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Trading has been a huge part of any country’s economy since the early 18th century. From people haggling in the depths of city markets to large cargos being traveled across the seas from the harbor to harbor. Much like then, you’ll be trading goods for profit but in a much more modernized manner.
If you have a great product and thinking of getting into the trading game, then there are two main ways. One is that you become a retailer and the other is becoming a wholesaler. For an average guy these might sound similar, but trust me, they have their own benefits and pitfalls that you should consider before jumping into one.
Behind Every Great Retailer, There’s A Reliable Wholesaler
As, you already know that manufacturers are the ones that produce the products and retailers sell your products. But in between, there is a key entity that plays a major role in moving the products from manufacturers to the market. This entity is known as a wholesale distributor, who buys the products from the manufacturers or other sources, and then moves it from their warehouses to companies. Those companies then either resell the product to customers or simply use it for themselves.
As a wholesaler, you’ll be running an independently owned firm that will buy and sell products that are within your ownership. These operations mostly run from one or more warehouses where inventory is stored and shipped to retailers.
Going the wholesaler route, you’ll mostly be making business-business relationships and selling your goods in bulk at a profit. Your main source of goods acquisition will be the manufacturing companies directly which is great from both, reliability and cost-saving perspectives. You’ll mostly be selling the goods to retailers who will further deal with the general public. In layman terms, you’ll be the middleman who will control the flow of the goods.
Why Wholesale Might Be the Right Choice for You!
If you are thinking of becoming a wholesaler, here are some benefits to solidify your decision.
- Global Outreach
When you’ll be selling goods as a wholesaler, you won’t be bound to a single market and it gets much easier to expand globally.
- Drop-Shipping
As a wholesaler, you’ll be able to use drop-shipping to let other merchants sell the products that you hold within your inventory. The order comes directly to you and you dispatch the required products directly to customers.
With a proper drop-shipping system in place, you’ll be able to differentiate between drop-ship orders and others. This helps establish a simple reporting and inventory management system that will help you and your team process and ship the orders according to your drop-shipping workflows.
- You Are the Face of Your Products
Since your products are not limited to a single shop or country, it helps build great brand awareness. Customers can view, use, and appreciate your products irrespective of the place they purchase it from.
Retailers: Customer’s First Line of Purchase
After the product’s manufacturing, it flows through the wholesaler’s channel and lands in the grasp of retailers.
A retailer is simply a person or the business establishment that the general public purchases their goods from. They typically acquire the goods from wholesalers or manufacturers in bulk and sell them to consumers in small quantities for profit.
Why Retail Might Be the Right Choice for You!
If you are thinking of becoming a retailer, then these might help you set your mind to it.
- Connection to Consumers
Dealing regularly with customers allows you to form a personal connection with them. You’ll get to know the general buying habits and preferences during a specific time of customers. This can help you identify the top-selling products vs the products which simply hogg all your resources with no return.
- Control Brand Identity
You, as a retailer, are responsible for the quality of the product to be consistent like advertised. The way a product is represented and its marketing is completely handled by you. It ensures the message that is being put out there is authentic and your brand identity is not damaged by false advertising.
- Set Pricing & Profits
In the process of devising a pricing strategy, you are in control of the price and profit ratio of each product line-up. All the profit you make out of products will remain with you. This can also help you gain insight into products making the best margins possible and make changes as needed for improvement.
Conclusion
When we talk about retailers and wholesalers, they both are two sides of the same coin. Both parties ensure that only the best quality product is delivered to their respective customers. Each side has its differences which can be considered benefits for some. You should carefully go through each aspect of both and select the one that sounds the best for you. Best of luck!
