When I take on a new wholesale FBA client under my Amazon account management service, the first thing I do is open a spreadsheet I’ve been building for years. It’s a database of suppliers, brands, and distributors I’ve already vetted, contacted, or worked with across different categories. That’s where supplier sourcing starts — not Google, not Alibaba, not a paid directory.
Most advice on finding wholesale suppliers sends you straight to Alibaba or some generic trade directory. That advice ignores a fundamental reality: the suppliers worth working with are the ones that take time to find, time to build relationships with, and sometimes months to get approved by. There are no shortcuts. But there is a process that works — and this is it.
Start With What You Already Have
If you’ve been operating in the wholesale space for any amount of time, you already have a database — even if it’s just notes or emails scattered across your inbox. The first step is organising that into a proper supplier spreadsheet: brand name, contact details, category, approval status, last contact date, and any notes from previous interactions.
Why start here? Because a supplier you’ve contacted before — even one that rejected you — is warmer than a cold lead. Markets change. Brands change their distribution policies. A supplier that said no 12 months ago might say yes today, especially if your account has grown since then.
💡 Build this habit early
Every supplier you research, contact, or get approved by should go into a spreadsheet immediately. Track the contact name, email, phone, category, MOQ, payment terms, and approval status. This database becomes one of your most valuable business assets over time.
Google Is Still the Best Research Tool
After checking my own database, the next place I go is Google Search. Not Amazon, not Alibaba — Google. A simple search like "[brand name] wholesale application" or "[brand name] authorised distributor" will surface more useful leads than most paid tools.
From there I use Google Maps to find local distributors in specific US cities and states — particularly for brands with regional distribution networks. A distributor in Dallas that supplies to independent retailers might not show up on any directory, but they’ll have a Google Business listing.
The logic is simple: most sellers are running the same paid tools and browsing the same directories. Google searches — especially location-specific ones — surface suppliers that aren’t getting hammered with applications from every new Amazon seller in the country.
The Biggest Mistake New Sellers Make
I see this constantly with new wholesale sellers: they buy from liquidators and unauthorised suppliers because the prices look good and the approval process is non-existent.
This is one of the fastest ways to destroy an Amazon account. Here’s why:
- Liquidation inventory is often returnee, damaged, or counterfeit. When customer complaints come in — and they will — Amazon holds the seller responsible, not the liquidator.
- Unauthorised suppliers can’t provide the invoices Amazon requires. When Amazon Seller Central asks you to prove your supply chain for a brand (and they do ask), an invoice from a liquidator won’t pass.
- Brands monitor their own listings. If you’re selling their products without authorisation and they spot it, you’ll get a cease and desist and potentially a suspension.
⚠️ The test for any supplier
Ask yourself: can this supplier provide an invoice on their company letterhead that includes the brand name, product details, quantities, and their business address? If the answer is no — or if they hesitate — don’t place the order.
What You Need Before Approaching Any Brand
Before you contact a single supplier, two things need to be in place:
1. A proper e-commerce website
Your website doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it needs to exist and it needs to look like it belongs to a real business. Include your company name, what you sell, how you sell it, and contact information. A seller with a professional website signals credibility. A seller with a Gmail address and no web presence gets ignored.
2. Communication that reads like a business, not a beginner
Your first email to a brand sets the tone. State who you are, what you sell, which of their products you’re interested in, and ask for their wholesale price list and MOQ. Don’t mention Amazon in the first email — many brands are cautious about their products being sold heavily on Amazon.
Rejection Is Part of the Process — Not the End of It
I’ve been rejected by suppliers more times than I can count. Every wholesale operator has. It’s not something to internalise or let slow you down.
Brands reject applications for many reasons: they already have too many Amazon sellers, their distribution is locked to specific regions, or they’re changing their wholesale programme. A no today is not a permanent no.
Follow up politely, consistently, and without desperation. I’ve had brands approve applications after four months of follow-ups. Persistence, done professionally, works.
