If you’re thinking about setting up a new e-commerce venture, one popular option is to use a drop-shipping supplier. These companies buy ranges of products on a wholesale basis and sit between a manufacturer and your site, managing all the orders and fulfilment on your behalf. You normally get access to a warehouse with hundreds of brands and different product lines and a partner that can fulfil customer orders.
Selecting the right drop-shipping supplier to work with can hard work and definitely takes time to carry out research and checks to make sure the supplier offers the products and brands you want with the level of service and pricing your business needs.
For example, if you wanted to setup a new online shop selling mens’ slippers, then you could manufacture the slippers yourself (which is complex and costly) or you could buy them in bulk from a manufacturer then store them yourself and post out to a customer when an order arrives. Or you could find a drop-shipper that stocks slippers and send them the orders as they arrive. The drop-shipper will post out the order to the customer in your name and you pay them for a fee and the postage costs, which is much simpler and quick to setup.
To find a dropshipping company a good place to start is to browse a supplier directory. We’ve selected a few of the most popular directories available to help you see the range available.
Top 10 Dropshipping Suppliers
1. Shopify
Find out more at: shopify.com
Shopify has become the go-to platform for many entrepreneurs because of its ease of use and compatibility with various dropshipping platforms. The platform is recommended by several of the other dropshipping companies we looked at.
The platform is one of the best-known e-commerce platform that requires no technical expertise to set up. It is just as useful for dropshipping businesses as other e-commerce websites.
Shopify has gathered over 70 dropshipping suppliers and you can access these by signing up for a free account. Get in touch with distributors, manufacturers, and storage facilities, and begin making sales immediately.
All stock and shipments are outsourced, as is standard practice for drop shippers. You need to spread the word about your goods, which is why you need the in-built advertising features. Generate promotions for social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest, or promote your goods on online markets like eBay. You can direct your sales efforts where they will have the most impact with the help of Shopify’s dashboard, which automatically records the origins of your clients.
Shopify is an excellent source of information for anyone starting with dropshipping and offers round-the-clock help through chat and email.
- 14 days free trial
- Excellent customer service
- Various dropshipping apps
- Pricey plans
- Lacks email hosting
2. AliExpress
Find out more at: aliexpress.com
If you’re looking for an online marketplace, go to AliExpress. It is the B2C and B2B arm of Alibaba Group, one of the biggest eCommerce conglomerates in the world. AliExpress’s inexpensive pricing and high-quality wares have made it a household name. More vendors exist on this marketplace than on any other site.
Although AliExpress is a Chinese website, we’ve included it on our list of UK-based suppliers since many of the manufacturers and wholesalers provide storage facilities in the UK.
Simply search for a product, filter it on Ship from the UK, and make sure the Ship to option is set to the UK, and you will be presented with a list of vendors that stock their goods in UK warehouses.
What’s stopping you from finally picking the top drop shipping platform? Additional discounts on multifunctional beauty products, styling tools and accessories, and skincare tools are available on AliExpress from UK-based warehouses. Less expensive, and AliExpress is known for offering products at low prices. With improved margins, maintaining profitability becomes less of a challenge.
- Free signup
- Millions of products are available at low prices
- A possibility to integrate automation tools
- The shipping time can be long
- Poor customer support
3. Alibaba
Find out more at alibaba.com
A business-to-business marketplace, Alibaba brings together vendors and purchasers. This marketplace is designed to make business easier between wholesalers and manufacturers rather than between individual vendors. Your dropshipping business relies on suppliers to offer bulk products and meet customer orders.
Depending on your location and the delivery method you choose, it may take some time for your Alibaba dropshipping order. A six-week delivery time frame is to be expected. Shipping through air or freight might help you save money. But before you do anything, you should study the situation and prepare. More than 5,900 product categories and over 2.8 million suppliers are available on Alibaba.
- Reasonable sourcing costs
- Millions of products and sellers to choose from
- Free signup plans
- The quality of the products may be low
- Subpar translations in some instances
4. SaleHoo
Find out more at: salehoo.com
To facilitate dropshipping for wholesalers and retailers, SaleHoo.com provides a good range of brands and products.
Its newest dropshipping tool, SaleHoo Dropship, integrates with your e-commerce platform to speedily import items to your Shopify shop and handle shipping, tracking, and customer service.
One of the most interesting features is the SaleHoo Directory which providers a great resource and a key differentiator for the platform. With a one-time fee of £50 (or a one-time payment of £93 for life), you get access to one of the biggest curated listings of reliable worldwide suppliers.
Use of the SaleHoo Directory comes with the assistance of the SaleHoo sales staff. They will help you navigate the marketplace and can even provide seller training if you need it, whether online, over the phone, or through email.
Dropshipping with SaleHoo will set you back £20 monthly (billed annually). It is ideal for single or dual-store owners and offers a lot of flexibility at a low price.
In addition, SaleHoo offers a more robust package aimed squarely at enterprises, dubbed SaleHoo Dropship Premium. Extra features don’t seem worthwhile at £71 per month (paid yearly) for small company owners. While SaleHoo Dropship stands on its own as a solid dropshipping solution, it’s the SaleHoo Directory that will pique the interest of entrepreneurs looking to expand their reach by partnering with a reliable and established group of ecommerce vendors.
- Ideal platform for traditional wholesale business and dropshipping
- Reasonable yearly pricing
- Reliable and trustworthy group of e-commerce sellers
- No chance to test a product with small portions
- Sometimes there are stock shortages
5. Worldwide Brands
Find out more at worldwidebrands.com
When it comes to directories of suppliers, Worldwide Brands is among the oldest and most well-known (it was founded in 1999). It boasts that it accepts only the most reputable wholesalers and that all its vendors must adhere to strict rules before being included. In the past, we’ve utilised the dropshipping vendor database to locate reliable wholesalers and generate fresh ideas for certain markets.
As the name implies, Worldwide Brands provides products and services to stores all around the globe. Since the organisation acts as a list of suppliers, the dropshipping wholesaler you choose determines shipping rates and options.
More than 16 million approved wholesale items are available in various categories, including those catering to pets, jewellery and watches, consumer electronics, home furnishings, clothing, and more.
Worldwide Brands is a secure choice if you want permanent access to a high-quality wholesale supplier list and can afford a higher upfront cost.
- Long years of expertise
- Training materials to select the best supplier
- Various categories of wholesale items
- They require a one-lifetime payment
- Slim profit margins
6. Avasam
Find out more at avasam.com
The Avasam platform offers a streamlined eCommerce platform and fast shipping to customers. The platform handles every aspect, from finding high-quality products to stock through to assisting with customer issues long after the deal.
There is plenty of opportunity for dropshipping, advertising, and other forms of promotion, thanks to the 40 percent margins offered by Avasam across most product categories. You can estimate the final sales price to offer with the help of Avasam since it shows both the source product’s price and the RRP (Recommended Retail Price).
Adding new goods to your shop is as easy as clicking a few buttons in the listing manager found on the administration dashboard.
Standard shipping costs £2.99 and takes an estimated 3–4 business days to arrive at its destination. Express shipping, which guarantees delivery within 24 hours, costs £5 more.
Avasam is ideal for individuals who want to reach the British market since it has an average rating of 4.4/5 on review sites. Avasam does not support PayPal on its platform. Thus you will need to register a payment card to utilise PayPal to collect payments on your selected sales channel.
Many Trustpilot evaluations of Avasam’s services remark on the company’s excellent customer support.
- A comprehensive supplier verification process
- Reliable vendors and suppliers
- Impressive integration options
- No details about the suppliers
- Set up may take long
7. SourceLow
Find out more at sourcelow.com
SourceLow is a wholesale and dropshipping directory that facilitates commerce between businesses in the United Kingdom, the United States, and China at no cost to business users.
This is the best site for finding reliable suppliers in a niche and, without any joining fees, it has thousands of dropshipping suppliers and millions of low-cost wholesale items.
Finding reliable drop shipping providers in many countries is as easy as searching for a product or speciality. You may also use the company type and geographical information, such as drop shippers in the UK, to narrow the search results.
SourceLow isn’t just a database of suppliers; it’s also a robust educational resource with a wealth of free resources for starting and growing a dropshipping or e-commerce company.
- Free membership
- Legitimate wholesalers with low costs
- High-quality goods
- Free educational resources
- A relatively new platform
8. e-Sources
Find out more at esources.co.uk
The eSources platform provides is a comprehensive dropshipping and wholesale supplier catalogue. In addition to having over 170,000 listings of dropshipping suppliers, more than half of their inventory is suitable for UK wholesalers.
Since 2005, eSources has grown into one of the most established UK-based directories. Therefore, they have an adequate amount of suppliers and relevant expertise. Additionally, eSources reviews potential dropshipping sellers to ensure no intermediaries are included.
- One of the largest list of suppliers in the UK
- A reputable website with a stellar reputation
- Trustworthy suppliers
- Outdated interface
9. Printful
Find out more at printful.com
If you own a small company and want to dropship garments, accessories, or home goods, Printful is one of the best on-demand dropshipping service providers here to use.
The company prints bespoke graphics on products such as tee-shirt, pens, mugs, and even decorative pillows, all from your designs. With Printful, you can start without investing in equipment or stock, and their three-day shipping guarantee gives you peace of mind.
Printful is also useful if you want to make your custom-made items with interesting designs. You may order as little as one and as many as one hundred items with the same ease.
Theoretically, using the Printful platform is free. You may connect with the leading e-commerce platforms and get over 275 editable goods, product templates, mockups, clipart pictures, and integrations.
- Easy setup
- Free membership
- High-quality products
- Integration features
- The starting price for items can be high
- Low profit margins
10. Modalyst
Find out more at modalyst.com
Modalyst is a plugin for the Wix ecommerce platform that allows you to easily manage your inventory and inventory management. This useful plugin streamlines finding and connecting with suppliers for your dropshipping company, allowing you to better serve your clients. Products like jewellery and other accessories are on offer.
Modalyst is a dropshipping tool that automates the process for online retailers. Reputable labels, including Calvin Klein, DSquared, and many more, are available there. Modalyst also offers a curated selection of independent fashion labels for each consumer persona.
Modalyst is a streamlined tool that gets straight to the point. You can easily contact suppliers with a consolidated dashboard and a mobile app whenever necessary. Also, Modalyst is top-notch, and you can seamlessly integrate it with Wix. Not many alternatives are as easy.
- Various automation features
- Easy signup for a free starter kit
- A friendly mobile app
- Integration features
- A 5% transaction charge across all levels
- No customization for packages
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
1. Must I get someone’s approval before dropshipping?
Drop shipping only requires you to register your company after you begin generating sales. Most payment processors will demand proof of registration if your company’s revenue reaches a particular threshold.
2. Can a business make money with the dropshipping model?
Dropshipping is lucrative since it yields high profits with less overhead. Since you won’t have to worry about stocking your shelves, you can avoid the overhead of a brick-and-mortar shop or online marketplace. You may easily profit with a drop shipping company so long as you price your items so that they pay your branding and delivery expenses.
Conclusion
Drop-shipping is an effective and often efficient way of quickly setting up an online shop and selling products to customers without having to directly handle any products or fulfilment. To help you find both the right brands and product ranges to stock and setup with a drop-shipping supplier, we’ve provided a list of ten good platforms to help you get started.
You should evaluate the supplier’s quality, the ease with which you can integrate the service into your ecommerce website, and the kind of items you want to sell to your customers, then you can focus your efforts on marketing your new brand and leaving the warehousing and fulfilment to your new dropshipping partner.
