Many people turn their passion into a business, and gardeners are no exception. Thankfully, it’s easy to start your own gardening supplies store with the right wholesale supplier.

Product sourcing is one of the most crucial aspects of building a successful gardening supplies store. You have to find a reputable supplier to acquire products to sell. When buying garden supplies in bulk, you need to get the products right the first time to avoid the hassle of returning everything you ordered and getting a refund!

But where to start?

With so many suppliers to choose from, it takes time to find a trusted wholesaler. In this guide, we’re dishing out tips to help you source products to sell in your gardening supplies store.

Where to Source Garden Supplies for Your Store

Create Your Products

If you want to build your own brand of gardening supplies, you need to outline the products you’d like to sell, identify the raw materials to buy, and find suitable suppliers. You have to calculate the cost of making these products to determine the product price.

For example, if you plan to make compost to sell, you must source green and brown materials to create the product. Compost is usually sold by the sack, so you’ll also add the product packaging and shipping into the pricing. If you’re planning to have a physical store, you can sell the product in small packs, which may help you overcome shipping challenges.

Buy Wholesale

Finding a reputable wholesale distributor will lead to many money making opportunities for your business. The challenge is to find a reliable wholesale distributor. You can check online and ask knowledgeable people where to find a reputable wholesaler. You can also team up with makers or gardening brands with their own production lines to acquire products to sell.

You can always negotiate the total costs and payment terms to save more. You can also ask for exclusive distribution of some of the products they offer to boost your chances of success. For instance, you can ask ECOgardener to supply you with herb kits, raised beds, or landscape fabric.

Partner with Manufacturers

Manufacturers are always eager to team up with sellers, and buying in bulk will lead to better savings. Do note manufacturers have a minimum order requirement, so this sourcing method will require quite an investment. That’s why it’s not recommended for new businesses unless you have the budget.

And if you have the budget for buying products straight from the manufacturers, always be mindful of your budget. You don’t want to overspend without any guarantees that you’ll be able to sell them all and make a nice profit. We suggest starting with other low-cost product sources before going directly to manufacturers.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping involves selling products and letting the suppliers handle the packaging and order fulfillment. You don’t keep the inventory or handle the product at all; you’ll sell items ordered by a customer and let the supplier send the product on your behalf.

E-Marketplaces like Shopify integrate with some e-commerce solutions to help you find products to sell from legitimate suppliers from a specific location. That means you can find local suppliers with just a touch of a button. Dropshipping is an excellent option if you want to sell without keeping an inventory or if you want to build an online store.

Attend Trade Shows

Attending trade shows, conferences, or product exhibits let you meet suppliers in person and see the products up close. This is an excellent strategy for marketing research, too, because it helps you learn about consumer demands or industry trends and find unique/uncommon products to sell while building strategic relationships with independent sellers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. On top of that, you can widen your network for future business.

Browse eMarketplaces

Speaking of e-marketplaces, Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and other B2B eCommerce platforms are teeming with garden supplies wholesalers. You can search by keywords and filter the category to find specific products to sell or suppliers to team up with.

Once you’ve found several suppliers, submit a request for a quote and ask questions about the sellers themselves to verify their legitimacy. Searching e-marketplaces is a great option if you want to source a broad spectrum of garden supplies and check for potential suppliers online.

Checklist: How to Source Garden Supplies for Your Store

After choosing suppliers, here is a step-by-step guide to sourcing products successfully:

Step 1: Find a Supplier

Assuming you’ve found a supplier, the next step would be to check their business to ensure they are trustworthy. Go to their website and check their About Us page. Explore the FAQs and Customer rating sections. You can also check if the supplier is listed at the Better Business Bureau to determine their legitimacy.

Reach out to each supplier and ask questions. Ask how much the total cost of production will be and how much you’ll pay for shipping. Ask about their shipping and inventory management or processes. What are the timelines and conditions of their service, etc.? Sign up for a supplier that can meet your expectations to avoid issues along the way.

Step 2: Conduct a Trial Order

Once you’ve decided on a supplier, conduct a trial run. Request a small order; you don’t have to order the entire lineup. This is a great way to check how the supplier deals with an order and uncover issues during delivery. At the same time, your customers can get a hold of the product faster, which lets you acquire consumer feedback and determine the product’s profitability. During the trial, determine how long the trial will be, how many units you will be able to sell, and what consumers think about the product you’re selling.

Step 3: Review the Transaction

If you had a great experience during the trial run, you can opt for a long-term partnership or find a better supplier if it’s the opposite. Review how the supplier handled the trial order.

Were the units dispatched and delivered quickly? Was the transaction smooth and hassle-free? How did the supplier handle issues while the products were in transit? Were the products packed carefully, and none were damaged during transit? How was the communication between you and the supplier? These are just some factors to consider when evaluating a supplier and reviewing the transaction.

Step 4: Keep Your Options Open

You might’ve picked the perfect supplier after reviewing the transaction but don’t close your door to other wholesalers just yet. There are times when supplies are limited, or product quality goes down. If that happens, you should look for other suppliers.

Having more than one supplier ensures a steady supply and consistent product quality. Create a short list of potential suppliers that can be used apart from your chosen seller. The last thing you want is to lose customers because of slow restocks or inconsistent quality of hard-to-get bestsellers.

Sourcing your garden supplies can be tricky if you’re doing it for the first time. But once you find reputable wholesalers, you’re ready to start ordering and growing your garden supplies store.

ECOgardener is accepting bulk and wholesale orders! For inquiries, fill out our wholesale application form, and a team member will contact you.