What Is the Best Wholesale and Dropship Supplier Directory?

Whether you’re starting a new ecommerce business or you’re a seasoned online retailer, there will be a time where you must add products to your store or expand your product offering.

Online best wholesale suppliers and dropship supplier directories exist to help you narrow your search and find the right suppliers for your business.

Keep reading as we discuss what to look for in a supplier directory and where to find the best wholesale supplier and dropship supplier directories online.

What to Look for in a Wholesale and Dropship Supplier Directory

There are dozens of supplier directories online, but not all are created equal.

When deciding which one to use, consider whether they verify their suppliers, supply advanced filtering functionality, provide a sample product catalog, and list essential reseller information.

Verified Suppliers

You don’t want to wade through a list of thousands of suppliers without knowing whether they’re legitimate suppliers or not.

Stick with supplier directories that vet their suppliers so that you know you’re presented with a list of verified, trustworthy options. Inventory Source’s best wholesale supplier and dropship supplier directory includes the top distributors from leading dropship niches offering exclusive brands, large catalogs, and in-demand products.

Advanced Filtering

Looking for a supplier of a specific niche of products? Search for a directory that provides advanced filtering functionality to make finding your supplier(s) simple.

Search filtering allows you to generate quicker and more relevant results. Filtering options can include:

• Supplier type: Filter suppliers by whether they allow dropshipping

• Location: Find suppliers based in a particular location

• Shipping location(s): Discover suppliers that ship to a particular location or worldwide 

• Visible product catalog?: Search only for suppliers that show a product catalog

• Minimum order: Find suppliers with a minimum order quantity that fits your business model
• Category: Filter supplier by a range of categories

Inventory Source’s best wholesale supplier and dropship supplier directory is free and allows you to view complete product data. This will enable you to make an informed decision by analyzing the product feed for important characteristics to your business, such as product details or image quality.

Reseller Information

A supplier directory is useless to you if it doesn’t provide accurate reseller information. It’s helpful to have essential details such as contact information, supplier fees, and policies all in one place.

Save time and choose a directory that allows you to search for suppliers of specific products and contact them directly from their supplier profile.

Finding Top Wholesale Distributors and Dropshipping Suppliers

Supplier directories are convenient ways to quickly browse many wholesale suppliers for resellers in one place. They’re also great for brainstorming product ideas.

If you already have a niche or idea of what you want to sell, you can find the major suppliers in your market by searching and filtering within the right directory.

To provide you with options, we’ll highlight some of the most well-known online supplier directories.

Worldwide Brands

Worldwide Brands is one of the longest-running wholesale and dropship supplier directories in the industry.

Whether you are looking for bulk best wholesale supplier or top-notch dropship suppliers, this is the directory for you.

Each supplier is strictly evaluated, so you know you’re partnering with the best. You can rest easy knowing that you’ll be sourcing products from trustworthy, legitimate suppliers.

For easy on-the-go-browsing, Worldwide Brands also provides iOs and Android apps.

While it’s not free, you can access the Worldwide Brands supplier directory by paying a single lifetime membership fee. If the price is too much to budget for at once, you can opt for a recurring payment plan program to not have to pay it all upfront.

Through our partnership with Worldwide Brands, you can receive a discount of $50 off lifetime access.

Inventory Source

Inventory Source’s directory features over 4,000 wholesale suppliers for resellers and distributors.

Not only is it free, but our directory only includes the top suppliers from various product niches offering leading brands, large catalogs, and in-demand products. There is even an advanced filtering sidebar to help you easily find the right supplier for your online business.

We also are the only free wholesale distributor and dropship supplier directory that grants you access to view suppliers’ full product data and reseller information at no extra cost.

Many of the suppliers in Inventory Source’s directory are integrated, meaning you can use Inventory Source’s automation services to streamline your ecommerce business.

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SaleHoo

SaleHoo is an online supplier directory that allows users to research from over 8,000 vetted dropship and wholesale suppliers. It also helps users find ideas for in-demand, profitable products from trustworthy, low-cost suppliers.

To make your research more efficient, SaleHoo also provides tools to help you filter and organize suppliers. The catch? You have to pay to access these tools by paying either an annual or lifetime fee.

Wholesale Central

Wholesale Central is another online supplier directory that allows you to find dropship and wholesale suppliers by selecting a product niche.

If you are looking specifically for dropship suppliers, you can search niches within the “dropshippers” category. When you click on a supplier, it’ll show you a few of their products and provide the information to contact them or view their website.

TopTenWholesale

TopTenWholesale is a US-based sourcing directory that helps connect retailers to national and international wholesale suppliers.

You can register for free to take advantage of their extra tools and features when searching for suppliers. They provide the option to filter down by supplier location, product niche, and more.

All “Supplier Pass” badged suppliers are vetted through a strict qualification process, so you can rest easy knowing these suppliers are all reputable and trustworthy.

Best Practices for Choosing a Wholesale or Dropship Supplier

The wholesale and dropship supplier directories listed above each provide you with access to trusted suppliers all over the world. With so many options available, how do you decide which one is right for your business?

Keep reading for a few things to keep in mind when choosing a wholesale or dropship supplier.

Do Some Research

Most directories vet their suppliers before listing them, but you must do your own research as well. It only takes a few simple searches to verify that the supplier(s) you’re interested in are reputable and reliable.

To see what other merchants are saying about the supplier(s) in question, search for reviews online. You can also perform a Google search for “[supplier name] + scam” to check for negative reports.

Ask Questions

When first contacting a supplier, your goal is to find out as much information as you can. You’ll want to ask the supplier about their business practices, policies, and products.

You’ll also need to ask about their payment terms, shipping costs, and delivery times.

Opt for Niche Suppliers Over Generic Ones

The best suppliers are knowledgeable about the products they sell.

If a supplier doesn’t have an extensive understanding of their product catalog, how can they truly vouch for the quality of their products? What if your customers have questions about the products you’re sourcing from a particular supplier? It’s essential for your supplier to be a knowledgeable business partner.

Suppliers that specialize in a particular niche are most likely to have extensive knowledge of the products in their catalog.

Your Suppliers Will Make or Break Your Business

The best wholesale and dropship supplier directory is the one that provides you with the tools you need to jumpstart your ecommerce business. Ultimately, the supplier(s) you choose will become the lifeblood of your business, so it’s vital to choose the best possible distributor for you.

To increase your chances of finding the best wholesale supplier or wholesale suppliers for resellers, begin the process by clearly defining your goals and needs. Ask questions and always keep an open mind when making decisions.

Just getting started? Check out our Ultimate Dropshipping Guide for additional guidance.

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