You can make money by adopting a variety of ways, but nothing beats e-commerce, specifically dropshipping. In today’s internet landscape, numerous dropship companies are making big dollars with little work. How? Here’s all you need to know about dropshipping firms and dropshipping suppliers so you can get started with dropshipping right away.
What is Dropshipping?
The dropshipping business model is a supply chain management model in which internet retailers sell various products without having to manage their own inventory. They offer things as their own – that they obtain from numerous suppliers – on their dropshipping sites and earn substantial commissions on arbitrage.
What is a Dropshipping Supplier?
A dropshipping supplier is a third-party company that ships products to customers on behalf of a retailer without being involved in the sales process. The dropshipping provider focuses on product stocking and shipping, and only ships a product if a retailer pays for it – after a customer places an order at its online shop.
Between international suppliers and clients, dropshipping businesses serve as a link. When a consumer places an order and pays for the desired product, drop ship firms offer the order information to suppliers, who then ship the product directly from their warehouse to the customer.
The Best Dropshipping Suppliers in the USA
There are numerous services and marketplaces that assist you in finding fantastic suppliers to fit your business. Continue reading to discover some of the best dropshipping suppliers.
#1. AliExpress
AliExpress is an online marketplace owned by the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. It has millions of products and is often the dropship supplier of choice for many drop shippers. Unlike many suppliers on Alibaba’s wholesale services, AliExpress allows you to order single units of items. This eliminates the need for specific inventory to be stored off-site, allowing you to ship directly to clients.
Pros
- Join up for free and browse millions of products at inexpensive prices.
- Purchase immediately through the website without speaking with any suppliers (a benefit if there is a language barrier).
- AliExpress also handles all shipment tracking and notifications.
- Provides dependable order fulfillment automation technologies for popular e-commerce platforms such as Adobe Commerce.
Cons
The bulk of AliExpress suppliers is located in China. While this means lower rates and often global shipping possibilities, it can be slow to bring products directly to clients in nations like the United States. The ePacket option makes this affordable, but customers frequently have to wait weeks for things to arrive.
#2. SaleHoo
SaleHoo is a wholesale and dropshipping directory. The company is based in New Zealand and is one of the largest international databases of buyers and suppliers.
Pros
- This a terrific approach for buyers to find different types of suppliers from around the world for both dropshipping and traditional wholesale.
- The $67 yearly subscription fee is also fairly inexpensive in comparison to the competition.
Cons
SaleHoo does not accept retail orders, unlike other sites such as AliExpress. The approach is more formal and needs direct engagement with the suppliers. As a result, you’ll need to cultivate partnerships and establish communication channels with other businesses.
#3. Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands maintains a directory of recognized drop shippers, wholesalers (both large and small volume), and importers. The company is situated in Florida and has been screening suppliers for over 20 years.
Pros
- Worldwide Brands offers a straightforward approach to locating vetted suppliers.
- Offers training material focused on selecting the correct supplier and establishing online enterprises.
- For US-based vendors, its Florida location may allow for more hands-on client care.
Cons
Because Worldwide Brands is basically a directory, you will still need to establish your own partnerships and payment mechanisms with suppliers. It also has a one-time lifetime subscription charge of $299, making it more difficult to test out the service to see if it’s a suitable fit.
#4. Megagoods
Megagoods is a distributor of consumer electronics. Unlike other services, the California-based company owns and warehouses its own merchandise, allowing for speedy distribution throughout the United States.
Pros
- Because the warehousing and fulfillment processes are fully domestic, this is ideal for drop shippers selling electronics to customers in the United States.
- You do not need to be concerned about international shipping times.
- Pretty reasonable at $14.99 per month.
Cons
Megagoods is specialized in consumer electronics, hence its product range is more limited than the larger wholesale directories and marketplaces.
#5. Doba
Doba offers a simple platform for finding dropshipping suppliers, purchasing and tracking products, and managing inventory. The company is situated in the United States and offers live customer assistance, which might be beneficial for brands that plan to provide their own customer service.
Pros
- Manage all operations and order to provide an end-to-end solution.
- Integrates seamlessly with e-commerce systems and marketplaces, making it easy to get started selling things.
Cons
Directly contacting suppliers to establish a working relationship might be challenging. This can cause a number of problems for huge companies that may have specific requirements for their suppliers. Service tiers can also be costly, ranging from $29 to $249 per month.
#6. Wholesale Central
Wholesale Central is a wholesale and dropshipping supplier directory. It is based in the United States and has over 25 years of expertise linking buyers and suppliers all over the world.
Pros
- Has suppliers from all around the world.
- The platform is simple to use and explore.
- Buyers can use it for free.
Cons
Because Wholesale Central is largely an internet listing, all interactions, discussions, and purchasing must be handled directly with the supplier. Additionally, the majority of its suppliers provide traditional bulk wholesale and do not dropship, thus finding a suitable dropshipping partner will require some further research.
#7. Wholesale2B
Wholesale2B is an end-to-end dropshipping solution that allows customers to research products, integrate them with their e-commerce platform, and manage both the purchasing and shipping operations. Located in the United States, Wholesale2B is trying to automate the dropshipping process so that no communication with suppliers or other logistics providers is required.
Pros
- A quick, automated approach to begin dropshipping various products from suppliers all over the world.
- The service is completely free to use.
- Many integrations with e-commerce systems and digital marketplaces are available.
Cons
While surfing Wholesale2B is free, it requires individual monthly memberships for every service you want to buy. For example, if you wish to dropship on numerous distinct platforms, you will pay separately for each of them. It also includes a restricted number of customer care channels that are only open during business hours.
#8. Sunrise Wholesale
Sunrise Wholesale is a dropshipping business that offers 15,000 to 30,000 products in a variety of categories to buyers in the United States and Canada. The Los Angeles-based company has been in business for approximately 20 years and has several interfaces with e-commerce systems.
Pros
- Simple to send to consumers in the United States and Canada. Unlike most international suppliers, it manages its inventory such that it can ship within a week.
- Integrates with e-commerce platforms to make selling things simple.
Cons
Sunrise Wholesale has a somewhat restricted product assortment, which typically ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 products — compared to the millions available on other dropshipping platforms. It also requires a monthly subscription charge of $49.
#9. Inventory Source
Inventory Source provides dropshipping automation software that allows customers to sync products from numerous supplier networks, place orders, and track inventory. Located in the US, Inventory Source focuses on giving a versatile platform for managing the dropshipping process from start to finish.
Pros
- Connect to not just its own supplier network, but also create and manage your own suppliers.
- You are not limited to its handpicked listings.
- Extend operations over time without changing software providers.
Cons
While Inventory Source offers a huge directory of suppliers and items, it costs extra for all provider sellers select.
#10. National Dropshippers
Nationwide Dropshippers is a straightforward service that collaborates with manufacturers and distributors around the United States to drop ship their items. The service, which is based in New Hampshire, provides quick delivery and customizable membership levels.
Pros
- Offers speedy shipping in the US by collaborating with local suppliers.
- Before registering, sellers can look over their catalog.
- Boasts customizable membership plans to match your operating needs at reasonable costs.
Cons
Nationwide drop shippers only offer a few thousand things to sell. It also only allows you to export a limited number of product sets to your e-commerce platforms, so continuing maintenance is more tedious than with other dropshipping services.
Read Also: Best Dropshipping Websites In 2023
List of Reliable Dropshipping Suppliers Based on Niches
#1. Women’s Clothes and Accessories
Women’s clothing and accessories have taken center stage in 2022, with unrivaled upside potential. There are numerous dropshipping suppliers who provide a wide range of women’s apparel and accessories, including:
- A4 Apparel
- B & F System, Inc.
- Printful
#2 Media and Electronics
The revenue generated by this segment in the United States alone topped $500 billion in 2021. If you want to work with suppliers of electronics and media products, below are the top dropshipping suppliers in this category.
Their diverse tech products will enable you to provide your customers with trendy technological equipment.
- China Vasion
- ASI Partner
- Mega Goods
- BangGood
- MA Labs
Tech goods gain popularity quickly. With these suppliers, you may find popular and best-selling products and scale your business profitably. Tech gadgets have a high-profit margin and are in high demand. Float your boat by selling popular products and generating consistent revenue streams through several internet storefronts.
#3. Household and Garden
Home and Garden items have also been a rising star in the dropshipping category. The market is expected to increase by more than $100 billion by 2022, making it a perfect moment to enter the business.
Here are some of the most active dropshipping suppliers in the home and garden industry:
- VidaXL
- Wholesale Central
- Avasam
#4. Appliances and Furniture
Although it may not appear to be a viable specialty, the furniture and appliances niche earned $362,904 million in revenue by 2022. One cannot ignore such figures. In addition, the profit margin in this area might be fairly high. If you want to sell such items, you should look at the top dropshipping suppliers in the “Furniture and Appliances” category.
- Artisan Furniture
- Wholesale Interiors
- ModMade
- VIG Furnishings
- ModLoft
The names mentioned above are some of the most well-known furniture retailers. They may assist your customers to decorate their houses with ease using the latest styles and high-quality materials.
#5. Personal Care
Women enjoy purchasing beauty goods online. This segment generated about US$35,088 million in revenue in 2021, indicating an increased need for personal care items. There are various suppliers working in this field. These are a few top dropshipping suppliers in the “Personal Care” category that are worth considering.
- Beauty Joint
- Born Pretty
- Pure Source
- Emerson Ecologics
- FragranceNet
They offer a huge number of beauty and cosmetic items. Ladies can employ an array of quality items when it comes to their personal care. They provide everything you may need, from nail polish to makeup.
How to Spot Fake Dropshipping Suppliers
Depending on where you go, you’ll likely come across a slew of “fake” product suppliers for dropshipping. Here are some dropshipping techniques to assist you to determine the legitimacy of a wholesale provider.
#1. They demand ongoing fees.
Genuine wholesalers don’t charge their consumers a monthly fee for vendor dropshipping and the pleasure of conducting business and ordering from them. If a supplier asks for a monthly membership or service fee, it’s likely, not legitimate.
It’s vital to distinguish between suppliers and supplier directories here. Supplier directories are directories of wholesale suppliers arranged by product types or market and reviewed to ensure the suppliers are authentic. Most directories may demand a fee, either one-time or recurring, so you shouldn’t regard this as a sign the directory itself is fake.
#2. They sell to the public
To obtain true wholesale prices, you must first apply for a wholesale account, demonstrate that you are a legitimate firm, and be accepted before placing your first order. Vendors for dropshipping that offer things to the general public at “wholesale” are really retailers supplying commodities at inflated costs.
Yet, you may experience the following acceptable dropshipping fees:
1. Per-order fees
Several wholesalers that offer dropshipping may charge an upfront per-order dropshipping fee that can range from $2 to $5 or more, depending on the size and complexity of the items being sent. This is industry practice because the expenses of packing and shipping individual items are substantially higher than shipping a bulk purchase.
2. Minimum order quantities
Some dropshipping providers will have a minimum first order size, which is the lowest amount you have to purchase for your first order. They do this to eliminate window-shopping merchants who will waste their time with inquiries and few orders that will not result in substantial business.
If you’re dropshipping, this could cause some issues. For example, what do you do if a supplier requires a $500 minimum order yet your usual order size is about $100? You don’t want to pre-order $500 of stuff only to create a dropshipping account.
In this case, it’s best to offer to pre-pay the supplier $500 in order to establish credit with them for future dropshipping orders. This enables you to meet the supplier’s minimum purchase requirement (because you’re committing to purchasing at least $500 in merchandise) without having to place a single large order when you don’t have the equivalent customer orders.
Tips For Working With Dropshipping Suppliers
Now that you know how to tell a fake from a real one, it’s time to start looking for dropshipping vendors! You can employ a variety of tactics, some of which are more effective than others. The methods listed below are listed in order of effectiveness and preference, with our favorites listed first.
#1. Please contact the manufacturer.
This is our preferred method for quickly locating trustworthy dropshipping wholesalers. Once you know the product(s) you want to dropship, contact the manufacturer and request a list of wholesale drop shippers. You can then contact these wholesalers to determine if they dropship and inquire about opening an account.
Because most dropshipping wholesalers supply products from a range of manufacturers, this method will allow you to swiftly acquire a variety of products within the niche you’re exploring. Following a few phone calls to the best manufacturers in a niche, you’ll be able to rapidly discover the top dropshipping providers in that market.
#2. Use Google to conduct a search.
Utilizing Google to identify high-quality dropshipping wholesalers may seem straightforward, but there are a few guidelines to follow:
- You must conduct a thorough search. Wholesalers are awful at marketing and promotion, and they will never be at the top of a search for “wholesale suppliers for product X.” This means you’ll have to sift through a lot of search results—possibly hundreds—to discover the wholesaler’s website.
- Don’t base your opinion on their webpage. Wholesalers are also renowned for having dated websites from the 1990s. Hence, while a good website may suggest a good supplier in some circumstances, many respectable wholesalers have cringe-worthy home pages. Don’t be put off by the terrible design.
- Make extensive use of keyword modifiers. Because wholesalers aren’t conducting intensive SEO to ensure you locate their websites, you may need to try different search terms. Don’t limit yourself to “[product] wholesaler.” Use modifiers like “distribution,” “reseller,” “bulk,” “warehouse,” and “supply.”
#3. Purchase from the competition
If you’re having trouble finding product suppliers for dropshipping, you may always employ the tried-and-true order-from-the-competition method. Here’s how it works: Choose a rival you believe is dropshipping and place a small order with them. When you receive the delivery, Google the return address to find out who the original shipper was. In certain circumstances, it will be a provider you can contact.
This is a strategy we’ve heard about but haven’t tried ourselves. Additionally, if you haven’t been able to identify a supplier using the various methods outlined above, there may be a legitimate explanation (for example, the market is too small, there isn’t enough demand to justify a provider, etc.). So keep this strategy in mind, but don’t rely on it too much.
#4. Visit a trade fair
A trade fair allows you to network with all of the major manufacturers and wholesalers in a specific industry. It’s a terrific method to network and explore your products and suppliers all in one place. This only works if you’ve already chosen your specialty and/or product, and it’s not for everyone. But, if you have the time and money to attend, it’s a terrific chance to meet the manufacturers and suppliers in the market.
What is the Supply Chain For Dropshipping?
The supply chain for dropshipping is frequently extensive and tiresome.
First, the product is manufactured at the production level, where it is the cheapest.
The goods are then stocked by an original wholesaler, who often jacks up the price before making it accessible for dropshipping.
At this point, the goods are often moved to an extra distributor, who may mark up the price even higher or act as if they had received it directly from the manufacturer.
You (the wholesaler) then acquire and stock the product before it reaches its final destination: the end consumer.
Please keep in mind that delivery times may vary based on the dropshipping source. Some companies provide speedy shipment.
Where Can I Find Dropshipping Suppliers?
Just completing your research will lead you to drop ship suppliers in the United States and others. There is tons of literature online discussing the various suppliers and evaluating their benefits and potential pitfalls. Names like SaleHoo, Megagoods, and Doba are included in our list of the top 10 dropshipping suppliers.
How Can I Get in Touch With a Dropship Supplier?
Contacting a dropship supplier is similar to contacting any other company in the retail supply chain. The larger drop ship firms have sophisticated websites where you can quickly sign up for their services and create an account. Then there are the specific customer service and sales channels, where you can speak with a professional over the phone.
Are Drop Shippers Available For Free?
Yes. There are various free drop shippers in both general and niche categories.
Although some larger drop shippers demand yearly or monthly fees, most merely require that you pay the cost of the products you are sending to the consumer.
Some may charge additional delivery expenses or taxes.
Is Dropshipping Legal?
Absolutely, it is legal. It is also crucial to acquaint yourself with counterfeit and trademark legislation in your location to ensure that you and your dropshipping provider avoid crossing any lines, including with diverse branded products.
Is Dropshipping Profitable?
Dropshipping can be profitable for merchants. Dropshipping is a low-risk business concept that allows you to sell products to clients without incurring large operating costs like a wholesaler would. Because of the low cost, it could be easier to become profitable with dropshipping faster than other company models.
Can I Pay Dropshipping Firms With a Credit Card?
Yes. In fact, suppliers may first demand you to pay by credit card.
Can I Dropship on Amazon?
Dropshipping is possible on Amazon. However, your company must adhere to Amazon’s dropshipping policy, which requires you to be the seller of record for your products and to identify yourself as the seller of your products on all packing slips, invoices, and exterior packaging. You must also be in charge of accepting and processing product returns from customers.
One alternative to using a dropshipping supplier is the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service.
Can I Sell on eBay as a Drop Shipper?
Absolutely, you can dropship on eBay as well. Yet, it is a very competitive area and it’s hard to generate a substantial profit.
How Do Dropshipping Suppliers Handle Returns?
Returning an item frequently necessitates obtaining a return merchandise authorization (RMA) from your supplier, which facilitates the process of your customer shipping the product back to their address.
Make sure you have all additional item information on hand as well to make the customer assistance process as easy as possible.
Once the item has been dispatched and received, the supplier will refund you, and you will refund the consumer.
Be wary of additional expenses from your drop shipper, such as a restocking fee.
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