Wholesale
Wholesale is selling in bulk to businesses that resell, trading margin for distribution and steadier volume.
What wholesale is
Wholesale is selling in bulk to businesses that resell: retailers, distributors, and other stores buying at wholesale prices, typically around half of retail, to sell on at their own margin.
Why wholesale matters
It buys distribution: other stores’ shelves, audiences, and sales teams moving your product where your own site doesn’t reach. Orders are bigger and demand steadier, in exchange for thinner per-unit margin and less control over presentation.
How wholesale runs
- Line sheets and wholesale catalogs with trade pricing
- Minimum orders and case packs per account
- Net payment terms rather than card-at-checkout
- B2B portals or marketplaces taking reorders
Frequently asked questions
How is wholesale priced?
Backward from retail: the reseller needs their margin, commonly around half off the retail price, and your wholesale price still has to clear your costs comfortably. If it can’t, the product isn’t wholesale-ready.
Does wholesale conflict with selling direct?
Only without rules: honored MSRP guidance, protected territories or channels, and consistent pricing keep retail partners from being undercut by your own site during their sale seasons.
Related terms
B2B Ecommerce · Net Terms · MSRP · Line Sheet · Vendor Chargeback