Finding the best small business wholesale suppliers is as important as marketing your store. A reliable supplier will make it easier for you to automate your business.
There are many wholesale suppliers in the marketplace, but when it comes to selecting an option for small business, there are limited verified options. This is because of the fact that the wholesalers rely on quantity for their profit.
To help you find out the best suppliers with lowest MOQ, I have handpicked and tested the top options available online.
Wholesale vs drop shipping vs direct manufacturing
Before I get started, here’s a section to help you get a reference on different type of suppliers for small business –
Direct manufacturers – Manufacturers create the product in very large quantities and sell to multiple suppliers. However, if you are in a niche that sells easily, you are likely to find direct manufacturers with low minimum orders. For instance, if you are into fashion products, then you can easily find custom clothing manufacturers.
Wholesalers – Wholesalers are the ones that sell the products to retailers in large quantities. You can get products at a really cheap price and can make great profit. If you want to choose a wholesaler as your supplier, you can use a third party warehouse and fulfillment service. These services basically offer inventory space in the region where you are selling. When an order arrives they ship the product for you.
Dropshippers – The dropshipping suppliers are the one that offer minimum order quantity of as low as one unit. One of the main reasons why entrepreneurs work with dropshipping suppliers is that they just need to list the products on their online store and dropshippers take care of product fulfillment. The payment only needs to be made when an order is placed by a customer. You can test as many products with dropshipping and there is no investment risk.
Things to consider when choosing wholesale suppliers for small business
- Ensure the product quality – First thing to do after finding the right wholesale supplier is checking out the quality of the products. If possible go for sample orders, if not look for reviews.
- Find out warehousing and fulfillment details – Try to look for suppliers domestically, this will not only save the shipping cost, but also the overseas custom(if).
- Check for bulk discount and shipping rates – When placing the final order, look for shipping offers and discounting.
- Verify your wholesale supplier – Online reputation platforms like Trustpilot, forums or just a Google search will help you know the trustworthiness of your wholesaler.
- Dropshipping friendly – Many wholesale suppliers are dropshipping friendly allowing you to buy as low as one product.
- Refund policy – Finally, don’t forget to check the return policy before placing the order.
Best Small Business Wholesale Suppliers
1. Amazon Business
Amazon is one of the biggest online marketplace from both suppliers as well as customers point of view. But that’s not all, it is also one of the best places for finding high quality wholesale suppliers.
While the B2C version is publicly available, you’d have to sign up on Amazon Business for a wholesale account. It will then show you a list of verified wholesale suppliers (even manufacturers). Currently, it is only available for US, Japan and Germany based businesses.
Amazon Business is dedicated towards small business, public sector, and enterprise. There are features like business discounts, flexible payment options and built-in budgeting & analytics tool for creating a premium wholesale experience for small business owners.
Product categories
Amazon Business offers products in almost every category. Some of their marketed ones are –
- Office supplies
- IT products
- Restaurant supplies
- medical supplies
- beauty supplies
Discounts and offers
There is an additional bulk discount up to 5% on product bundles that are already wholesale priced.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 3 to 7 days Subscription price – Free |
2. SaleHoo
SaleHoo is an online directory featuring verified wholesalers, dropshippers, and manufacturers. You can use it to find reliable niche suppliers for your business. They provide an option to either search the options as suppliers, or as products.
In addition to 8,000+ verified companies they also offer easy integration with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, making it easier to do things like adding product details from suppliers’ sites in one click, automating orders and more. Think of it as a pre-vetted directory and suppliers connecting platform.
Overall, it’s a great place for finding wholesale suppliers for small businesses.
Product categories
SaleHoo offers multiple unique category products including those which are not easily available for wholesale rates. Some of their trending categories are- Baby Gear, Cameras & Photo, Car & Auto Parts, Clothing & Fashion, Consumer Electronics, DVDs & Movies, Health & Beauty, Jewelry & Watches, Pet Products, Shoes & Fashion
Discounts and offers
SaleHoo does offer lesser pricing for products as compared to the one listed on wholesale supplier’s official site. But there’s no additional offer except bulk discount.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 5 to 10 days Subscription price – $67 per year (money back guarantee) |
3. Spocket
Spocket is a platform featuring good quality, verified wholesale suppliers from USA, Europe and other locations. You can easily find products with 30% or more profit margin.
All of their suppliers are verified, so you can rely on the independent brands. Plus they offer branded invoicing for those who are looking to build a reputable eCommerce business. You can connect with any supplier and discuss your custom needs.
Spocket integrates with top eCommerce platforms and makes it easy to set up an automated dropshipping business using good quality wholesale products.
Only downside is that big retailers are starting to join Spocket-supplier-pool, so you might see price variations (limited margin) for some products.
Product categories
Spocket offer products in different categories and continuously add new suppliers. Plus they mark the trending products, so you can find out the best sellers.
Discounts and offers
Spocket discounts vary based on the supplier you choose on this platform. But most of them offer appreciable discounts on bulk orders. You can also try Spocket premium for connecting with premium suppliers.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide (ships directly from suppliers) Average shipment time – 3 to 5 days Subscription price – $24.99 per month (14 days free trial) |
4. Kole Imports
Next on my list is a small business wholesale supplier that is a wholesale merchandise founded in 1985. This option is geared towards small businesses selling wholesale merchandise and closeout suppliers.
You will mostly find products in bundles at a really cheap price, but some products are available as a single unit too.
Product categories
The USA based wholesale supplier offers tons of wholesale products to sell including apparel, hardware, jewelry and more.
Discounts and offers
Kole Imports offer clearance sales and seasonal discounts every few weeks.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – USA (ships to 100+ countries) Average shipment time – 3 to 5 days Subscription price – Free |
5. CC Wholesale Clothing
If you are looking for wholesale boutique clothing suppliers, then CC Wholesale Clothing is the best option.
Their products are shipping from Los Angeles with guaranteed 5 to 7 days delivery anywhere in the USA. In addition to a catalog of 5,000+ fashion items, they also offer a Shopify app better known as “My Online Fashion Store” for integrating their platform with your online store and automating the clothing dropshipping business.
Product categories
- Apparel
- Jewelry
- Clothing accessories
Discounts and offers
CC Wholesale Clothing offers bulk discounts and run discounts from time to time.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – USA Average shipment time – 5 to 7 days Subscription price – $29 per month |
6. AliExpress
AliExpress is one of the best small business wholesale supplier B2B and B2C platforms with suppliers for each product. You can find thousands of trending products with unique pricing.
If you are using AliExpress as your wholesale supplier, here’s the two main thing to remember-
Use a product sourcing app – You can use a product sourcing app like Oberlo (no longer available) for finding out the best selling products with the highest rating from other retailers.
Look for a domestic warehouse – A domestically located warehouse will not only ensure faster delivery, but also help you with customs. This is especially helpful if you are running a business in the UK. It’d make more sense to use a UK based supplier.
Product categories
- Jewelry & accessories
- Women’s clothing
- Dresses
- Apparel accessories
- Beauty & health
Discounts and offers
AliExpress offers a $2 discount on orders above $3. Plus there are additional discount coupons for app users. They also run frequency sales from time to time.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 6 to 9 days Subscription price – Free |
7. JGoodin
JGoodin is a wholesale and accessories supplier for buying unique jewelry at a good price. For bulk orders they offer volume discounts between 10% to 20% based on the number of items.
Plus there is a free shopping on wholesale orders above $100. Their products are backed by ICON jewelry manufacturing plant located in China allowing them to offer custom designs at an affordable price.
JGoodin has an experience of over 26 years allowing them to offer unique, sparkling designs. They have an official center in the USA for better operating domestic orders. You will have to create a free wholesale account on JGoodin for checking out the pricing. They also offer jewelry dropshipping.
Product categories
- Rings
- Bracelets
- Earnings
- Pendants & necklaces
- Accessories
Discounts and offers
You can avail 10% to 20% exclusive discounts depending upon your order volume.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 4 to 7 days Subscription price – Free |
8. Printful
Printful is originally a print on demand dropshipping supplier. They provides you with a free mockup generator and lets you customize your product design. The Printful team then manufactures and fulfills it for you.
From a wholesale perspective, their pricing is slightly higher and has a limited profit margin. However, they do offer bulk discounts (as much as 30%). So if you are looking for a bulk wholesale supplier, then Printful is a good option.
The best part is, you will be able to fully control the design of your product. They have 6+ warehousing and fulfillment centers around the globe. There is also a 20% discount on sample order.
Product categories
- Sweatshirts
- T shirts
- Leggings
- Wall art
- Pillows
- Mugs
- Face masks
- Hats
- Bags
Discounts and offers
Printful offers different discount offers based on the product you choose. Plus they run festive sales every now and then.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 3 to 8 days Subscription price – Free |
9. Limini Coffee
Should you want a wholesale supplier for selling coffee? Then Limini Coffee is the place for you.
In addition to wholesale coffee, you can also find options for private labeling. The UK based coffee supplier roasts speciality coffee beans and claims to have 10 years of experience. They offer a wide range of espresso blend, single origin coffee, decaffeinated coffee and a limited edition.
You will have to create a wholesale account for checking out the pricing for their products.
Product categories
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Tea
- Ancillaries
- Pods
- Brewing accessories
Discounts and offers
Limini Coffee offers competitive pricing and you can request a bulk discount.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – United Kingdom only Average shipment time – 1-2 days Subscription price – Free |
10. Etsy Wholesale
Etsy is an online marketplace for independent artists to handmade or vintage products. The American eCommerce company has over 4,500+ suppliers making it one of the best small business wholesale suppliers.
If you are looking for specific handmade products, then Etsy is a great place to go.
Product categories
- Jewelry & accessories
- Clothing & shoes
- Home & living
- Wedding & party
- Toys & entertainment
- Art & collectibles
- Craft supplies & tools
- Vintage
Discounts and offers
Etsy discounts depend on the suppliers. You can easily connect with the brands and negotiate the rates.
| Dropshipping friendly – ✅ Warehousing & shipping – Worldwide Average shipment time – 4 to 7 days Subscription price – Free |
How to find the Small business wholesale suppliers
So that was my best trustworthy option for best wholesale suppliers for small businesses. You can go with any of the above that fits your needs.
However, if the above list of wholesale suppliers for small business doesn’t give you the product you were looking for, here are some other ways to help you find a wholesaler –
Private label suppliers
Private label suppliers offer you an option to create products under your brand name and build a solid customer base. You can use Google search operators like “YOUR NICHE private label suppliers” to find out specific options for you. And don’t forget to replace the keyword your niche with the category you want.
Looking for cosmetics products? Checkout our latest guide on private label cosmetics suppliers.
Suppliers marketplace
There are a lot of online marketplaces dedicated towards the B2B audience. You can easily find domestic suppliers using AliExpress alternatives like Modalyst, Syncee, DHgate and more.
Online directories
Just like SaleHoo there are a lot of online wholesale directories that you can use like Doba.
Trade Shows
Trade shows offer unique wholesalers that you can work with. Most of the suppliers here are not easily available.
