Retail entrepreneurs planning to set up shop via e-commerce should consider the benefits of using a dropshipping supplier. This is especially true if you plan on having an online storefront without keeping your own inventory of products. This guide will help you take a look at the top 10 best dropshipping suppliers to help get your business started.
10. Aliexpress
AliExpress is the most well-known and largest dropshipper on a global scale. They ship to 220 countries across the globe with different tiers of shipping service. The reason they are not number one on this list is that while they do offer the most diverse range of products, from toys to beauty supplies and more, there is a huge gap in quality. Often, dropshipping suppliers are not fully clear about their product, and what chemicals are used, and can be challenging to communicate with.
Another issue with AliExpress is that the vast majority of these products are low-price, low-quality items made in China, which might deter certain consumers from purchasing. Additionally, standard shipping can take as long as 45 days to reach the US but can be upgraded to a premium two-week turnaround at a hefty price.
If you are aware of these drawbacks, then you’ll be interested in the 100+ million products AliExpress carries on its site. The service is also easy to get started with, which makes it enticing for beginners who are new to dropshipping suppliers.
9. Alibaba
Alibaba is a dropshipping supplier similar to AliExpress, but they are two separate companies. Whereas AliExpress is primarily for B2C dealings which is the added advantage of many wholesale pricing, Alibaba’s purpose is to operate as a B2B marketplace connecting buyers and sellers.
Wholesalers are the primary members, allowing e-commerce sellers to make transactions directly with the manufacturers themselves. Because of this, suppliers are more readily trained to handle bulk shipping items and can fulfill larger dropshipping orders for your e-commerce store.
As a seller, you should be concerned about shipping logistics, especially with the challenge of supply chain delays. Most deliveries take up to 6 weeks, but there are cost-saving options for freight or air shipping.
With more than 2.8 million suppliers, Alibaba is definitely a step up from AliExpress, but still brings with it the same drawbacks. Additionally, it is a Chinese company that requires an advanced understanding of business processes, but also offers private label manufacturing.
8. Wholesale Central
Wholesale Central is the perfect way to start your research on dropshipping suppliers since you can peruse their selection of vendors for free at any time. With the help of ad fees, this supplier helps by also stating that it prescreens and reviews suppliers that apply to their platform to help make sure the supplier is legit.
Wholesale Central will only be available for US orders and shipping, but if you’re just getting started with an e-commerce dropshipping business, you’ll want to avoid International shipping until you’re more familiar with the business.
The general number of wholesalers is 1,700 with over 700,00 products, making this a good way to offer a variety of different products without becoming overwhelmed. Because of the open nature of the shared wholesale prices, just make sure to be careful and discerning before fully getting started. There may be more competitive prices available elsewhere and some wholesalers on this site might be listing their products are higher than normal wholesale prices. But overall, it’s worth a look at it.
7. Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands was established in 1999, making it one of the oldest and original brands for dropshipping suppliers. As a supplier directory, this company offers different rates depending on the supplier you choose and your location.
Although the range of available products narrows down, there are still more than 16 million certified wholesale products available. Better yet, Worldwide Brands certifies their suppliers to uphold a solid set of guidelines for the products sold through their business.
One of the safest bets with top-level customer service, Worldwide Brands is easy to transition into and can provide lifetime access to solid quality wholesale products. This will require a bit more of an investment, as certain suppliers might require larger bulk purchases at a time.
6. Sunrise Wholesale
Sunrise Wholesale is relatively slim with its 10,000+ dropshipping products, but don’t let that deter you from checking them out. They only ship to the USA or Canada, but on the plus side, they can be more accurate and communicative with your orders for customers, and most products ship within 2 days.
In addition to shipping orders directly to your customers, they give you access to reporting tools, product data, automatic lower price adjustments to increase your profit margins and inventory updates.
If you’re primarily focusing your business within the USA and/or Canada, then Sunrise Wholesale is a top pick.
5. Wholesale2b
Wholesale2b is another dropshipping supplier concentrated in North America, and that’s a good thing. Shipping throughout the USA and Canada, shipping times will vary depending on the product and supplier, but you will always be provided with a report that allows you to keep track of the time of order based on the supplier and product.
Wholesale2b has over a million different types of products ready to sell, making it easy to set up your own unique storefronts and curated selection of products.
If you’re planning to operate primarily in North America and need fast, reliable shipping, it’s worth your time to check out Wholesale2b.
4. Megagoods
Megagoods carries a variety of different products but specializes in consumer electronics. And as a wholesaler themselves, you have the advantage of making purchases and sales without minimum quantities.
Although based in Santa Clarita, California, Megagoods still ships internationally for added convenience.
Megagoods is the perfect choice if you want to build an e-commerce store that caters to consumers who want cell phone accessories, TVs, appliances, office tools, and similar.
3. Doba
Doba offers a more curated experience while still offering over 2 million products that still retain good profit margins. Touting a centralized system compared to other dropshipping suppliers, Doba is great for those starting with smaller investment capital. You can become a member with a $24.99 per month fee that gives you access to their starter plan. From there, you can scale your operation to a Business plan for $49.99 a month, and finally an Enterprise membership for $299.99 per month.
Doba ships globally and integrates with its suppliers instead of simply listing them and connecting you with their operations. This allows you to access multiple warehouses that carry a combination of products from multiple manufacturers.
Doba makes a great choice if you have a specified niche of products you want to sell and are comfortable with setting your e-commerce retail prices to reflect your cost for dropshipping and business growth.
2. Spocket
Spocket is an easy and intuitive app that works with Shopify to help entrepreneurs get started quickly. With Spocket, you’ll be able to select and import products into your Shopify store, then pulls orders when customers buy from your e-commerce store, and also automatically tracks and updates your inventory to keep stock up to date for customers.
The Spocket company is based in Vancouver, Canada, but is connected to distributors in the US, Europe, Brazil, and Australia. With an undisclosed number of products, there are still a large variety of different categories to choose from.
Because of its integration with Shopify, this is a top pick and worth checking out for anyone new to the dropship supplier e-commerce business and who wants a seamless experience.
1. CROV
Source: Crov Facebook
CROV is the number one choice to check out because it vets its wide range of products from US dropshipping suppliers across multiple industries. This is a huge bonus if you want to keep your business within North America and support companies with warehouses in the USA.
CROV still ships to 24 different countries and costs will vary, but each product page helps make price and shipping calculations easy. With domestic warehouses, US shipping is made quickly.
While only offering 35,000+ products in 20+ categories, it’s worth checking out to see if it caters to the type of business you’re looking to run. A smaller amount of products also means you have higher chances of finding and selling more unique products, which works extremely well on Amazon and eBay.
These are the top 10 best dropshipping suppliers to help get your business started, so check them all out and do thorough research to help you make the best decisions based on your business. You can also check out our background article on dropshipping to further increase your knowledge, and you can also read about a successful t-shirt company for inspiration.
