How do you buy wholesale from brands you already sell? Find the brand's wholesale page or rep, apply for a retailer account with your business details and resale certificate, wait for approval to see wholesale pricing, then place an opening order that meets the brand's minimum. After that, save what you ordered so reorders take minutes, not emails.
If you run an independent shop, you have probably done this backwards at least once: a customer asks for a brand, you find the product online, and then you realize the public page shows retail prices and an "Add to cart" button meant for shoppers. The wholesale side is usually one step removed. This guide walks through that step, from finding the catalog to setting up reorders that do not depend on anyone's inbox.
Why the wholesale door is usually closed by default
Most brands do not show wholesale prices to the public. They want to protect their retail pricing, make sure they are selling to real stores, and keep track of where their products end up. So instead of a public price list, you will usually see one of these:
A "Wholesale" or "Become a stockist" link in the website footer
An application form asking for business details and documents
A sales rep or rep group that covers your region
A brand page on a wholesale ordering network where approved retailers can see pricing and order
None of these are hard. They just ask you to prove you are a business first.
Step 1: Find the brand's wholesale catalog
Start with the brands already on your shelves or already on customers' wish lists. For each one, check these places in order:
The brand's own website. Look in the footer for "Wholesale," "Retailers," "Stockists," or "Dealers." Outdoor and sporting goods brands often call it a dealer program.
The packaging or invoice. If you bought a few units through a distributor, the brand's contact details are often on the box or insert.
A rep. Ask the brand who covers your territory. Reps can open accounts, share line sheets, and tell you about upcoming product.
A wholesale ordering network. On Ordrly, brands have public storefronts you can browse before you have an account. For example, the Parrot Paddles brand page lists its catalog publicly, while pricing, purchasing, and inventory show only for approved retailer accounts.
When you find the catalog, note the item names or SKUs you want before you apply. It makes the opening order much faster.
Step 2: Apply for a wholesale account
Brands ask for proof that you are buying to resell, not to use. Requirements vary by brand and by state, but most applications ask for the same handful of things.
What to have ready before your first wholesale order
Item | Why brands ask for it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
Legal business name and DBA | Matches the account to a real business | Use the same name on every application |
Resale certificate or seller's permit | Shows you are buying for resale, so the brand does not charge sales tax on the order | Keep a current PDF handy; some states require a state-specific form |
Federal tax ID (EIN) | Identifies your business for tax and credit purposes | Many brands will not accept an EIN alone as proof of resale status |
Store address and photos or website | Confirms a real storefront or online shop | A few storefront and shelf photos help if you are new |
Ship-to and bill-to addresses | Sets up freight and invoicing | Note dock hours or delivery limits now, not after the truck arrives |
Buyer contact and accounts payable contact | Tells the brand who orders and who pays | A shared inbox avoids missed confirmations |
Trade references (sometimes) | Used when you ask for payment terms | Two or three current vendors you pay on time |
If you do not have a seller's permit or resale certificate yet, your state's revenue or tax department issues them. The U.S. Small Business Administration has a good overview of business licenses and permits, and the IRS explains how to get an EIN for free.
Approval can take anywhere from the same day to a couple of weeks. Brands may also check whether your store fits their channel, such as whether you are near another dealer or sell online only.
Want one place to keep your vendors? Ordrly is free for retailers. Create an account once, request connections to brands, and order at live wholesale price and stock. Create your free retailer account.
Step 3: Understand the terms before you order
Once approved, read the brand's wholesale terms before you build the order. These are the parts that most often surprise first-time buyers.
Minimums
Brands usually set an opening order minimum, and sometimes a lower reorder minimum. Some also set minimums per product or per variant, or require case packs. Ask whether you can mix colors and sizes to reach the minimum. On Ordrly, minimums set by the brand are enforced in the cart, so you see them before checkout instead of after an email back-and-forth.
Pricing and MAP
Wholesale price is what you pay; the brand will often list a suggested retail price. Some brands also have a minimum advertised price policy. Know it before you plan a promotion.
Payment
First orders are often paid up front by card or ACH. Terms such as net 30 are usually earned after a few orders or a credit check. We cover how terms work, and how to ask for them, in our other guides; for a first order, just plan for paying up front.
Shipping, lead times, and damages
Who pays freight, and is there a free-shipping threshold?
Is the product in stock now, or is this a future-ship (prebook) order?
How long do you have to report shortages or damage, and what proof is needed?
What is the return policy for defective or wrong items?
Get the answers in writing, ideally in the same place as the order, so nobody has to dig through email later.
Step 4: Place your first wholesale order
Keep the opening order focused. You are testing sell-through, not filling the store.
Pick proven items first. Start with products customers already ask for, plus one or two new ones to test.
Buy depth in sizes or colors that sell. For outdoor and sporting goods, that often means core sizes and colors, and seasonal timing that matches your selling window.
Check the math. Wholesale cost plus freight against your planned retail price. Make sure the margin still works after shipping.
Confirm every line. SKU, quantity, unit price, ship-to address, and ship date.
Save the confirmation. It becomes your template for the next order.
On Ordrly, once a brand approves your connection, you order in a wholesale cart at live price and stock, can talk about the order in the same thread as the PO through order chat, and track shipping from dispatch to delivery. If you order from several brands, batch checkout with Pay All lets you pay for them together.
Step 5: Set up easy reorders
The first order is the hard part. The second one should be easy, but this is where many stores lose time: the price list is in an old email, the rep is on the road, and the best seller has been out of stock for two weeks.
A simple reorder setup looks like this:
Keep every vendor in one place. One login and one order history beats a folder of PDFs and portal passwords.
Reorder from past orders. Start each reorder from what you bought last time, then adjust quantities.
Watch for low stock early. Set a reorder point for your best sellers and check it weekly, not when the shelf is empty.
Look at what actually sold. Reorder the winners, drop the slow movers, and tell the brand which items worked.
Note lead times. If a brand takes two weeks to ship, your reorder point has to cover two weeks of sales.
On Ordrly, retailers can reorder in one click from past orders, see their own sell-through and reorder velocity for connected brands, and get forecast-based low-stock alerts for connected brands. You can see the full list of what is live on the features page.
Brands want this to be easy too. If you are curious what the brand side looks like, our post on how brands know when a retailer is due for the next PO explains it.
Stop chasing reorders through email. See how retailers use Ordrly on the For Retailers page, or sign up free and request a connection to the brands you already carry.
What if the brand is not on Ordrly yet?
Some brand pages on Ordrly have not been claimed by the brand yet. You can still browse the catalog, and the page includes a share option so you can invite the brand to claim its profile. If you already buy from that brand, a quick note to your rep is often all it takes. You can browse all brands on Ordrly to see who is there today.
FAQ
Can I buy wholesale without a business license?
Usually not. Most brands require proof that you are a business buying for resale, typically a state resale certificate or seller's permit. Requirements vary by state, so check with your state's tax department.
Is an EIN enough to open a wholesale account?
Often it is not. Many brands accept an EIN as business identification but still ask for a resale certificate or seller's permit to show the purchase is for resale.
What is a typical wholesale minimum order?
It depends on the brand. Some set a dollar minimum for the opening order and a lower one for reorders; others set per-item or case-pack minimums. Always check the brand's terms before you build the cart.
How do I get net terms from a brand?
Most brands offer terms after you have placed a few orders or passed a credit check. Ask for them after your first order ships, and have trade references ready.
Is Ordrly free for retailers?
Yes. Retailers pay no monthly fees and no transaction fees on Ordrly. See pricing for details.
Can I order from several brands at once?
On Ordrly, yes. Batch checkout with Pay All lets you check out orders from several connected brands together.
Start ordering from the brands you already sell
Buying wholesale comes down to a few repeatable steps: find the catalog, apply with your documents ready, read the terms, place a focused first order, and set up reorders so the next one is easy. Do that once per brand, and restocking stops being a project.
Ordrly gives independent retailers one free account to connect with brands, order at live wholesale price and stock, and reorder from past orders. Create your free retailer account, or learn more on the For Retailers page. Are you a brand? Start free as a brand.