How To Sell Wholesale on Amazon: Details Every Seller Needs To Know

Amazon Seller Account Optimization

Last updated on June 23rd, 2023

Written by Mohamed Aden

The popularity of ecommerce and the continued rise of the Amazon marketplace has brought many opportunities for businesses worldwide. One of these is the growing trend of bulk selling, making many business owners wonder how to sell wholesale on Amazon.

Since Amazon sales continue to follow an ascending trend, the wholesale business has also become a profitable opportunity. It paves a way for sellers to get the most out of the ecommerce world. However, becoming a successful Amazon wholesale seller does not simply happen overnight.

Do you wonder how Amazon's wholesale business works? Read on, and you'll learn the intricate procedures inside.

How a Wholesale Business Works on Amazon

To begin, sellers must first have a general idea about wholesaling. Wholesaling is the process of directly purchasing bulk products from a manufacturer or a company to get a discounted retail price. 

If you are just about to sell wholesale on Amazon or are simply looking for new ways to earn more, here's how the wholesale model works on Amazon.

  1. Start with setting up your seller account.
  2. Search for products that are in high demand.
  3. Source the product directly from its manufacturer.
  4. Create an optimized listing to rank against your competitors.
  5. Launch and promote the product.
  6. Manage and grow your business.

Wholesale Business License

An Amazon wholesale business license is the same as the regular business license you need to sell offline and online. Check the requirements in your locality, but generally offices just look for a valid tax ID and a business bank account registered in the company's name. Once approved, businesses can purchase products in bulk and begin selling in the Amazon marketplace, giving them the ability to resell the items at a profit.

Via Amazon wholesale, businesses can take advantage of Amazon's competitive pricing and fast shipping times. Amazon also offers tools and resources to help businesses manage their inventory, track their sales, and optimize their pricing strategies. Selling on Amazon wholesale is a great way for small businesses to grow their operations without the expense of hiring employees or investing in new infrastructure.

Inventory Management and Fulfillment

You still need to have inventory and think of order fulfillment when selling wholesale on Amazon. You'll face two options: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). These two programs are vital when you start your business on Amazon and start fulfilling orders.

Choosing Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) means you ship your bulk purchases directly to Amazon's fulfillment centers. Then, they will be in charge of storing and safekeeping the products. It's a lot more convenient, especially if you run a small business, because Amazon will process the storing, packing, and shipping on your behalf. This makes the fees for Amazon FBA wholesale suppliers lower than shipping the items to your customers yourself.

On the other hand, Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is when sellers handle storage, pick-ups, and packaging. Sellers also manage the shipping process, so your customers get their orders on time. This is the way to go if you want to take control of your inventory, costs, and branding. Additionally, FBM can help sellers avoid long-term storage fees and can expedite the fulfillment process for customers.

But for small businesses, FBA is still the better option because it offers reliable, fast, and efficient services without the hassle of personally doing everything. As a bonus, FBA means that your products will be eligible for free shipping and other benefits that help boost sales.

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4 Benefits of Selling Wholesale on Amazon

Now that you know the essential details about wholesale selling on Amazon, it's time to talk about the benefits of the business model. If you are still deciding if wholesale selling is for you, these benefits can give you a push. But, if you've already begun following a wholesale business model, you can expect to reap these benefits.

Product Demand 

One of the benefits of an Amazon wholesale business is the potential for high product demand. Amazon is the largest online selling platform worldwide, making it perfect for shoppers looking for convenience in purchasing the products they need. With wholesale selling, businesses can tap into this demand by providing a large volume of products at competitive prices.

Additionally, Amazon's search algorithms can help boost a product's visibility and increase its sales potential. This can lead to increased profitability and business growth, as well as the potential to expand into new markets.

Profitability 

The Amazon wholesale business is a good way to get your business up and running. Compared with private labels, you do not need to do a lot of work with product research and development. Products come to you ready-made, which saves time, allowing you to focus on other essential tasks in your business operations.

One of the key benefits of selling wholesale on Amazon is the potential for increased profitability. By purchasing items in bulk at a discounted price, wholesalers can often achieve higher profit margins than they would with individual pieces.

Additionally, Amazon's vast customer base and efficient shipping and fulfillment processes can help wholesalers scale their businesses and increase sales volume. With Amazon's competitive fee structure and access to tools such as Amazon Business, wholesalers can take advantage of lower costs and streamlined operations to increase profitability.

Efficiency in Inventory 

Efficiency in inventory management is a significant benefit of selling wholesale on Amazon. With Amazon's advanced inventory management system, sellers can easily keep track of their inventory levels, prevent being out of stock, and avoid overstocking.

By utilizing FBA, sellers can also reduce their fulfillment times and expenses, as Amazon takes care of storing, packing, and shipping the products. FBA allows for quicker turnaround times, which means more sales can be made, and businesses can thrive.

Time-Friendly 

FBA and wholesale selling are a match made in heaven, as Amazon will take care of storing and shipping all your products to customers. With an extensive customer base on Amazon, you have the opportunity to tap into a vast market without worrying about the logistics of shipping.

Your operations will be streamlined from production to fulfillment. As a seller, you can now efficiently manage your time. You can now focus on product research and development, finding the best wholesale suppliers, marketing, customer service, and even developing your own products without worrying about the hassle of managing inventory.

a man rubbing his head looking problematic and a mini shopping cart

3 Challenges You Will Face When Selling Wholesale on Amazon

Along with the benefits of wholesaling, you also need to be wary about the challenges. Knowing the hurdles you will face ahead of time will allow you to prepare in case you encounter them. You will also be able to proactively shy away from them by creating foolproof wholesale business models. Let's explore these challenges.

Product Research and Development

One of the biggest challenges faced by Amazon wholesale sellers is product research and development. You can rarely change or develop what your wholesale supplier is providing. There are also so many private label sellers and wholesale sellers on the platform making it difficult to stand out from the competition. As a result, it becomes even more difficult to offer unique wholesale products that customers will want to buy.

To stand out requires a thorough understanding of your target market and their needs, as well as extensive research into the latest trends and innovations when it comes to wholesale goods. Additionally, developing new products requires careful planning, testing, and investment, which can be a daunting task for small- and medium-sized wholesalers.

However, staying up-to-date on market trends and investing in product development are still worth it. Through these, sellers can differentiate themselves from competitors and attract loyal customers on Amazon.

Competition Among Other Sellers

Competition among Amazon wholesale sellers is another big challenge you'll face. The competition is not limited to your fellow wholesale sellers but also with established brands, private label products, and branded products.

With a large number of Amazon sellers selling products that are almost identical, it can be challenging to stand out in the market. But with a solid wholesale strategy, nothing is impossible.

Here are some tips for your Amazon wholesale business to succeed and differentiate itself from the competition:

  • Sell wholesale products that are of high-quality.
  • Provide excellent customer service.
  • Have competitive pricing and offers.
  • Track market trends and make timely adjustments.
  • Invest in marketing and advertising to reach your target audience.

Up-Front Wholesale Cost

As a wholesale seller, you need to invest a substantial amount of capital to purchase products in bulk from wholesale suppliers or manufacturers before you can list them for sale on the platform. The upfront cost can be a hurdle for small or new businesses with limited financial resources.

It requires careful planning of a wholesale strategy and financial management to ensure that the investment aligns with the anticipated demand and sales volume. Overcoming this challenge and sustaining a successful wholesale business on Amazon involves conducting thorough market research, analyzing profit margins, and establishing effective cash flow management strategies.

a man talking on a mobile phone surrounded by boxes of product supplies

3 Tips on How to Sell Wholesale On Amazon

You are now armed with benefits and challenges knowledge when selling wholesale on Amazon. At this point, we are going to answer the lingering question of how to sell wholesale on Amazon. Having a wholesale business is complicated, but take note of these tips to make the journey easier.

Tip#1: Sell Products Customers Will Patronize

The entire wholesaling business is about riding on the success of other wholesale products and/or established brands' products. With this, resell existing branded products and wholesale products with high-demand among Amazon customers. 

Research for wholesale products with minimum order quantities that are on par or beyond your sales goals per day. Ensure that there's sufficient customer demand, and establish reasonable pricing to earn profits. Find wholesale suppliers that are legitimate to ensure your operations are smooth because you will be replenishing your inventory as needed.

Tip #2: Calculate Your Estimated Profit

It's best to evaluate the online sales and profitability of the wholesale products you're planning to sell before ordering from a supplier and officially launching online.

  • Make sure that the item you want is within 2% of the Buy Box price. You'll find the widget on the right side of the Amazon product page where prices are listed. Next to it is a golden button that says “Add to Cart”.
  • Utilize Amazon's FBA calculator to know the product's fees. You need to enter the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) of the product into the calculator, enter the data, and review it.
  • Determine your profitability by deducting Amazon's fees and the product cost from the sales price.
  • Know your product's monthly sales estimate using a free Sales Estimator tool.
  • Understand your turnover rate. You can avoid high Amazon storage costs by only stocking at least 2–3 months' worth of sales.

Tip #3: Look For Guaranteed Suppliers

Now that you have a product idea, find a legal business entity to be your wholesale supplier. Keep in mind that you're wholesaling their products, so you are offering to promote their brand and increase their sales too.

Getting private label products that aren't on Amazon yet is an opportunity for your business because you're helping the suppliers gain more customers on a different platform. Since these suppliers are big companies that sell branded products with patents, global marketing standards, and more, you add value to their brand. 

Sell Wholesale With Seller Interactive

It's normal to get confused and feel overwhelmed with all the information mentioned above, especially if you're just starting with wholesale on Amazon. Sure, you'll face a number of challenges, but that's perfectly fine. That's how you grow not only as a seller, but even as a person. If you're finally ready to start selling wholesale on Amazon, get the help of Amazon specialists at Seller Interactive to streamline your wholesaling business. 

Leave the worries to us. We'll handle everything, from storage and fulfillment, to logistics. We'll manage your Amazon wholesale account or act as a wholesale partner while planning and executing the best marketing strategies to help boost your business. 

Do you want to know more? Contact us now.

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