With the digitalization of the world, the way businesses interact and trade with each other has significantly changed. Wholesaling is making it easier for businesses to enjoy the convenience of getting the products they need at reasonable prices and optimizing their performance. In this article, we are sharing a list of 10 popular wholesale business examples with outstanding omnichannel experiences.

What is a wholesale business?

A wholesale business is a type of business that earns money by buying large quantities of goods from suppliers and then selling in bulk to other small merchants. A wholesaler can supply only a single product or a variety of goods. The main purpose of this kind of business is to distribute goods.

There are 3 main types of wholesalers:

• Merchant wholesalers – These are the ones that work directly with suppliers, buy in large quantities, store the inventory, price competitively, and sell directly to online or brick-and-mortar retailers. 
• Agents or brokers – These wholesalers work on behalf of manufacturers that aren’t able to sell products on their own. In other words, they are like middle-man salespeople for suppliers and will be paid a percentage of the sale.
• Manufacturing distributors – Several producers are large enough to have sales teams that can sell directly to the customers online. If the sales and production areas of the company are totally separate in locations and management, the sales department could be considered a wholesaler.

10 wholesale business examples offering omnichannel experiences

Alibaba

One of the greatest wholesale business examples that offer omnichannel experiences is Alibaba. Founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, Alibaba is a Chinese-based e-commerce platform whose aim is to provide a decent B2B trading platform to the international trade community. The company serves millions of wholesale buyers and suppliers from over 190 countries worldwide. You can find a diversity of products from all over the world right on its website.

Alibaba is a marketplace for businesses and individuals to directly buy products from producers at wholesale prices. Firstly, retailers need to determine their niche. By doing this, they can find a product category to browse. Alibaba has a wide range of categories from Textiles & Accessories, Machinery to Industrial Parts & Tools. Once you find what you want to buy, you will need to reach out to some suppliers. When both parties have agreed on a price, you can then place your order. The goods will arrive shortly afterward for you to start selling. 

Made-in-China

Another Chinese wholesale business example that is worth mentioning is Made-in-China. The platform has more than 10 million active visitors a day with a very good lead-to-sale ratio. Here you will have multiple international trading opportunities that are most inclined toward the China region.

Made-in-China stands tall as a leading B2B e-commerce marketplace for its famous directory of buyers and sellers. The company focuses on online sales and content marketing using a robust common supply network. Through global exhibitions, social media, and other all-channel publicity, cross-border buyers can connect with Chinese suppliers in all kinds of purchasing environments. Made-in-China is also a multilingual platform with 10 languages such as Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Korean, etc.

With the help of Made-in-China, suppliers will be able to improve their international trade capacity and grasp many trade opportunities. Not only does it help reduce the export cost of suppliers, but it also helps enhance purchasing efficiency and the shopping experience. Since its establishment, Made-in-China has helped various small and medium-sized businesses to do foreign trade as well as observe their massive industrial transformation.

TopTenWholesale

TopTenWholesale is among the key wholesale business examples that connect buyers with verified suppliers in the USA and abroad. Millions of retailers, chain stores, drop shippers, and other resellers have used this platform to find manufacturers, importers, and distributors. TopTenWholesale’s goal is to be a general merchandise wholesale information highway.

Unlike other wholesale directories, TopTenWholesale’s motto is quite unique. It is more like a community for wholesalers and buyers facilitating their interaction rather than a source that provides information about product listings. This makes the platform one of the best B2B wholesale platforms in the United States to serve millions of users.

In order to take advantage of omnichannel to increase sales and services, wholesale businesses should take the POS systems into account. We highly recommend ConnectPOS, a POS system that offers cutting-edge technology and enthusiastic customer support. One of our customers has witnessed the change as the system makes it 200% faster than the manual method.

ConnectPOS is ready to support wholesale performance by creating an omnichannel journey between online and offline platforms. We offer a 14-day free trial with no required credit card.

SaleHoo

The platform was founded in 2005 and since then has helped over 137,000 businesses to grow. Based in New Zealand, SaleHoo globally serves as a community for wholesalers, housing a variety of niche categories. SaleHoo allows wholesalers to explore market trends and find the best-selling products in demand with an advanced search feature and more than 1.6 million listed products. The platform also facilitates businesses to find goods with a high-profit margin or sell-through rate. If you are a wholesale beginner, this can be a great place to generate niche ideas, find winning products, and identify suitable suppliers by comparing the cost of stock inventory.

Also, SaleHoo hosts many training seminars for new wholesalers and has a knowledge base of various video tutorials. The platform has a detailed training guide to help online sellers find in-demand items, select manufacturers, and conduct other crucial tactics to get them started.

IndiaMART

This platform is the largest online B2B marketplace in India. Focusing on the Indian market, it is considered one of the major wholesale business examples with more than 6.2 million suppliers. With 60% market share of the online B2B classified space, IndiaMART serves different sizes of businesses as well as individuals.

Buyers can benefit from IndiaMART in many ways as follows:

• Easily source products and services
• Access to reliable and genuine suppliers throughout India
• Send their buy requirements and get an immediate response

eBay

Established in 1995, eBay is among the leading USA wholesale business examples. The company sells different categories of products from various brands and ships to all parts of the world. Their categories include fashion, motor, electronics, home and garden, daily deals, and so much more.

eBay sells at affordable prices and you can also count on them to deliver high-quality goods. The platform seamlessly connects buyers with sellers all around the world. By shopping from eBay, you are sure to make the right decision, and that’s why it is one of the biggest US wholesale websites. 

ECVV

When it comes to wholesale business examples, we cannot forget a highly favored B2B platform, ECVV. The goal is to create a safe place where companies can communicate and interact with each other without fear of scams or misrules. With 12 years of experience, ECVV has accumulated more than 2.2 million buyers and 950,000 suppliers all around China. The platform is known for its reputation in machinery, hardware, equipment, electrical appliances, and many more.

On ECVV, buyers can:

• Search products and contact suppliers
• Post buying leads for more quotation
• Receive up-to-date product information matching their requests
• View Supplier Matching that recommends multiple qualified suppliers

GlobalMarket

GlobalMarket is an important online M2B (Manufacturer-to-Business) marketplace that links international buyers with reputable Chinese manufacturers easily and cost-effectively. The platform is among the most trusted and distinguished websites that are adept in providing quality-based services to a wide range of products from Agriculture to Toys & Textile products. In 2004, GlobalMarket established GMC, a certificate issued to qualified manufacturers meeting the 8 GMC Benchmarks developed through a comprehensive survey of more than 20,000 global buyers. Therefore, the goods supplied by GMC manufacturers are both checked and inspected by a stringent quality control system.

TradeWheel

This has been a preferred choice for traders to connect the sellers of China regions with other Western markets. TradeWheel’s claims to fame is its great global presence and worldwide following.  Both buyers and sellers on the platform are highly satisfied with the outcome as they highly recommend it for international trading.

TradeWheel holds a competitive advantage as it supports and promotes the formation of long-term partnerships built on helpful terms. With a distinct directory of renowned names in the industry, the platform covers every style and taste, hoarding a notable international target audience.

Global Sources

Last but surely not least, this Hong Kong-based wholesale business example is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms around. With its impressive B2B sales strategy, Global Sources brings wholesalers and retailers together in a productive environment. The platform mainly focuses on electronics, mobile electronics, fashion, gifts & home, while also catering to other types of products.

Wrapping this up

In this era of e-commerce, finding suppliers from different countries is just a piece of cake. Nevertheless, make sure that you know what you are looking for and choose the right platform. Hopefully, these 10 wholesale business examples will be the perfect allies for your business to expand greatly.