21 Essential Questions to Ask Your Wholesale Supplier

To ease things up for you, we&#;ve put together the most important questions to ask your wholesaler .

Contact us to discuss your requirements of wholesale garden tool sets. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

If you&#;re a newcomer to buying wholesale , chances are you neither have an idea where to start looking nor know what criteria to have in mind when the time comes to make a choice.

However, not all wholesalers contribute to these satisfying numbers. Therefore, it&#;s important to bear in mind a few things instead of jumping headfirst.

You can only imagine the number of sales made on a global level.

As reported by Statista , the US wholesaler sales have reached an estimated amount of around 670 billion USD with an increase of around 10 billion USD within one year .

The reasons behind this preference are numerous, but we won&#;t go into detail since the sales numbers can speak for themselves.

It&#;s no secret that wholesale is classified as one of the most preferred supplying methods among others, such as dropshipping .

How long have you been offering wholesale services?

The best way to verify that the supplier you&#;ve chosen to collaborate with is reliable and sells genuine wholesale products is to find out as much information as possible regarding their experience and work history.

Wholesalers who have secured a network of loyal clients and have been on the market for some time are certain to be more trustworthy and provide you with better wholesale service.

Of course, you can always do a full investigation by yourself by:

• looking at their website
• browsing the company&#;s name on Google
• reading reviews on Trustpilot.

However, it&#;s even better to ask them directly as they may share details that haven&#;t been published online which could end up being decisive information.

What merchandise do you sell?

Understanding the merchandise your wholesale supplier offers is crucial for aligning their inventory with your store&#;s needs.

When selecting a supplier, ask for a comprehensive list or catalog of the products available. This list should include detailed information like product categories, materials, sizes, and variations.

For instance, if your niche is high-end fashion, you&#;d want to know whether the supplier provides a consistent supply of luxury clothing, accessories, or footwear, and if they carry premium brands or focus on unbranded items.

Additionally, inquire about new product launches or seasonal collections to ensure your store can keep up with market trends.

Don&#;t forget to ask about quality control measures and how they ensure the merchandise is free of defects.

How do orders work?

Understanding the supplier&#;s ordering process is vital to maintaining efficient operations and meeting customer expectations.

Begin by asking if there is a need to create an account on the supplier&#;s platform. If so, this may require you to provide some business details, such as your name, number, address, business name, business permit, or business registration number.

Once your account is verified, you&#;ll probably gain access to their wholesale catalog, where you can browse the full range of products available.

in most cases, you can put products you want to order in your shopping cart and finalize your order by paying with card.

How often do you update your inventory with new products?

Besides making sure the supplier has sufficient experience, store owners should prioritize finding vendors for your business that offer new clothing arrivals on a regular basis.

For every store out there, the main source of success comes from keeping customers content which is best done when providing them constantly with the latest products.

This recurrent update on items will continuously draw their attention, making them keep coming back to your shop and eventually turning them into a regular clientele.

Do you offer diverse products?

It goes without saying that product diversity plays a crucial role in retaining customers and preventing them from checking out competitors&#; stores.

That&#;s why in your search for the finest wholesaler you should never forget to ask potential suppliers about the variety of products they have at your disposal and estimate if that amount would satisfy your customers&#; needs.

Therefore, don&#;t rush into choosing a supplier before confirming that they offer a wide-ranging portfolio of brands and products that&#;ll not only bring you happy and loyal customers but also assure you notable revenue growth.

If you are getting into the fashion industry, make certain your supplier of choice covers enough categories of winning products for both men and women to be able to meet shopping enthusiasts&#; expectations.

Are the products you&#;re offering authentic?

In case your niche consists of selling high-end fashion products, it&#;s of the utmost importance to verify their authenticity as there are many suppliers offering knock-off items that you may end up purchasing without realizing they&#;re counterfeit goods.

So, when browsing for wholesalers of luxury brands, remember to look for suppliers that stand behind their products&#; authenticity and would stock your store with genuine brands.

Could you provide me with a product catalog?

The product catalog is every wholesaler&#;s most significant part of their website, giving prospective customers a sneak peek into their inventory, enough to make a general evaluation of the items they&#;re selling.

However, many business owners may stumble upon wholesalers that offer an extremely limited preview of their catalog, making the rest of the products available only after one decides to use their services.

So, try to avoid these suppliers and stick with those who give clients access to check out their merchandise by registering for free like BrandsGateway and their catalog of the latest trending clothing items.

Is there a minimum order quantity?

The minimum order quantity can vary tremendously from one wholesaler to another but it mostly depends on the type of products being sold.

For instance, expensive products usually have a higher MOQ than those sold at cheaper prices because they&#;re high-quality authentic products that are obtained from authorized entities.

Thus, it&#;s best when clients are informed upfront about the MOQ in order to be able to calculate in advance their order expenses and see if they can fit them into their budget.

Where is the merchandise sourced from?

The location where the supplier&#;s merchandise is produced can say a lot about the quality of the products.

Although many suppliers source their goods from authorized vendors and then sell them to retailers, outlet owners, or eCommerce stores, an even bigger number source them from unreliable manufacturers, some of which are known to have significant disadvantages such as the cons of Chinese suppliers.

Because of that, it&#;s highly recommended to check where your wholesale supplier sources their merchandise from prior to buying a poor-quality bulk of items.

Where are your warehouses located?

The whereabouts of your potential wholesaler&#;s warehouses are another thing clients should take into consideration, especially because it can greatly affect the delivery time.

In addition to the price paid when purchasing the products, the buyer is also required to cover custom duties for exporting and importing merchandise from one country to another.

That being the case, try to opt for a wholesaler who has warehouses in several places around the world, such as BrandsGateway, which will not only reduce your expenses but also provide you with fast and convenient delivery services.

What is your shipping policy?

Another vital thing wholesale suppliers should inform you about is the approximate time it would take for them to deliver your orders.

You wouldn&#;t want to find yourself in a situation in which customers can&#;t make a purchase of a certain item because your store is out of stock.

Therefore, just like previously mentioned, when choosing a supplier, keep in mind both the location of the warehouses and the time it might take for orders to be handed over to you.

Can I track my orders?

In order for you to be able to keep an eye on your packages, ask your wholesaler if they offer the possibility for you to track your delivery.

In that way, you can be kept posted on the status of your order at all times and be notified almost instantly in the case of any shipping delays.

Hence, make sure to pick out a supplier that would provide you with a tracking number, as BrandsGateway does with its clients, so you could constantly be kept updated on where your order stands.

Do you ship worldwide?

Before trying to figure out delivery costs, order tracking, or shipping time, you need to find out if the potential suppliers you&#;ve been looking into ship globally or just locally.

If they don&#;t ship to your location, you&#;d only be wasting your time with them.

You shouldn&#;t be surprised if you ever come across wholesalers who limit their shipping abilities and offer delivery services only within the countries their warehouses are situated in and sometimes including neighboring states.

For that reason, always make sure that you work with a supplier that ships worldwide so that you can build an international eCommerce business.

What are your return policies?

Being aware of return and refund policies is crucial in the event of having to deal with damaged goods.

Thus, it&#;s important to have a clear understanding of how your supplier manages situations when clients wish to return products or cancel orders.

Some might offer monetary reimbursement, some may provide store credit, while others might give out coupons or discounts.

In addition, be on the watch for any hidden fees or additional charges that could be imposed by the supplier.

Who covers the costs in case of returns?

In most cases, suppliers rarely offer freight-collect services concerning the return of products.

In other words, the buyers are the ones responsible for covering the shipping costs when sending items back to the wholesaler.

However, there are suppliers that do bear those costs in the event of merchandise that is faulty, has been damaged, or wrongly shipped.

In order to benefit from a full refund in cases like these, suppliers are likely to ask you to provide them with photos of the products concerned.

After they&#;ve accepted your request, they&#;ll be able to reimburse you for your loss.

Therefore, have a good look at the terms and conditions of your wholesaler and take careful notice of the returns and refunds sections.

What payment methods do you accept?

One more key question to include in your list is regarding the payment methods of the wholesalers you have set your mind on working with.

Taking into account the pros and cons of various payment methods, depending on your preferences and possibilities, you might find some of them are less while others are more suitable for your business.

Thus, it&#;d be wise to opt for suppliers who present clients with the opportunity to choose among different types of payment.

In this manner, you&#;d have the freedom to determine which option would work best for you.

What do your payment terms involve?

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To avoid any inconveniences, it&#;s essential to settle the payment terms with the supplier, meaning, to agree on when payments should be installed.

Usually, wholesalers have clearly defined payment times that clients are expected to respect.

However, for different types of items, there may be different payment terms to be met.

Hence, it&#;s important to inform yourself thoroughly about invoice deadlines so there won&#;t be any confusion or unexpected situations.

What are the anticipated profit margins?

Do you offer discounts?

When purchasing products in bulk, luxury brands particularly, wholesalers try to abstain from giving discounts.

It&#;s an industry standard that has been around for a long time and suppliers attempt to stick with it.

Nevertheless, during the holiday shopping season, chances are you&#;ll come across discounts for particular categories of products and brands.

So, stay in tune with your supplier so you don&#;t miss out on those opportunities.

Do you provide customer service?

You know that a wholesaler is worth doing business with when they not only supply clients with excellent products but also have at disposal exceptional customer service.

Whether it&#;s about the above-discussed delivery issues, merchandise troubles, or something else, clients should always be able to lean on customer support for any kind of problem that may arise.

In that way, they can keep steady communication with the supplier around the clock.

Do you have customer reviews available?

Last but not least, customer reviews and references exert an astounding influence on clients&#; decisions.

In a survey conducted by PowerReviews, 98% of consumers said that reviews are an indispensable step when purchasing merchandise, thus, giving them a decision-making role in the purchase process both in the B2C and B2B marketplaces.

So, it wouldn&#;t be a bad idea to request from suppliers credible reviews. To illustrate, wholesaler BrandsGateway supplies interested retailers with such testimonials, furnishing them with evidence that BrandsGateway is legit.

Final thoughts

As your store grows and expands, you&#;re likely to constantly come across new wholesale suppliers.

Some of them might emerge immediately as the perfect match, while others might not be up your alley.

To be 100% sure that they are someone your store would benefit from working with, we recommend putting these questions to use when business talks are in progress.

Thus, we advise you to have this list on hand so you can come back to it whenever you need to evaluate new partners and verify the reliability and authenticity of their services and company.

12×16 sheds are an excellent option for many people and their storage needs. Whether you want to fit in some large gardening items or some of your outdoor toys (like ATVs), a 12×16 storage shed is a great option. Here are 5 questions you need to ask when considering the purchase of a 12×16 storage shed.

1. Is A 12×16 Shed Big Enough?

This is a great question. Our most popularly ordered shed has been the 10×16. So to order a 12×16 shed, you will give yourself about 2&#; of extra room for what you need. Imagine having all the storage space of a 10×16 shed with enough room for a nice-sized workbench. A 12×16 shed offers you a great storage area and a comfortable working space.

What Can You Fit In a 12×16 Shed?

photo credit: https://overholtstoragebuildings.com/garage-shed-organization-tips/

In order to better visualize what you can put in a 12×16 shed, we have compiled the following list as an example only (this is a basic 12×16 footprint with no loft included). According to the Lp Sidings storage guide, you would be able to fit the following items in a 12×16 storage shed comfortably.

2 Fuel Cans (15&#; L x 10&#; W)

4 Long-Handled Garden Tools (20&#; W x 24&#; D)

1 Propane Grill (52.65&#; W x 23.3&#; D)

2 Ladders (80&#; L x 7&#; D)

1 Push Lawn Mower (60&#; L x 25&#; W)

1 14 Gallon Shop Vacuum (20&#; L x 16.25&#; W)

1 Small Drivable Vehicle (72.75&#; L x 45&#; W)

1 Snow Blower (48&#; L x 21&#; W)

1 Wheelbarrow (58.75&#; L x 25.5&#; W)

1 Freestanding Cabinet (28&#; W x 18&#; D)

2 Hanging Cabinets (28&#; W x 13&#; D)

2 Garbage Bins (28.5&#; L x 23&#; W)

1 Set of Hanging Shelves (40&#; W x 12&#; D)

1 Tool Chest (28&#; L x 18&#; W)

1 Trunk/Toy Chest (30&#; L x 16&#; W)

1 Child Sized Basketball Hoop (23.75&#; W x 22&#; D)

2 Bicycles (63&#; L x 23&#; W)

2 Scooters (24.8 &#; L x 8&#; W)

1 Wagon (41.75&#; L x 20.75&#; W)

4 Reclining Patio Chairs (28&#; W x 22&#; D)

1 Long Work Bench (96&#; L x 25&#; D)

Now that&#;s A LOT of storage! A great way to get even more storage space from a 12 x16 shed is by considering a Lofted Storage Shed. A loft gives you the benefit of more storage space without needing to take up any additional yard space from a 12×16 shed. 

Perhaps the items listed in this lineup are not precisely what you need to store. You can know how much storage space you need by going to the LP Smart Sidings Size Tool. Here you can input what you desire to store, and they will give you a suggested storage building size.

2. What Foundation Does A 12×16 Shed Need?

Like any portable structure, a 12×16 shed needs a place to be set. There are multiple foundation options available for a 12×16 shed to be placed on. Let&#;s look at the most common type of shed foundation options.

Stone/Gravel Pad

Stone and Gravel pads give your 12×16 shed a solid foundation and allow for the correct water drainage. Having a gravel pad ensures that you have the appropriate drainage and does 2 valuable items for your shed.

1.) You will be increasing the life of your shed&#;s skid wood. You are giving more life to the wood of your shed because the water will drain away and not allow rot to start as quickly on the skid foundation. 

2.) Using a shed foundation like a gravel pad will ensure that erosion and ground shifting will not occur as quickly as the water drains away from the building. 

One of the perks of doing a gravel site is that you can do this on your own for a relatively low cost.

Cement Pad:

Some people like the look and permanency of a poured cement foundation for their 12×16 shed. This is a great option but does come with some caution.

1. The process of installing a cement-poured foundation can be pretty costly. To do a poured cement foundation, you will need to have a crew come and do the appropriate grading, underlayment, and any additional leveling that needs to take place. This needed labor is sure to increase the cost.
2. If the slope in the grading process is off for your cement-poured foundation, you can end up with standing water where you can not see it. Having standing water under your 12×16 shed increases the chances of rot occurring where you can not see it. In the long run, the standing water may cause deterioration, meaning you will need to make repairs earlier than expected.
3. While a poured cement foundation can be done on your own, it takes a bit of know-how and is not a project that a novice DIYer can not quickly complete.

No Foundation

Some people have thought that they do not need to have a foundation in place for their 12×16 shed. The idea of not having a foundation is tempting if you are looking to save money in the short term. Conversely, it will cause more issues than you had intended in the long term. Such as: 

• Excess moisture causes rot on the foundation wood.
• Ground shift causes the shed to lean one way or another.
• Uneven ground shifting causing the doors to become difficult to open. 

3. How Many Square Feet Does 12×16 Shed Take Up?

12×16 sheds have a footprint space for their size; the footprint space is the amount of space a shed will take up in a given area. A 12×16 shed will take up a minimum of 12 feet x 16 feet. However, that does not account for the additional surrounding space of a foundation. The extra square footage space needed for a shed foundation is about l 1 foot on each side. By requiring the other 1&#; on each side you should plan for a 12×16 storage shed to have a footprint space of about 13×17.

4. How Many Square Feet of Usable Space Does A 12×16 Shed Offer?

The usable space of a 12×16 storage shed will not be the same as the exterior measurements (or footprint size). However, there is a valid reason for that! When we give you a measurement of 12&#; x 16&#;, that is only the exterior measurement (the exact measurement is 11&#; 6&#;x 15&#; 6&#;). The internal size will cause you to lose some space due to the materials used to construct the shed. At 5 Star Buildings, something that sets us apart from others is that the interior room only loses a total of 7&#; of interior space.

So let us break down how much usable space you will receive from a 12×16 storage shed.

11&#; 6&#;&#; &#; 7&#;  = 10&#; 11&#;

16&#; &#; 7&#; = 15&#; 5&#;

These measurements give you an interior usage space of 162.84 ft² when purchasing a 12×16 shed from 5 Star Buildings.

5. Is It Cheaper To Build Or Buy A 12 x 16 Shed?

At 5 Star Buildings, our 12×16 sheds have a range of prices from $5,255  to $6,195 at the time of this writing. However, a 12×16 shed that has additional features will give variance in cost. The sheds that we currently build to a 12×16 dimension are

*Images are to show available shed models and may not be to scale. However, all shed styles shown can be built to 12×16 dimensions.

How Much Does It Cost To Build a 12x 16 Shed?

12×16 Shed Kit Cost

A 12×16 shed kit from Amazon will cost you around $4,127. However, it does not include everything you may be thinking of at that price.  If you want a floor, windows, or something even as necessary as roofing,  you will need to figure out how to do that on your own and have those as an added cost. So at the end of the day, you might have saved a few hundred dollars on your 12×16 shed kit, but you have the hassle of doing all the work yourself.

12×16 Built From Scratch

You may look at these prices and still say to yourself,  &#;I know I can build it all with my own 2 working hands,&#; and maybe you have that know-how. However, with your knowledge, don&#;t forget that it may be very pricey to build a shed on your own if you don&#;t have the tools or materials on hand already.

Tools

To purchase all the tools required to build your shed, will cost approximately $2,365 (according to Northwood Industries based out of Wisconsin).  This includes everything from basics like a hammer to more expensive equipment such as a chop saw. The numbers speak for themselves. The tools to build a 12×16 shed are not very cheap, however, any tools that you do have will change the cost of building the 12×16 shed.

Materials:

Building a 12×16 shed is no small feat. The materials you will need to create this structure are pretty extensive. The bare essentials that this DIY project consists of are** :

*Disclaimer: These prices are subject to change. This table is intended as a guide and the prices reflected are accurate as of 5/5/. Additionally, these prices do not include taxes.

** These materials are compiled form the DIY website and are not the plans of a 5 Star Buildings 12×16 shed.

12×16 Shed Labor Cost :

For 2 typical DIYers, it will take about 5 8-hour days to build a 12×16 shed. Another way to think of this is it will take you about every Saturday in a month to complete. The average hourly rate in Cuba, MO, is $14.32. This hourly wage means that at 80 hours of labor, it will cost about $1,145.60. However, something to keep in mind is you may make more or less than $14.32/hour. These numbers may significantly impact the cost of your build if you use the &#;bill at your hourly wage&#; principle. 

12×16 Shed Total Cost:

The total cost of building a 12×16 shed is $7,571.14. We break down the price of a shed build as follows. Your total cost for materials will come in at a minimum of $3,612.72 (not including taxes). If you don&#;t have any, your total cost for tools will be $2,365 (not including taxes). Labor costs will be around $1,145.00 if billed at the average rate of $14.32/hour.  So in total, to build a 12×16 storage shed, your tools and materials cost $7,122.72.  In seeing this price calculation to build your own 12×16 shed from start to finish, you will spend about $966.17 more than buying our most expensive 12×16 shed.

What if I have some of the supplies for my 12×16 shed?

If you are considering building your own 12×16 shed, the odds are that you have some of the equipment needed to make your shed. If you have all the tools required for the mentioned price calculation, the cost to build your shed with labor and materials will be roughly $4.757.72. The analysis presented to you shows a savings of about $500 from purchasing our most affordable shed. However, the $500 spent on buying a 12×16 shed may be worth saving yourself the week of vacation time it takes to build.

How Are Your Prices for 12×16 Sheds So Affordable?

12×16 sheds built by a manufacturer like us are reasonably priced for a few key reasons.

Project Basis: One of our experienced builders works in our controlled environment and focuses on only your shed. This makes it easy for your shed to be completed from start to finish as we are always finding ways to increase our efficiency.

Whole Sale Pricing: We can be so competitive in our pricing by purchasing in wholesale quantities. Because of the volume we order, we can save on the price compared to a retail store, which means we pass the saving on to you!

Expertise: When we hire people at 5-Star Building, we make sure that they are experts in their field. By having these experts on our team, we can work efficiently and correct the issues that come up efficiently. 

Conclusion:

12×16 sheds are a great option to store the stuff that makes your life enjoyable. Whether you&#;re storing a lawnmower, gardening tools, or all the outdoor toys your kids play with. We know that a 12×16 storage shed can help you get the organized life you have always wanted! If you live in our service area, stop dreaming about what you want and fill out a quote form. Or take it one step further and use our 3-D Builder to design your dream shed. At 5-Star Buildings we strive to build your dreams!

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