Worried About Finding Suppliers For A New eStore?

When I speak with people about purchasing an online store, the most common concern is around finding suppliers.  In fact, this hinders a lot of people from progressing with an online business, just from fear of not being able to locate a suitable supplier/s for their new store, which is why we assist our clients with locating suitable wholesalers.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of suppliers in Australia alone, so to address this concern I have put together a short list of where to find suppliers.

Reed Gift Fairs/Expo:  there is an expo/trade show coming up in Melbourne in early August that Reed run regularly in some of the major capital cities.  This expo attracts suppliers that are looking for new retailers (you!) in the space of: gifts, homewares, kids clothing, jewellery, baby goods, fashion, kitchen & outdoor items.  For more information on their expos check out Reed Gift Fair.

Online Retailer Conference: the next event is coming up in Sydney in late July.  This event is ideally for stores that are already up and running and would just like more education on eCommerce.  There won’t be suppliers at this event but I thought it would be useful to mention in case anyone is interested in learning more about eCommerce before embarking on a new business.  For more information go to their site, Online Retailer.

Life InStyle Expo:  this expo is held in Melbourne & Sydney and is a great place to find lots of boutique suppliers for homewares, gifts, kitchen, stationery, fashion, jewellery, baby, kids clothing, collectables, pets, travel & outdoor.  For more info visit their website Life InStyle.

Outdoor Retailer Expo: this expo has a range of suppliers within the camping, hiking and sporting fields.  The expo is held in Sydney in June.  For more information visit Outdoor Retailer Australia.

Pregnancy, Babies & Children Expo:  this expo is FULL of suppliers for anything relating to children and babies.  The events are held in some of the capital cities around Australia.  For more info visit Pregnancy, Babies & Children’s Expo.

Craft Alive Expo: this expo is held in a few cities and regional areas around Australia and offers a good range of suppliers of arts and craft products.  For more information visit Craft Alive.   Another great craft expo is Craft & Quilt Fair held all over Australia – check out their website Craft Fair. 

Bridal Expos: do you want to sell something relating to the wedding industry?  Get yourself along to the plentiful of bridal & wedding expos held regularly all of the Country.  Just do a google search for ‘wedding expo Sydney’ etc to source the closest fair near you.

Toy & Game Expo: this expo is coming up in July in Sydney.  There are hundreds of toys and games suppliers attending, so for more info check out their website Toy & Game Expo. 

Furnitex (Furniture Expo): Furnitex happens in July in Melbourne and is a great expo to attend if you are looking for lots of furniture suppliers all under the one roof! For more info visit their website Furnitex

Australian Gift Guide book & website:  there is a really great book you can purchase that is 2 inches thick and is FULL of supplier listings.  The book has suppliers including: homewares, gifts, kitchen, stationery, fashion, jewellery, baby, collectables, pets, travel & outdoor.  Check out their website at Australian Gift Guide.

Google search:  you can find a lot of suppliers via google.  Just type in what you are looking for e.g. ‘outdoor furniture wholesalers Australia’ and go through the first 1-3 pages of google to located suitable suppliers from the search results. Unfortunately, a lot of suppliers dont have an online presence so if you can’t find enough suppliers online, you will need to get yourself along to a relevant trade show.

If you decide to get along to one of the expos, please be aware some suppliers/wholesalers might not be interested in speaking with you unless you have an existing business, and they may be reluctant to give you trading information unless you can prove you already have an existing business.  It is a case of the “chicken before the egg” and you might find it easier if you already have a store ready to go before approaching suppliers.

The above is a short list to get you started if you are researching suppliers for a potential business you have your eye on.  Keep in mind that with our Gold & Platinum package we will help you source suitable suppliers so please contact us for more information.