Wholesale suppliers in Europe
Do you want to launch an online store? Then you’ll need products to sell. If you want to buy stock in bulk, you can buy your products at a wholesale distributor. We selected some of the best wholesale suppliers in Europe, for ecommerce businesses.
Content:
- Best wholesale distributors
- Dropshipping suppliers
- Print on demand suppliers
- How do you find a wholesaler?
- Asian wholesalers
- Contacting a wholesaler
Popular European wholesale suppliers
A wholesaler buys large quantities of products from manufacturers, stores them in a warehouse, and distributes them to retailers. While many wholesale suppliers operate locally, there are also larger cross-border wholesale platforms that serve all of Europe.
Finding the best European wholesaler for your ecommerce business can be challenging. Many have conditions such as minimum order quantities, and their products may cost more unless you buy in bulk. However, buying from European wholesalers often guarantees high-quality goods and faster delivery. Platforms to consider for sourcing stock:
The b2b platform Orderchamp is full of wholesalers for retailers with low purchase thresholds and minimum orders. Signing up is free. Larger retailers often use the platform to find great additions but small boutiques and concept stores can really find a total offering here.
Spocket is a platform for European and American dropshipping suppliers. There are thousands of products listed, from clothing to beauty products and more. It has a higher price range and shipping costs than AliExpress. The platform offers integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix and WooCommerce.
For 67 dollars a year, Salehoo gives you access to a database of more than 8,000 wholesalers, almost half of which deliver on a dropshipping basis. If you search carefully, you can also find a nice little wholesaler for Spanish dresses or Italian shoes or skirts here.
The Italian wholesaler B2B GRIFFATI offers several designer brands, including some exclusive fashion brands from Europe. With the dropshipping-plugin of Sync2Fashion you can easily add the products into your Shopify-store on, without the need for a warehouse or logistic management.
Trusted Belgian wholesaler supplying retailers and wholesalers for 15+ years. Extensive product range, dropshipping across Europe. Same-day shipping worldwide. Next-day delivery to BE and NL, 2-5 days to other EU countries. No subscription fees. Reliable, fast service with full tracking.
See a full list of suppliers at wholesalesuppliers.eu.
Dropshipping suppliers
With dropshipping, the wholesaler sends the orders directly to your customer. You don’t need a warehouse with stock or any supplies yourself and there is no need to buy in large quantities. Margins are often a bit lower and delivery times might be longer, but still ideal if your starting budgets are low or to test which new products you should add to your product range.
Some popular European dropshipping suppliers:
With dropshippingXL, you can sell over 90,000 vidaXL products. With European warehouses it offers very fast delivery all over Europe, without the hassle of inventory management, shipping, and returns. Offers integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware and Wix.
This b2b platform connects retailers with wholesalers with low purchasing thresholds and minimum purchases. Perfect for finding extra items or suppliers. With the dropshipping subscription you have no storage risks or fulfilment hassle: suppliers send items directly to your customers.
Spocket is a platform for European and American dropshipping suppliers. There are thousands of products listed, from clothing to beauty products and more. It has a higher price range and shipping costs than AliExpress. The platform offers integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix and WooCommerce.
Looking for ecommerce software to start your own dropshipping store? Shopify provides plugins for many popular dropshipping suppliers and is designed to make managing your online store simple and efficient.
European print-on-demand companies
Print-on-demand companies operate similarly to dropshipping providers. However, instead of selling premade products, you can customize items by printing your own designs, allowing you to create a unique product range. While print-on-demand was once limited to a small selection of items, it has rapidly expanded to include a wide variety of products.
Printful works on a print-on-demand basis. They can print your designs on clothing, as well as bags, mugs and phone covers. In Europe, the company is situated in Latvia and Spain, which makes shipping within two to four days possible. It integrates with ecommerce software and marketplaces.
Printify is similar to Printful. It is a fast-growing transparent print-on-demand network, instantly connecting merchants to major Print Providers worldwide. This allows them to sell custom printed products that are printed and shipped directly to the customer.
Spreadshirt is similar to the other print on demand suppliers, but it's also aimed at private customers. The company, founded in Germany, offers businesses mass-customization tools, on-demand production, and fulfillment as a service.
How do you find the best wholesaler in Europe?
Finding European wholesale distributors and suppliers can be challenging, as many do not actively promote themselves online. Some may not have a website, or their website might be outdated. However, they are essential for sourcing products to sell online.
One way to find them is by contacting the brands you want to sell and asking which wholesalers they work with. Another effective method is attending business-to-business trade shows, fairs, or industry events.
For instance, if you are interested in selling home decor and interior design products, there are likely events in your country where you learn about the latest designs and trends. Usually these events are also used to meet wholesalers and manufacturers.
Visiting events is a great opportunity to meet European brands or wholesale distributors.
Asian wholesalers
Asian, particularly Chinese, B2B platforms offer competitive prices and an almost unlimited product range. However, not all products are suitable for the European market, and delivery times can be long. If you choose to work with an Asian wholesaler, take the time to carefully select the products and suppliers you want to partner with.
Alibaba is the most well-known b2b marketplace from China. Here you can find all kinds of products, from clothing to toys and from car parts to gadgets. Finding suppliers on Alibaba can be tricky, so be prepared. Alibaba also owns the popular b2c marketplace AliExpress.
Banggood is a popular b2b marketplace from China. Its partnership programs include wholesale, affiliate, and dropshipping. With the Banggood Wholesale program, buyers can enjoy a higher discount on their wholesale orders.
DHgate.com was founded in 2004 and was one of China's first cross-border b2b-ecommerce platforms. It links primarily Chinese SMEs to businesses and individuals worldwide.
Finding a distributor on Alibaba
One of the most important and popular platforms for finding a wholesale distributor is Alibaba. This Chinese marketplace is filled with suppliers who can help you start your business. The only thing you need to do is search for the products you want to sell and contact a supplier.
However, finding the right wholesaler can be more challenging than it seems. Be sure to check the products carefully, as European quality standards and regulations are often very different. Product photos can sometimes be misleading, so proceed with caution.
Alibaba is so popular, it’s filled with hundreds of thousands of b2b sellers. Read our guide for finding suppliers on Alibaba to learn how you can find your distributor!
Finding products by doing a reverse image search
Have you found something interesting at a competing website? Try to do a ‘reverse image search’ on the product photo. You can do this in Google, but also through websites like Tineye or Yandex (in our opinion, the last one is very underrated and unknown when it comes to reverse image searches!). In the results, you might end up with a seller page on Alibaba, which you can contact immediately to check if they want to sell to you!
Try a reverse image search for products you like to sell yourself.
Things you should know about wholesalers
Most European wholesalers prefer to sell stock in bulk, so chances are they might not be interested in you if you’re still a small retailer with a small order request.
When contacting a wholesale ecommerce website, make it clear that you are not just another consumer looking for a small order. Introduce yourself, inquire about quantity discounts, and find out what it would take to get them interested in selling to you.
If a wholesaler is open to working with you, you can follow up with detailed questions. Ask about pricing for larger orders, discounts for returning customers, delivery times or payment terms. You might also want to ask which other customers they sell the same product to.
Typical terms of a supplier
Before approaching a distributor, research their requirements. Wholesalers often only work with retailers who purchase at bulk, and demand a high minimum of units. Some do not even work with online only stores at all. Find out what types of retailers they usually work with.
Do not be surprised if you have to pay higher prices than your competitors or agree to stricter terms with wholesalers. This might happen because the wholesaler is more familiar with your competitor. They may have worked with them for a long time and perceive less risk in doing business with them.
It may take time before you gain the same advantages, but this can change over time. Remember, your competitors also started as small retailers. Finding your first wholesale distributor can be challenging, but once you establish a relationship, it becomes easier to attract more suppliers or grow your business with that initial distributor.
Your competitors once started out as small retailers as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about wholesale ecommerce:
What is wholesale?
Wholesale refers to the sale of products to a reselling party. So, if you are an online retailer, you can buy products from manufacturers and distributors and then sell these products to your customers. You are then conducting wholesale ecommerce.
How is wholesale different from dropshipping?
Dropshipping is b2b-ecommerce as well, but there is an important difference. With wholesale, you normally buy the items you want to sell. With dropshipping, another company (the dropshipper) is taking care of the storage of products and the fulfilment (getting the items to your customers). You only pay for the items customers have ordered in this way of doing business.
A wholesale platform will supply your store with goods, but you will be the one sending them to your customers.
Why is Alibaba so popular?
Alibaba is the most popular wholesale ecommerce platform in the world. It’s part of Alibaba Group, which can be seen as the ‘Amazon of China’. Alibaba was founded in 1999 and managed to grow significantly due to its local success and the launch of additional services and online branches. Nowadays, Alibaba is known for its wide assortment and low prices. We have made a guide for finding Alibaba suppliers.
It’s a popular wholesale ecommerce platform because of the large amount of suppliers that are listed there, for low prices. However, there are also other ecommerce platforms that offer plugins to find suppliers.
