As a giant retail reseller, eBay has millions of sellers vying to feed into their respective sales funnels. Competition is tough, and this is why having high-quality products in your inventory and strategically marketing them are crucial to fulfilling your goals. Scouring for items you are interested in is not enough; you have to think about your market and their needs as well. Here is where finding the right suppliers come into the picture. But how do you do this? Where exactly are the best sources for your inventory?
Sourcing From Online Wholesalers
Whether you are a beginner or a veteran in the reselling industry, sourcing inventory is vital for you to close sales quickly. You attract more potential buyers when you have multiple quality products in your listings. With an onslaught of inquiries and potential customers, you will experience cases of repeat and bulk orders. So, it is important to have large amounts of items in your inventory. After all, you wouldn’t want to let go of what could have been a sale only if you had more of the item’s quantity in your inventory.
As your goal is to keep your revenue increasing, you need reliable wholesalers. It is not enough that your source bulk of products from just about anywhere as you want to be assured that these are all authentic (especially branded ones) and that you will have no issues with the transaction process.
When purchasing wholesale, you get to receive discounts at regular intervals. It is cheaper anywhere to do this as you are buying large quantities. Here, you get to inspect the goods yourself and check the condition before handling the storage and packaging them for your customers.
Now when purchasing via dropshipping, you are unable to check the goods first. The wholesalers drop ship the items to your preferred address. This is mainly for convenience, especially if you don’t have the time to visit the warehouse and inspect the products. It works out for those who want hassle-free sourcing, but of course, this also comes with the possibility that some items may not be up to par with your standard or quality control. In turn, you need to deal with managing the issue with the wholesaler.
No matter which method you choose, having reliable online wholesalers helps you, especially if you intend to sell in the long run. You can certainly find a trusted wholesaler from clothing and electronics to home furniture and furnishings.
BULQ on eBay
For those who are still learning the ropes in the wholesale business, you should familiarize yourself with eBay’s partnership with BULQ. The trusted wholesale liquidation source helps resellers fill in their inventory with returned or excess items from top retailers. This makes the whole process seamless for you as you don’t need to stress out so much about searching for other wholesalers.
To see how it works, you can visit the BULQ page and purchase “BULQ lots.” Navigate through the items that you want for your inventory. What is good with BULQ is you see crucial information such as the condition of the products, the category, and price points. You can find something good to sell on your page, from clothing, shoes, and accessories to toys, electronics, and home and garden goods. Once you have completed the transaction process, the goods will be shipped to your address.
Afterward, you will see generated listings of the items you bought from the BULQ eBay store. This feature is exclusively available there where there is prefilled data that you only need to complete. You can add other pertinent information such as photos and descriptions.
To access these, go to the Seller Hub. Click on the “Listings” tab and then choose “Create Listing.” Here, you will see the banner “Listings from BULQ inventory.” Select the lot that you want to be part of your listing.
You can also access the generated listings from your order confirmation email. Simply select the “generate drafts” button for this. You can do this either on mobile or on your desktop.
Additionally, you have the option to choose which templated listings to activate. This means you don’t need to create listings from scratch for every BULQ lot you purchased.
Take note, however, that this Bulk Inventory Solution is only available for eBay users on the U.S. website.
Why go for BULQ?
When availing of BULQ lots, you can be assured that you are only sourcing from top brands and wholesalers selling high-quality products. The lots have accurate descriptions, reasonable shipping costs, and a fast and seamless shipping process.
Aside from the products, the generated listings with prefilled data are convenient for resellers. eBay saves you time and allows you to tend to other tasks in reselling as these listings already contain general information about the items. You only need to modify the details.
Moreover, this solution allows you to explore and source new items for your inventory. You need not be limited to your usual suppliers and be stuck with the same items and goods. Simply browse through the BULQ eBay store, and you will find something that suits your preferences and your target market’s needs.
Keep in mind that wholesale inventory varies, so these can come from clearance sales, customer returns, open boxes, and retail overstock. This is why BULQ prides itself on being accurate in its item descriptions as much as possible. After all, gaining the trust of resellers is important, the same way you aspire to be credible to gain the trust of your customers.
Tips on Sourcing Inventory
Competition on eBay is tough, given the millions of other resellers. This is why you need to be on the lookout for trends and items under the fast-selling categories. If you are a beginner or have just been doing this for a short time, you have to invest in products proven to sell well.
Some of the items that sell fast are smartphones and accessories, laptops, tablets, printers, and even craft items such as scrapbooking materials, beads and stones, and jewelry-making supplies. In general, it is usually the high-value goods that sell fast. After all, people need gadgets in this digital age that also helps them earn more cash for their daily expenses.
Once you have identified and listed the items you want for your listings, you need to be strategic in purchasing bulk lots. You only want high-quality ones, so you have to read the description carefully and evaluate whether the item will become part of your inventory or not. As a reseller, the last thing you want is to end up with defective goods that you bought but cannot return or sell anymore.
Now you may be thinking that all of this sourcing business is a challenge. This is natural as you are competing with thousands of other resellers. Thankfully, there are apps like OneShop that guide you through the reselling business. The app automates tasks and more for you, from cross-listing, delisting, ordering shipping supplies, and tracking your seller performance. You can even look up an item’s Registration Number to know what brand it is.
On OneShop, you can draft a listing from scratch, and once you have completed it, it can easily be cross-posted to another top online marketplace like Poshmark and Mercari. You can promote your items to thousands of other customers in a few clicks and possibly close sales faster.
OneShop has a 7-day free trial that you can experience for yourself. Not only will it give you the ease and benefits that come with an automation tool, but you will also be able to track your seller performance, set goals for yourself, and connect with fellow resellers. Sign-up today and see your business grow.