Many upcoming entrepreneurs still grapple with “How to Find and Work With Reliable Dropshipping Suppliers.”
Aspiring entrepreneurs in their numbers are yet to figure out who the best dropshipping supplier is for their eCommerce store. It’s a bane for these aspiring entrepreneurs.
A dropshipping supplier directory is a collection of suppliers organized by market, niche, or product.
Many directories have instituted screening processes to ensure that the wholesalers listed are legit. Most are administered by for-profit businesses that charge a fee to access their directory.
While membership directories, mainly meant to come up with ideas, can be helpful, they are unnecessary.
If you already know what product or dropshipping niche you want to sell, you should be able to find the leading suppliers in your market with some digging and the techniques discussed here.
Plus, you will only have to visit the directory when you begin a dropshipping business if you find suppliers with other products.
However, supplier directories are a handy way to search or browse many suppliers in one place quickly and are excellent for exploring ideas about selling or entering product niches.
Supplier directories can be vital if you’re pressed for time and willing to invest money.
There are many different dropshipping service providers and corporations, and this guide cannot adequately examine them all.
Instead, we’ve highlighted some of the best-known online directories for drop shippers. Disclaimer: We do not actively promote any of these directories. We have some options available to you.
Table of Contents
Finding Dropshipping Suppliers
Not everyone is created equal, like the majority of people in life. It is even more necessary to ensure that you work with elite-level players in dropshipping. The supplier is so essential in your dropshipping fulfillment process.
Prepare Before You Contact Suppliers
Okay, you want to establish relationships, and you have so many solid suppliers, and you’re ready to proceed – great! But you want to prepare before you start contacting companies.
Legal Incorporation: As stated herein, you must be legal; most legitimate wholesalers require proof that you are a legal entity before applying for an account.
Most wholesale companies present their pricing only to approved customers, so you must legally incorporate it before seeing the available prices.
And what’s the crux of legality? Before approaching providers, ensure that you are legally incorporated! You won’t have to provide any specifics if you want to ask basic questions like ‘Do you Dropship?’ or ‘Can you Dropship brand XYZ?’ But only expect to get started after first setting up a legal entity.
Build Credibility: Wholesalers are constantly inundated with “great business plans,” including many questions that take their time and never place orders.
So, if you want to start a new business, remember that many suppliers will not assist you initially.
If your supplier offers it, they will readily set you up with a dropshipping account.
But once you’re sold, you only haggle overpricing or spend hours on the phone with salespeople. Doing so sullies your reputation and jeopardizes your relationship with the supplier.
For example, you must establish credibility if you must make specific requests. If you’re trying to convince a supplier to dropship even if they don’t normally dropship, state your business plans unequivocally, like “We will be launching the web on 30 May,” rather than using ambiguous cliches like “I am considering starting a business maybe shortly.”
Also, share your previous achievements, especially in sales and marketing, so that you can apply them to your new venture.
You must persuade suppliers that if you become an excellent dropshipping company and attract many clients, the hassle of fulfilling your special request will be worth it in the long run.
Make the Call: Regarding suppliers, many aspiring dropshipping entrepreneurs would prefer to pick up the phone and call. For many people, it is a daunting prospect. You will draft & submit emails on specific issues, but you will almost always have to call to get the necessary details.
The best part is that it isn’t as creepy as you would assume. Suppliers are used to people calling them, even novice entrepreneurs. You’re almost certainly going to get someone who is polite and eager to answer your questions.
Here’s the trick: write down your questions ahead of time. It’s remarkable how much easier it gets to make a call when you have a list of pre-written questions.
Many of the following attributes tend to make for the hallmarks of great dropshipping suppliers:
- Stuff boasting business expertise with industry emphasis
Top-tier suppliers employ expert sales agents who understand the industry and product lines. Therefore, it is invaluable to call a representative with questions, particularly if starting a store in an unfamiliar niche.
- Committed customer service representatives
Quality drop shippers should designate you as the person in charge of dealing with you and any issues.
We’ve had it with wholesalers who don’t assign specific individuals and despise them. Problems take even longer to resolve, so we must hound people to do so. Having a single point of contact with a supplier that can fix your issues is essential.
- Cutting-edge technology
Although many suitable suppliers have obsolete websites, working with a quality dropshipping supplier who understands and invests immensely in technology is usually a joy. A real-time inventory, a comprehensive online catalog, customizable data, and an online order history will help optimize your operations and give you a unique opportunity for online merchants.
- Accept orders via email.
Although it may seem less of an issue, calling or manually placing an order on the website takes longer. It is time-consuming and thus significantly increases order processing time.
- Ideal location
If you live in a large country like the United States, a centrally located drop shipper proves advantageous because packages can reach more than 90% of the country in 2-3 working days.
When a supplier is located on one of the coasts, it can take more than a week to ship orders across the U.S. By using a central supplier, you can guarantee faster shipping times and save money on shipping costs.
- Streamlined and efficient
Some suppliers have highly competent personnel and excellent infrastructures, resulting in efficient and error-free fulfillment. However, someone will rip your hair out every fourth order.
This is due to the difficulty in determining a supplier’s professionalism without using them on the fourth order.
Although it will not provide an overview, placing a few small test orders will give you the impression of how a supplier works. It offers you insight into the following:
- How the ordering process gets carried out
- How fast products get shipped
- How fast the supplier follows up on tracking details and an invoice
- The quality of the package work upon arrival
Before scouring for suppliers, it is imperative to differentiate between bona fide wholesalers and retailers that emulate wholesale suppliers. A genuine wholesaler buys directly from the manufacturer and usually provides a much lower price.
Best Dropshipping Suppliers in 2021
We will examine the crucial considerations to make it even simpler to choose the best dropshipping company for your particular needs:
Recommendation: Is it suitable for beginners or seasoned drop shippers?
Product types: What kind of products do they dropship?
Location & shipping option: Where is the vendor located? How long does manufacturing take after a client places an order?
For the best dropshipping suppliers, consider the following:
- Supplymedirect
- CJdropshipping
- DropnShop
- Modalyst
- CROV
- Oberlo
CJdropshipping
CJdropshipping makes for the best quick-delivery dropshipping supplier.
CJDropshipping is a marketplace where retailers can affordably expand their retail business. You can easily import products directly from the 1688 and Taobao marketplaces into your store, usually at a lower price than AliExpress.’ It is a free Shop app that you can add to your store, as well as other dropshipping apps like Oberlo.
CJdropshipping is a leading global all-in-one dropshipping solution provider that helps dropshippers worldwide achieve success in the industry by offering free sourcing, product supplies, order fulfillment, international logistics, and other dropshipping-related services.
CJDropshipping uses U.S. warehouses to process your order on the same day. The system works with USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx. It also has a CJPacket shipping line that will deliver products to the United States in seven to twelve days when delivered from China.
Their platform has more than 400,000 products and is still growing. You can also post sourcing requests for products that don’t exist on their platform; they will quickly find the products for you.
For product types, 1668 and Taobao house independent designers and small business owners of Chinese residences.
CJDropshipping offers millions of listings, ranging from mainstream to hard-to-find and even virtual products.
Of course, CJdrosphipping supports POD features and customized packaging, and it’s a good option if you are building your brand.
If a product doesn’t exist in the CJDropshipping app, you can submit a request, and CJDropshipping will list it as soon as the best source is reached.
CJDropshipping is recommended for retailers looking for a one-stop shop for everything related to dropshipping, including product sourcing, order processing, fulfillment, and fast shipping to the United States.
CJdropshipping platform is free to use, and they profit from the products and shipping costs. Sign up on CJdropshipping
Eprolo
Eprolo was founded in early 2011. Its main objective was to reduce the shipping time from 3-4 weeks to 5-15 days maximum, which has been made possible.
Eprolo’s product delivery is faster than that of any dropshipping supplier.
Eprolo has made product sourcing from Aliexpress and other marketplaces easy.
Eprolo has built trustworthy relationships with thousands of suppliers, making product sourcing from Aliexpress and other marketplaces easy and convenient.
Eprolo allows drop shippers to import products from Aliexpress to their Shopify store with one click.
The products are sourced from verified suppliers whose timely shipping is rated as trustworthy.
Recently, Eprolo introduced print-on-demand services on their site; POD is on the rise, and having your dropshipping products and services on the same platform as a print-on-demand business makes Eprolo outweigh your ordinary dropshipping supplier.
Do you want to join a Forever Free Dropshipping Platform? Click the below button to join over 100,000 Dropshippers enjoying quick product delivery and high-quality products by Eprolo.
DropnShop
DropnShop ranks as the best French product dropship supplier. DropnShop is a Shopify dropshipping app that sells French products online.
Because of its relationships with thousands of manufacturers, the company offers to lead the French company’s inventories. It seeks ecosystem trade partners to diversify its product catalog and expand its business. There is a free plan.
DropnShop works with various vendors to ensure fair shipping worldwide. The app’s product details page has delivery information for each product.
DropnShop provides a viable option for product categories if you want to sell your finest French beauty products.
The supplier also offers thousands of SKUs made in France, including children’s toys, hair, and skincare products.
DropnShop best works for eCommerce retailers that want to add French products to their catalog.
Modalyst
Modalyst is the best high-ticket drop shipping supplier for U.S. apparel. It is a dropshipping app that automates online store functions.
It has become well-known for stocking products from famous brands such as Calvin Klein, DSquare, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. Modalyst curates a list of independent and trendy brands for each target demographic.
Because of its official API relationship, the platform provides AliExpress Dropshipping, giving you access to thousands of products to add to your store by clicking on the Google Chrome extension.
Regarding shipping options, Modalyst has its own U.S. suppliers and brand market from where it can freely ship domestic orders every 6 to 8 days.
Dropship dealers from the United Kingdom and Australia are also available. Businesses will ship to more than 80 countries worldwide, except for South America and Africa.
Regarding product types, Modalyst specializes in luxury items, focusing on trendy brands. It is also a member of the AliExpress booster program, which gives driving enthusiasts access to an infinite product catalog.
Modalyst works best for Shopify users who want to add unique products to their stores. The Modalyst Private Label Program also lets you sell your products with your branding.
You can use Modalist’s premium brands and suppliers when you opt into the Pro plan.
SupplyMeDirect
Supplymedirect is the best U.S., U.K., and European private label dropshipping provider.
SupplyMeDirect is a wholesale provider that supports your business scale.
The app provides private labeling and reliable supplies for selling and profiting from branded products. It’s a free Shopify app you can contact 24/7, backed by a dedicated support team.
SupplyMeDirect is distinctive because almost 60% of its inventory is in warehouses in the US, Canada, the U.K., and Europe.
With an average delivery time of four to seven days, shipment is quick and reliable.
The products range from clothing to kitchens, toys, accessories, etc.
Supplymedirect is recommended for drop shippers who plan to sell worldwide and want speedy shipping.
CROV
CROV cuts as the best dropshipping supplier for multi-channel sellers. CROV is another free Shopify app that links a diverse range of products from a pre-approved list of suppliers in the United States. You can use CROV to add items to your store and automate orders.
CROV provides freight to 42 countries.
The sellers determine the prices, and their delivery methods are listed in the directory on each product detail page.
CROV has a warehouse in the United States that delivers domestic orders faster.
CROV has over 35,000 products from carefully chosen suppliers in over 20 trend categories in terms of product categories.
CROV works best for eCommerce vendors who want to sell unique goods on Shopify, Amazon, and eBay.
Oberlo
To date, Oberlo is Shopify’s best free dropshipping supplier directory. It is a dropshipping platform that makes finding products on AliExpress to sell in your Shopify store simple.
The website offers over 30,000 of the best dropshipping products from suppliers worldwide in over 60 niche categories.
Oberlo provides a free monthly subscription with a base paid plan starting at $29.99.
Oberlo connects you with suppliers in various locations worldwide for shipping options. Each offers a variety of shipping options for delivering products to your customers.
The Oberlo app displays suppliers’ shipping methods on each product page.
Oberlo’s favored methods of shipping include:
- China Post: China Post offers the cost of shipping free/inexpensive. It will take 20–50 days to deliver.
- ePacket: ePacket cost of shipping comes as accessible/affordable. It may take 15–30 days to deliver.
- FedEx/UPS/DHL: Express shipping costs. Delivery could take 5-15 days.
- AliExpress Shipping: Shipping costs at an affordable price. It will take up to 15 days for delivery.
Suppliers may have storage facilities on different sites, which imposes time and cost that vary according to the countries you want to target.
Oberlo gives antique products, bracelets, car parts, sunglasses, wedding items, furnishings, and more available for product types.
Oberlo works best for both beginner and seasoned drop shippers.
Best Dropshipping Companies
- Wholesale Central
- Worldwide Brands
- AliExpress
- Alibaba
- SaleHoo
- CDS
- Doba
Wholesale Central
Wholesale Central is the best free dropshipping directory. Compared to many other directories, searches for Wholesale Central suppliers are free because suppliers are listed for a fee and feature ads on their website. Wholesale Central also asserts that all suppliers have been assessed and screened to ensure their legitimacy and integrity.
For locations & shipping info, the U.S. service providers’ shipping gets determined by your provider. delivery details
Wholesale Central offers access to over 1,400 dropshipping suppliers dealing in 700,000+ products when it comes to product categories.
Recommendation: It’s challenging to contend with free, and browsing listings at Wholesale Central poses no threat, though you might have to be a little more biased.
Several of the suppliers we discovered were dealers that sold to the public at “wholesale” prices rather than actual wholesale prices.
So, while we are confident that good wholesale opportunities are listed, you should be more cautious.
Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands is a directory of the best wholesale dropshipping suppliers. Founded in 1999, It is one of the oldest and most prominent supplier directories.
It advertises it only partners with suppliers who comply with standards to ensure legal and high-quality wholesalers.
We used the directory in the past to locate legitimate wholesalers and explore niche ideas.
Worldwide Brands provides retailers with place and distribution services, including delivery options. Since the company is a supplier directory, shipping costs, and locations are determined by the supplier you find on the website.
While this directory lacks some suppliers in the product categories, it does include many legit wholesalers.
More than 16 million wholesale products have been licensed in niches such as pet supplies, gems and watches, consumer goods, home decoration, apparel, etc.
The directory is best if you want lifetime access, and while Worldwide Brands has a higher one-off payment, it is a safe choice.
AliExpress
AliExpress is China’s best dropshipping company. AliExpress is a marketplace for wholesale and retail services that connects eCommerce stores with suppliers and products.
Most AliExpress merchants are based in China, and their products originate in the country. However, the site is accessible to the public worldwide.
For shipping information and location aspects, AliExpress ships to 254 countries worldwide. Standard shipping packages arrive in 15 to 45 working days.
When you pay for expedited shipping, the approximate delivery time ranges from seven to fifteen working days.
In product categories, AliExpress offers over 100 million items in clothing, toys, appliances, hair and cosmetics, jewelry, furnishings, and even cars and motorcycles.
AliExpress is recommended for beginners and veterans to find trending products, study the market, create deals with suppliers, and order wholesale.
Alibaba
Alibaba is the best B2B wholesale dropshipping company. It is a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace that connects buyers and sellers.
The platform caters to wholesalers rather than single vendors and allows direct transactions with manufacturers. Suppliers will fulfill orders for your dropshipping company and supply bulk products.
Locations and shipping details: Dropshipping from Alibaba will take some time, depending on where you live. Expect delivery times of up to six weeks. You can ship by freight or air; however, you should do your research and prepare accordingly.
Alibaba has over 2.8 million supplier online storefronts and over 5,900 product categories. Alibaba best works for advanced drop shippers who prefer private label production and want to buy in bulk at the distribution level to resell consumer products.
Salehoo
Salehoo is an ideal supplier directory for Amazon drop shipping. The directory lists over 8,000 bulk-purchase and dropshipping suppliers and appeals mainly to eBay and Amazon merchants.
While you may have never used SaleHoo to source goods, its $67 annual fee is one of the best value-for-money among supplier directories, and it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Regarding locations & shipping info, SaleHoo serves the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia markets.
For product forms, AliExpress is Salehoo’s inventory supplier. You can find pre-screened suppliers from various trending and lucrative niches and import products directly to your Shopify store
DOBA
Doba is eBay’s best dropshipping supplier directory. Rather than simply listing suppliers, Doba integrates with drop shippers, thus the limited number of suppliers(165). Its unified GUI enables you to place orders with multiple warehouses.
A Push-to-Marketplace tool also includes membership, which automates the process of listing products on eBay.
Doba’s centralized system is more convenient than the other directories, which explains the considerably higher monthly fee of $60.
Doba’s interface can be worth the cost if you prioritize convenience and find the desired products among their suppliers.
For locations and shipping info, Doba Ships globally, and rates are decided by individual suppliers and the prices you set. Regarding product categories, there are over two million products with fair profit margins.
If you can find reliable suppliers and are willing to deal directly with them, you can save about $700 a year.
Doba could be the way to go if there are just a few leading suppliers in your niche. It would reduce the number of parties you have to coordinate with.
Spotting Fake Dropshipping Companies
You’ll probably land a slew of “verified” wholesalers based on where you look. Unfortunately, valid wholesalers are notoriously bad at marketing and can prove difficult to locate.
As a result, “fake” wholesalers—usually middlemen—pop up more frequently in your searches, so proceed with caution.
The dropshipping hacks below will help you decide whether a wholesale supplier is legit.
They Charge Recurring Fees
Authentic wholesalers do not charge customers a monthly fee for doing business with or ordering from them.
A supplier’s monthly membership or service charge request must be validated.
In this context, it’s important to distinguish between suppliers and supplier directories. Supplier directories are lists of wholesale suppliers grouped by product categories or sectors, screened to guarantee the suppliers’ legitimacy.
Most directories can charge a fee, either one-time or on an ongoing basis, but this should not be interpreted as an indication that the directory is fraudulent.
They sell to the general public.
You must apply for a wholesale account, demonstrate your credibility as a company, and get approval before placing your first order. This is how you get genuine wholesale pricing.
Any wholesale seller that sells items to the general public at “wholesale” prices is nothing more than a retailer selling items at inflated prices.
However, the following are some legit dropshipping fees that you will almost certainly encounter:
Minimum Order Threshold: Some wholesalers have a minimum initial order size, the smallest amount you need to buy on your first order.
The minimum order threshold seeks to weed out window-shopping merchants who will waste time with inquiries and small orders that will not result in real business.
The minimum order can cause problems if you are dropshipping. What do you do, for example, if a supplier has a $1000 minimum order, but your average order size makes about $200?
To open a dropshipping account, avoid pre-orders of $1000 worth of merchandise.
In this case, it’s best to agree to pay the supplier $1000 in advance to create credit with them for future dropshipping orders.
This way, you fulfill the supplier’s minimum purchasing requirement because you commit to buy at least $1000 worth of product without having to place a single large order with no corresponding customer orders.
Per-Order Fees: Many dropshippers charge a per-order dropshipping fee, which can vary from $2 to $5 or more depending on the products’ size and complexity in question.
It’s the industry norm since the costs of packaging and delivering individual orders are considerably higher than shipping a bulk order.
Working With Dropshipping Wholesalers
Up to this point, you can tell apart a fake from a legitimate source. Now, it’s time to start looking for suppliers!
You may employ various techniques, some more effective than others. This section lists the methods in efficacy and preference, with the most effective method ranking first.
Make contact with the manufacturer.
Contacting the manufacturer is the primary approach to quickly finding reputable wholesale suppliers.
If you already know what product(s) you wish to dropship, contact the manufacturer and request a list of wholesale distributors. You then contact the wholesalers, see if they dropship, and set up an account.
Many wholesalers carry products from various manufacturers, so this strategy will help you quickly source a diversified product catalog within your niche.
After a few calls to the leading manufacturers in a niche, you should easily land the lead wholesalers in that segment.
Make use of Oberlo.
Oberlo lets you conveniently import products from suppliers directly into your Shopify store and ship directly to your customers—all in a few clicks.
Features include:
- Import items from suppliers
- Automatically fill orders
- Automatic changes to inventory and pricing
- Personalization of products
- Automation of pricing
Google Search
It might seem simple to use Google to find high-quality suppliers, but there are a few guidelines to heed:
Do a Thorough Search: Wholesalers dislike marketing and promotion and will almost certainly not appear at the top of search results for “wholesale suppliers for product XYZ,” for example.
It means you’ll have to sift through many search results—possibly hundreds—to find the wholesaler’s website, which ranks way down at #70.
Please don’t base your opinion on their website: Don’t make assumptions based on their website. Wholesalers are also infamous for having dated websites from the 1990s.
So, while a good website may sometimes mean a quality supplier, many legit wholesalers have facepalm home pages. Don’t be put off by the cringe-worthy design aesthetic.
Employ a bevy of keyword modifiers: Allow full use of keyword modifiers. And since wholesalers invest less in SEO to ensure that you land their websites, you must play with different search words. Don’t limit yourself to “ wholesaler.” Tinker around with modifiers like “distributor,” “reseller,” “bulk,” “warehouse,” and “supplier.”
Order from the competition
You can still buy from the competition if you need help locating a supplier. Find a rival that you figure will dropship and place an order with them.
When you receive the package, look up the return address (Google) to determine the original shipper. In some instances, you can reach the supplier.
This old trick—that’s right, order-from-the-competition—can be helpful.
If you have yet to find a supplier using the other methods mentioned above, there may be a good reason (for example, the competition is too small, there needs to be more demand to warrant a supplier, etc.).
So keep this strategy in mind, but rely on it sparingly as a silver bullet.
Attend a trade fair.
A trade fair lets you network with all the top manufacturers and wholesalers in a niche. It’s an excellent way to make contacts while researching the products and suppliers in one place. And trade fairs will only work for some.
It will only work if you decide on a niche or product. However, if you have the time and money to attend a trade fair, it is a perfect way to connect with the manufacturers and suppliers in a niche market.
How To Pay Dropshipping Suppliers And Companies
The overwhelming majority of suppliers accept two methods of payment:
- Net terms
- Credit cards
Credit Card
Most suppliers will need credit card payment when you first start. Paying with credit cards is always the best choice once you’ve developed a profitable company.
Credit cards provide ease because there is no need to write checks regularly. They also allow you to accumulate many reward points/frequent flier miles.
Since you’re ordering a product for a consumer who has already paid for it on your website, you can use your credit card to make many transactions without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses.
Net Terms
The other typical form of supplier payment involves “net terms” on invoices.
This means you have a certain number of days to pay the supplier for your ordered products.
So, if you have, let’s say, “net 40” terms, you have 40 days from the date of purchase to pay your supplier (via check or bank draw) for the products you purchased.
So, a supplier is technically lending you money.
They typically require that you provide credit references before making a net payment.
It’s standard procedure, so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to provide evidence while paying on net terms.
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The Dropshipping Supplier’s FAQs
In 2021, who are the best dropshipping suppliers?
This article lists some of the best dropshipping suppliers. Wholesale Central, Worldwide Brands, AliExpress, Alibaba, SaleHoo, CDS, and Doba are among the most influential suppliers.
What’s the best way to locate dropshipping suppliers?
Dropshipping suppliers can be found on a screened directory like Oberlo, through reviews from friends, or by looking at the suppliers for products from brands you trust. This blog (link) post also offers a plethora of excellent options.
Is dropshipping still a viable business in 2021?
Dropshipping remains a viable business prospect in 2021. It’s a sustainable, lucrative business model because you don’t have to spend in inventory or incur holding expenses.
What is the best platform for dropshipping?
Shopify and Oberlo integrate to create a streamlined dropshipping setup. Oberlo lets you find suppliers and sell their products on your branded Shopify platform. You make the sales, and your dropshipping supplier does all else. Easy.
A final thought on Dropshipping Suppliers
Whether you’re a newbie eCommerce business owner or a seasoned drop shipper, a solid grasp of your dropshipping supplier options enables you to source high-quality items at a low cost and improve your profit margins.
Dropshipping online and quickly delivering products to your customers is no longer a problem due to the growth of global online sales and shipping efficiencies.
Using this dropshipping guide to boost your online business and achieve financial independence, you can live the life you’ve always sought while making money.