Selling wholesale means selling your products in larger quantities to shops, which then sell them on to their own customers. For many brands, it's the step that turns a webshop into a business with products on shelves in dozens or even hundreds of stores.

It's also a different business from selling direct. Your customer is a shop owner, not a consumer, and they care about margin, minimum orders, delivery times and how easy you are to reorder from. In this guide, we go through every step of selling wholesale, from setting your prices to getting that all-important second order, with data from the Orderchamp Marketplace and links to our more detailed guides along the way.

What does selling wholesale mean?

When you sell wholesale, you sell to retailers at a wholesale price. They sell to consumers at the retail price, usually close to the recommended retail price (RRP) you set. The difference is their margin, and it pays for their shop, their staff and their time.

As a rule of thumb, the retail price is about twice the wholesale price. This is called keystone pricing. So a candle that sells for €30 in a shop is usually bought by the retailer for around €15.

Is your brand ready to sell wholesale?

Before you approach your first shop, check these basics:

• Your margins can handle it. If you sell to retailers at half your retail price, you still need to make a profit after production, packaging and shipping. If you can't, fix your costs or your retail price first.

• You can produce enough. A handful of shops reordering at the same time can empty your stock. Know your lead times and how much you can make per month.

• Your products are retail-ready. Retailers expect packaging that works on a shelf, clear product information and usually a barcode (EAN) on each product. Our guides to SKUs and product data explain how to set this up.

• You have good product photos. Retailers decide quickly. Clean product shots and a few lifestyle images do a lot of the selling for you.

• You can handle the cash flow. Wholesale orders are bigger, and some retailers pay 30 days after delivery. Make sure you can pay for production before the money comes in.

Step 1: Set your wholesale prices

Start from your costs, not from what competitors charge. Add up everything it costs to get one unit to a retailer: production, packaging, freight, duties and a share of your fulfilment costs. Then add the margin you need, and check that the resulting retail price makes sense next to similar products in a shop.

A simple example:

• Landed cost per unit: €6

• Wholesale price: €15, a gross margin of 60% for you

• Recommended retail price: €30 to €35

Leave room in your price for the future. If you ever want to work with sales agents, who take a commission, or distributors, who need their own margin, a price that only just works today won't hold up. Our guide to wholesale pricing strategy goes through the calculation step by step, including the difference between margin and markup.

Once you have larger accounts, you can add volume tiers or customer-specific price lists. To begin with, one clear price list is enough.

Step 2: Decide your terms

Your terms tell retailers how they can buy from you. Write them down before your first order, so every retailer gets the same answer.

Minimum order

Most brands set a minimum order value or a minimum order quantity to make each order worth packing and shipping. Set it too high, though, and shops won't take the risk of trying you.

On the Orderchamp Marketplace, the median first order from a new retailer over the past year was €153, and the median reorder was €197. Many shops start small, see how your products sell, and order more once they do. Keep your first-order minimum within reach, and consider a lower minimum for reorders, so shops can quickly restock your bestsellers.

Payment terms

New retailers often pay upfront or against a proforma invoice, while established accounts get payment terms such as 30 days after the invoice date (net 30). Decide who gets terms, and up to what credit limit.

Shipping and delivery

Decide whether you charge for shipping, from which order value shipping is free, and how quickly you deliver. Delivery time matters: a shop that runs out of a bestseller wants it back on the shelf within days, not weeks.

Returns and damages

Retailers buy to sell, so most wholesale orders can't simply be returned. Agree upfront how you handle damaged or wrong items, and how you credit them. Our guide to wholesale returns and credit notes explains the options.

Step 3: Create a line sheet

A line sheet is the document retailers use to choose and order your products. It lists every product with a photo, product code, wholesale price, RRP, minimum quantity and available colours or sizes, plus your terms.

New to line sheets? Start with what a line sheet is, follow our step-by-step guide, and look at these line sheet examples for inspiration. A PDF works for your first few shops, but a digital line sheet stays up to date and lets retailers order straight from it.

Step 4: Find your first retailers

Before you start reaching out, describe your ideal shop: the type of store, its price level, its location and the brands it already carries. Ten shops that fit your brand are worth more than a hundred that don't.

The most common ways brands find retailers are:

• B2B marketplaces. Retailers browse a B2B marketplace to discover new brands, so it's a quick way to get first orders from shops you'd never reach yourself.

• Trade shows. Still one of the best ways to meet buyers face to face. Prepare well, and take orders on the spot with a trade show ordering app.

• Direct outreach. Visit, email or call shops that fit your brand, with a short pitch and your line sheet.

• Sales agents. An agent who already visits shops in a region can open many doors at once. See our guide to wholesale sales agents.

• Referrals. Ask your current retailers which shops they admire, and which brands they think would sit well next to yours.

Our guide on how to find retailers for your brand covers eight ways in more detail. It also helps to know what buyers look at when deciding to stock a new brand.

Step 5: Make ordering easy

Once a shop is interested, the way they order makes a big difference. Many brands start with orders by email, phone or an Excel order form. That works for a few shops, but every order has to be typed in by hand, mistakes slip in, and retailers can only order when someone is there to answer.

As they grow, most brands move to a mix of channels:

• A B2B portal where retailers log in, see their own prices and terms, and order whenever it suits them. A B2B Portal also handles reorders without your team having to do anything.

• A sales app for your reps and agents to write orders during visits and at trade shows, such as the Sales App.

• Marketplaces for discovery and first orders from new shops.

What matters most is that all orders end up in one place. Our guides on how to manage wholesale orders and replacing Excel for wholesale orders explain how to set this up. Orders that still come in by email or PDF can be turned into digital orders automatically with AI Order Convert.

Step 6: Onboard new retailers

A new retailer needs an account, the right price list and payment terms, and a clear idea of how to place their next order. Get this right, and their first order feels effortless. Our guide to retailer onboarding shows how to approve and activate new stockists without it turning into a manual job.

Step 7: Fulfil and invoice wholesale orders

Wholesale orders are packed differently from consumer orders: more units per product, often in outer cartons, with a packing slip and an invoice that matches the order. Larger retailers and chains may send a purchase order and ask you to exchange orders and invoices through EDI.

If you sell seasonal collections, you'll also take pre-orders months before delivery. Keep track of what's been ordered, what's in stock and what still needs to be produced, so you never sell what you can't deliver.

Step 8: Turn first orders into reorders

This is where wholesale really pays off. On the Orderchamp Marketplace, reorders from existing retailers made up 62% of all order value over the past year.

Retailers who placed a second order took a median of 72 days, about ten weeks, to do so. That gives you a natural moment to follow up: once your products have been on the shelf for a few weeks and the shop knows what sells.

• Check in after the first delivery. Ask how the products are selling, and which ones customers ask about.

• Make reordering quick. A retailer who can reorder a bestseller in two minutes in your portal is far more likely to do it than one who has to email you and wait for a reply.

• Share what's new. New products, restocks and seasonal collections give shops a reason to order again.

• Plan around the seasons. Remind retailers in good time before busy periods, for example with a Q4 restock plan.

• Announce changes early. When your prices go up, tell retailers well in advance. Our post on announcing a wholesale price increase includes an email template.

Common mistakes when you start selling wholesale

• Pricing too low. If your wholesale price leaves you almost no margin, every new shop makes you busier but not richer, and there's no room for agents or distributors later.

• Undercutting your own retailers. If your webshop runs constant discounts, shops can't sell your products at the RRP. Keep your prices consistent across channels.

• A minimum order that's too high. New retailers want to try you first. Make that first order easy.

• Too many products at once. Start with your bestsellers and a clear range, not every variant you make.

• Slow replies and slow delivery. Retailers work with many brands. The ones that answer quickly and deliver on time get the reorders.

• Doing everything by hand. Typing in orders works for five shops, not for fifty. Set up a system before your volume makes it urgent.

Final thoughts

Selling wholesale takes some preparation: prices that leave room for everyone, clear terms, a good line sheet and a simple way to order. But once shops start reordering, it becomes one of the most reliable ways to grow your brand. Start with a handful of retailers that fit, look after them well, and build from there.

Ready to sell wholesale online? See how the B2B Portal works or book a demo.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start selling wholesale?

How do I calculate my wholesale price?

What should my minimum order be?

Do I need a webshop to sell wholesale?

How do I find retailers to stock my products?

How do I get retailers to reorder?