.
The benefits of marketplaces are:
There are some limitations on marketplaces that do not provide effective results like one’s own eCommerce website. For example:
With the above-mentioned information about the wholesale business, you can not only benefit your organization. This will help you become an irreplaceable asset to your company. On top of that, it’ll even prime you to start thinking of starting your own business one day.
About the author