Choosing a wholesaler is the decision that most shapes a dropshipping project, and it is almost always made by looking at the least important thing: the size of the catalog. A huge catalog is useless if the margins don\u2019t work, shipping takes too long, or orders have to be typed in one by one. These are the criteria that actually decide.<\/p>\n
The first number any wholesaler shows is the discount off MSRP. That number tells you almost nothing, because real margin is calculated after subtracting shipping, payment gateway fees, return costs, and the cost of acquiring that customer.<\/p>\n
Take five representative products from their catalog, calculate the full margin of each one, and see whether the result supports your ad spend. If it doesn\u2019t, no amount of volume will fix that.<\/p>\n
In dropshipping, you don\u2019t control the delivery time, but the customer holds you responsible for it. Before signing, ask for the real average lead time \u2014 not the promised one \u2014 and which carriers they use.<\/p>\n
A wholesaler that delivers within 24-48 hours in Spain lets you compete. One that takes a week forces you to compete on price alone, which is the worst possible position.<\/p>\n
This is what people ask about least and what causes the most problems. The law requires you to accept returns from your customer; the wholesaler is not required to accept them from you under the same conditions.<\/p>\n
If the supplier does not accept returns or charges to process them, every customer who changes their mind is a direct loss. With tight margins, a normal return rate can wipe out all the profit in a category.<\/p>\n
Twenty thousand SKUs sound great in a presentation and are a problem in a store. What matters is what comes with each SKU:<\/p>\n
| Images<\/td>\n | Sufficient resolution, clean background, and multiple views. A catalog with one small photo per product forces you to take your own photos.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Descriptions<\/td>\n | If they come as plain technical text, you\u2019ll have to rewrite them. Count that work from the start.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Attributes<\/td>\n | Size, color, dimensions, and material structured. Without them, you can\u2019t build proper filters or variations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Updates<\/td>\n | How often the feed changes. A catalog updated once a week is useless for fast-moving products.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| EAN and SKUs<\/td>\n | Necessary if you also plan to sell on marketplaces or sync with an ERP.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nAutomation: the question almost nobody asks in time<\/h2>\nEvery wholesaler says automation is possible. What you need to ask is exactly what is automated and what requirements it has.<\/p>\n Importing the catalog and syncing stock is usually available to everyone. Automatic order sending is something else<\/strong>: many wholesalers grant it only to approved accounts, case by case. If your business plan assumes you won\u2019t have to type in orders, confirm that before setting anything up.<\/p>\n |