Can a fmcg wholesaler make money buying and selling products

Who are Fmcg wholesalers?

The wholesaler can be thought of as a middleman who buys products in large quantities and resells them to the retailers for a profit. He or she serves as a connection between a manufacturer and a retailer. Wholesalers purchase items at low prices and market them to consumers at higher prices since they buy directly from the manufacturer or supplier of goods. As a result, the remaining sum is a source of income.

E-commerce-sales-during-festivals.

A wholesaler sells bulk amounts of their goods to customers, allowing them to get a better deal than if they bought individual products. In this case, the wholesaler saves a lot of money by purchasing vast amounts of products. The wholesaler is rarely involved in the production of a commodity, preferring to concentrate on distribution. The term “wholesale” refers to large-scale purchases. Wholesalers may specialize in selling a variety of goods to other companies, government agencies, and hospitals. These institutions then use goods for their own purposes.

The classic role of wholesaler is as such:
Manufacturer — wholesaler — retailer — buyer
Manufacturer — wholesaler — bulk buyer

How do wholesalers make money? It is simple: buy low sell high.

In a nutshell, wholesale refers to a type of business in which wholesalers buy bulk products directly from manufacturers and then resell them to other business users. Wholesalers are mainly divided into three types: traders, agents and manufacturers’ sales branches and offices. They differ in the nature of the services or products offered wholesale. However, they all have their own advantages. Wholesale can increase brand awareness, while retail tends to have higher profit margins.

Why don’t manufacturer sell their product directly to retailer or buyers?

It is too complicated. The supply chain management, customer service,etc. would take much energy and knowledge about local market.

Sometimes wholesaler pay in advance so that manufacture could have better cash flow.

Wholesale refers to two possible business models. Companies can buy large quantities of goods directly from manufacturers, store them, and then sell them. Or wholesale refers to an enterprise that produces its own products and sells them directly to retailers, who then sell the products to end users.

logistics-concept-map-global-business-connection-technology-int-interface-

Wholesalers purchase goods from distributors and pass them on to retailers for sale to end users. Wholesale merchandise suppliers source popular products to ensure that they can provide retailers with the latest merchandise. When a trend is determined, wholesalers will select the most cost-effective products from many manufacturers and distributors for research and purchase. Then, wholesale operators supply these products to retail companies for purchase.

Remember, your reason for starting a business is to make money, so you must make sure to buy from a source that allows you to make the most profit. There are different suppliers that can make you maximize profits or maximize profits. In this case, you may need to consider buying directly from a larger supplier or manufacturer.

For example, FashionTIY, they provide cheap prices, and a wide range of products, their product quality, flexible MOQ, after-sales service and personalized customized services are guaranteed.

They have no minimum order quantity limit, enjoy the wholesale price, the minimum order quantity is 1 piece, whether it is personal purchase or wholesale, it is very cost-effective. If there is a product quality problem, they can also provide up to 30 days of after-sales service.

In an online wholesale business how do you make money selling a product? Doesn’t the money go to the company that made the product?

4 ways you can earn profit through e-commerce sales.

Festive-Celebrations-and-fmcg-goods.

Buy the product at large wholesale discounts and then resell it with a markup that you keep as commission. Medical distributors are an example of this. They buy in really large quantities and then sell in smaller quantities for a higher price. Amazon re-sellers may also do this.

Become a licensed seller for the manufacturer. When you sell a product online, you earn a commission for that sale.

Charge a fee for manufacturers to advertise with you. You keep the marketing fee and the manufacturer keeps their earnings. Alibaba uses a model very much like this.

Charge a fee to the buyer for the transaction. Not sure I’ve seen this in a wholesale business but Ticketmaster is an example company that does this.

The key differences between FMCG Distributors and Wholesalers.

A potential Route to Market (RtM) challenge, is that many FMCG Co.’s view or treat Distributors and Wholesalers the same way.

There are many similarities between Distributors and Wholesalers, with both acting as intermediaries between the FMCG Co. and the retailer but identifying and understanding the differences is key to any RtM strategy.

Wholesale Characteristics

Agreements

There may not be any agreement in place between the FMCG Co. and the wholesaler.

Wholesalers, sometimes referred to as Cash & Carry’s or sub distributors or merchants or traders, etc., may buy their product from the distributor, not the FMCG Co.

If the wholesaler has any RtM staff, it is unlikely the FMCG Co. will influence them.

Exclusivity

Wholesalers are seldom exclusive and usually sell whatever products they choose.

Wholesalers can be very focused on price, even if this means procuring brand or SKU formats not destined for their normal channel, market, or geography.

Management

Wholesalers can be, and usually are, very important customers to the FMCG Co.

They can play a key role in volume, trade coverage and sometimes access to certain markets or geographies.

In some cases, Wholesale management may be assigned to Key Accounts, to Distribution managers or to the Field Sales team.

Wholesalers tend not to be selected by the FMCG Co., they normally approach the FMCG Co. or their Distributor and look to become a customer.

Wholesalers, as with distributors, require specific management effort to maximise their potential. This is not always appreciated by the FMCG Co.

It is important to note that the top tier of today’s wholesalers, could be tomorrows distributors.

Territories

Wholesalers are seldom assigned a specific geography, territory, region, or country.

Wholesalers tend to sell their products to whomever wants to buy them, in some cases using eCommerce platforms and perhaps cannibalising volume from other channels or territories.

Brand Range & SKU’s

The Wholesaler usually stocks whatever brands and SKUs will sell the fastest, and deliver the strongest margin, regardless of any FMCG Co. RtM strategy.

Remuneration

Wholesalers tend to be renumerated by margin, front margin (% mark-up) and/or back end margin (volume discount or rebate).

Margins tend to be more top down, than specifically negotiated. For example, the Wholesale Channel usually determines their own % mark up, but could be offered a specific volume rebate from the FMCG Co.

Wholesalers almost always take ownership of the product.

Operations

Wholesalers are seldom in the logistics business; they usually have a premises that the retailer or customer can visit to purchase goods. In some cases, consumers can shop at Wholesalers.

Wholesalers may offer delivery for some key retailers/customers.

Wholesalers seldom get involved with customer visits, customer classifications, call frequency, or other trade marketing activities.

Wholesalers are seldom reliant on a single FMCG Co., who are usually a small part of their overall turnover.

What is a good wholesale profit margin?

Usually 7%- 13% or even low-high as its depend on many factors, because without understanding the business type its difficult to state good profit margin .So some of conditions based profit margins like –

Industry with Low competition – Yes, you can earn good profit margin of around 13% – 17% of profit.

Industry with High competition – If you come under this industry then you may expect below 11%.

Large Scale Manufacturing – Okay, if you are large scale manufacturer then forget above two points, you will earn 2% – 5% of profit.

From where you’re Sourcing – Definitely your sourcing location or country has predominant impact on overall profits ( it may increase or decrease profit).

Where you are selling – Same impact as above, selling in low competitive area(country, state) or high ?

Other factors – Uniqueness, service quality, product quality, demand etc.

How do wholesalers manage to have enough money to buy so much?

Depending on the industry most wholesalers take credit from their suppliers and demand payment on delivery from their customers.

Probably the best known type is the ‘Cash and Carry’ Metro, Jio Mart, WalMart,Croma,lenscart,Myntra,Amazon wholesalers who supply small independent retailers.

They take 90 to 120 days to pay the manufacturers of say tinned beans but the shopkeepers who get their stock in the warehouse pay cash when they collect the tins and take them to their retail outlets.

Logistics-franchise-for-flipkart-amazon-meesho-Delivery-Point-Logistics-Courier-franchise..

So you can see it is a bit of a juggling act that can be very profitable if you get it right because you are using someone else’s money for ‘free’ and no need to go to the bank to finance your business.

Other businesses get more creative to go to to get working capital.

Logistics-and-Fmcg-goods.

Borrowing against work in progress is used with manufacturing and other physical product manufacture but it is expensive and sucks the business dry in the end as the profitability is very often not there to let it work.

The bottom line is that after working for a while the wheels come off the set up and as there is no real cash in the system or profit the whole set up goes bust.

Mirror-Image-or-Twins.

Between a wholesaler and a retailer, who should earn more profit?

Depending on the situation, wholesalers and retailers often have their maximum profits already accounted for when they move to the next level of retailing.

Wholesalers get the goods directly from the manufacturing plant, and if they are close to the origin, the price is often low in the case of large-volume purchases. Small profits but quick turnover is also the marketing method that most wholesalers give priority to.

And when a retailer buys from a competitive wholesaler,Amazon,Alibaba,Flipkart,TradeIndia, also makes more profit than the wholesaler. The retailer enjoys the lowest preferential price of the wholesaler, which is also lower than the market retail price, so the profit will be more than 40%. If the retailer has an accurate forecast of the retail market and timely launches new fashionable and high-quality products, its profit is far more than 40%.

How do I become a wholesaler in a year?

How to become a wholesaler?

Wholesalers are mainly engaged in buying and storing products in bulk. How to successfully wholesale goods? Next, we will walk through the key procedures of becoming a wholesaler step by step.

Acquire wholesale-related knowledge

The first step in starting your wholesale journey is to ask yourself “How do I sell wholesale products?”. It is about learning the basics of wholesale such as accounting rules, business management regulations and most importantly, understanding the legal terminology of the industry you want to work in.

Determine the scope of the product or service

Once you have some basic business knowledge, the next step is to decide which product categories to offer. In theory, you can sell basically anything related to the restaurant business, but the reality is that choosing the most efficient and familiar range of products or services should be the easiest to manage.

Assess the profitability of the industry

The profitability of the industry can be assessed by conducting market research annually on the market size and total revenue of the relevant market. This market information is very useful in judging whether a wholesale business is worth running. As a wholesaler, it is inevitable to negotiate with manufacturers and contact different logistics companies separately to obtain purchase price and shipping cost.

Fmcg-brands-ware-house-inventory-management-for-Faster-last-mile-deliveries.j

Choose your own inventory management software

Many wholesalers sell wholesale products online. That’s why we need inventory software. There are tons of software for inventory management and tracking on the market. Among many order management software, choosing the right software often requires comparison and testing. Most inventory management software has standard features such as real-time sales tracking, order and inventory management.

chefs-and-hospitality-industry

Find potential customer groups

How to sell wholesale products? The answer is to find your own customer base. One of the most popular ways to search for potential customers is to refer to your competitors. By building a SWOT matrix, you can better evaluate and compare the business you are starting with that of your competitors. Try to reach out to similar customer groups and interview their needs. At the same time, consider how you can fill current holes in the products or services offered by your competitors.

At the same time, it is also possible to reach the public through marketing distribution channels, either through traditional marketing channels (brochures and TV commercials) or innovative marketing channels (social media platforms).

Open a business bank account

Most business owners open a bank account by opening a business checking account. Setting up a business bank account is crucial because you can easily manage your funds. Gather the required documents such as proof of registration for the wholesale business and your identity. With the advancement of technology, it is possible to set up a business bank account online or in person. Finally, deposit the funds you have into the account and start managing your business!

Chef-and-the-Customers-connection.

Consciously manage the warehouse

After all the preparations are done, when it comes to warehouse management, space utilization and inventory accuracy are key. As a beginner in wholesale business, the first warehouse you rent may not be very spacious due to limited budget. In limited warehouse areas, the utilization of shelves and space becomes very important. It is recommended to evaluate warehouse racking and space utilization to ensure there is no excess space.

Fmcg-distributors-Stock-point-Godown.

In addition to space utilization, inventory accuracy is also essential. In fact, 97% inventory accuracy is a good benchmark. To increase this percentage, wholesalers need to track the inflow and outflow of inventory to make sure everything is in order. Of course, you can even hire someone to do the work for you if the budget is not so limited. Therefore, you can pay full attention to finding potential customers, which directly generates revenue.

Reliable supplier

Those looking for the most unique wholesale product range should check out leading wholesaler websites of products. Here you will get the best quality products at fairly cheap wholesale prices.

Wholesalers contribute 60 to 70 % of the distribution business of FMCG and they reach out to most of the retailers which the distributors can’t especially in the open market and in a remote coverage areas , and they are used to win competition in trade by their weighted buying nature.