Wholesale Shoes:
Industry Guide and
Reference for
Wholesale Footwear
The goods that
you buy from the
market as a
consumer does
not come
directly to you
from the factory
– for you to
understand this
concept, it is
essential to
understand that
there are
intermediary
sources which
handle the goods
before it
finally reaches
your hands.
Typically, the
wholesaler or
the distributor
is the person
who sells the
goods to the
retail outlets.
Let us take the
footwear
industry as an
example; the
shoes that you
find in the
retail outlets
change different
hands before
being purchased
by you – the
customer. The
shoe factory
sells its
products to
specially
appointed
footwear
wholesalers.
The wholesaler
takes on the
role of a
distributor and
sells the shoes
to different
footwear
outlets; the
transaction that
goes on between
the wholesaler
and the retailer
entails an
amount called
the wholesale
cost of the
product.
Technically, it
is the retailer
who gives a
purchase order
for the products
against which
the wholesaler
dispatches an
invoice bearing
the cost of the
products. Most
industries
recognize the
wholesaler as
the distributor
of the product;
some industries
operating on a
small scale do
away with the
wholesaler
altogether
directly selling
the products to
the retailer.
Since the
wholesaler is
the start of the
supply chain, it
would bode you
well to
understand who
your shoes
wholesaler is,
before you make
a purchase. In
most cases, the
retailer and the
factory do not
have a direct
mode of
communication.
This gives the
wholesaler a bit
of leverage
where he can set
his own prices.
There have been
cases where the
wholesaler has
quoted
exorbitantly
high prices to
the retailer, or
even cheated the
retailer of his
footwear
consignment.
• It would make
a lot of sense
to get
references for
your footwear
wholesaler
before engaging
in a business
deal with him so
that you get a
clear picture of
his nature.
• The best thing
for a retailer
to do would be
to ask around
for prices so
that he
understands the
price of
footwear.
• It is almost
impossible to
make sure that
the consignment
does not contain
liquidated
footwear by the
pallet or
factory-rejects
or surplus
goods, but what
you can do is to
inspect your
goods before
purchasing them.
• It is
necessary for
you to find out
if a wholesaler
actually is a
legitimate
business person
or a con artist.
Overall, it is
better for you
to meet your
wholesaler,
check his
sources and
build a good
business rapport
with him.
