Wholesale price increase: when and what to tell your retailers (+ email template)

Contributors

Orderchamp

6 min read

Shop owner reading a price increase letter at the counter of an independent homeware shop, next to a tablet and ceramic mugs

In this article

Costs went up again this year, and for many brands that means new wholesale prices from January. It's one of the least fun messages to send, so it often gets written in a rush, sent late, or hidden in a new price list without a word of explanation.

Retailers rarely stop working with a brand because of a fair price increase. They've seen one from almost every supplier they work with. What they don't like is a surprise: a higher invoice they didn't plan for, a new price list that turns up two days before it applies, or a retail price that suddenly leaves them with less margin.

In this post, we look at when brands on the Orderchamp Marketplace usually change their prices, and share a simple way to announce your increase, including an email you can copy.

When brands raise their prices

We looked at wholesale prices on the Orderchamp Marketplace between October 2024 and September 2026. We counted a price increase when an active brand raised the price of at least 30% of its products by 2% or more in the same month. Two things stand out.

Almost half of all price increases happen between December and March. These four months account for 49% of the increases we saw over the past two years. January is the busiest month.
The typical increase is around 10%. Half of the increases were between 6% and 18%.

Bar chart of wholesale price increases by month on the Orderchamp Marketplace, with almost half falling between December and March

So your retailers aren't just getting your new prices in January. They're getting new prices from many of their brands at the same time, while they plan their spring budget. The brands that announce early and clearly are the easiest ones to plan around.

Decide the details before you write the message

Before you tell anyone, be clear on what's actually changing. Retailers will ask, so it's better to have the answers ready.

Which products. You don't have to raise everything by the same amount. Raise prices where your costs went up, and think twice before raising your best-sellers or the products most shops start with.
The retail price. A retailer's first question is what the increase does to their margin. If your wholesale price goes up, update your recommended retail price (MSRP) too, so their margin stays the same. Our guide to wholesale pricing strategy explains how to keep both sides healthy.
One increase, not three. One clear increase a year is easier for retailers to plan around than several small ones.
What happens to open orders. Decide upfront that orders and pre-orders placed before the date keep the old price. It's the fair thing to do, and it prevents most arguments.

How much notice to give

Give your retailers at least 30 days' notice, and 60 days for your biggest accounts. For new prices from 1 January, that means telling them in November. Many shops plan their spring orders and set their own retail prices well before the new year, and they need your new prices to do that.

If you work with sales agents or distributors, check your agreements first. Some contracts set a notice period for price changes, and agents need time to tell their own accounts.

What to include in your announcement

A good price increase message is short. Retailers want to know what changes, when, and what it means for them. Include:

The date the new prices apply.
What changes: the average increase or the range, and where to find the new prices.
Why, in one or two honest sentences. Higher material, energy or shipping costs are reasons every retailer understands. You don't need to share a full cost breakdown.
What stays the same: for example your recommended retail prices (updated so their margin stays the same), your minimum order, your payment terms or your free shipping threshold.
The window to order at current prices, if you offer one.
Who to contact with questions.

Price increase email template

Here's an email you can adapt. Keep the tone personal, and send it from a person, not from a no-reply address.

Subject: Our prices for 2027 (and how to order at current prices)

Hi [first name],
We want to let you know in good time that our wholesale prices will change on [date].
Over the past year, our costs for [materials / production / shipping] have gone up, and we've decided to raise our prices by an average of [x]% to keep our quality the same. We've updated our recommended retail prices too, so your margin stays the same.
Everything else stays as it is: [your minimum order, payment terms, delivery times].
Orders placed before [date] are at the current prices, including any pre-orders you've already placed. You can see the new prices in [your portal / the attached price list] from today.
If you have any questions, just reply to this email or call me on [number].
Thank you for working with us,
[name]

Tell your best accounts first

Your top 10 or 20 retailers shouldn't hear about the increase from a newsletter. Call them, or have your rep mention it during their next visit, before the email goes out. It's a small effort, and it turns a price increase into a normal business conversation.

Brief your reps and agents too. Give them the reasons, the date and the answer to "what does this mean for my margin?", so every retailer hears the same story. If a rep takes orders during the visit, they can write them on the spot in the Sales App at the current prices.

Turn the announcement into an order

A clear deadline gives retailers a reason to order now. "Order before 31 December at current prices" is useful information, not a sales trick, as long as it's true.

In Q4, it fits naturally with your Christmas restock. Mention the price change in your November reminders, and use your last call in December for both: restock for Christmas and stock up at current prices. Our Q4 restock plan shows when retailers order most.

Update your prices everywhere on the same day

Few things cause more friction than a retailer ordering from an old price list and getting an invoice at the new price. On the day your new prices apply, update them everywhere:

your B2B portal or webshop
marketplaces you sell on
the Sales App or other order-taking tools
PDF price lists and line sheets that are still going around
your ERP or accounting software
special price lists for individual customers or customer groups

This is much easier when your prices live in one place. With a B2B Portal, you update your prices once, and every retailer sees their own up-to-date prices, including customer-specific price lists and recommended retail prices per country. A digital line sheet can't go out of date the way a PDF does.

How to handle pushback

Some retailers will push back, and that's normal. Listen first: a shop that's struggling needs a different answer from one that simply asks every supplier for a discount.

Avoid taking the increase back for everyone who complains, because then you've only raised prices for your most loyal customers. Instead, have a few options ready for the accounts that matter most:

one more order at the old price
a volume price for larger orders
better payment terms, which can mean more to a small shop than a lower price
keeping one key product at its current price

Final thoughts

A price increase doesn't have to cost you retailers. Decide the details first, tell your best accounts personally, give at least 30 days' notice, and make sure the new prices are correct everywhere on the same day. Retailers will remember how you handled it far longer than the percentage.

Want to update prices for every retailer in one place? See how the B2B Portal works or book a demo.