| Despite a lot of attention as of late, drop shipping has | | | | unbeknownst to your customer, so any mistakes |
| actually been around for a while. It has played a key | | | | made by the supplier will ultimately make you look bad. |
| role in the success of many business, both on and | | | | I would also recommend that you try to work with a |
| offline. True, it is considered an expensive option by | | | | supplier who is willing to work with you where |
| some, but for others it's why they were able to go into | | | | packaging and return labels are concerned. It's more |
| business in the first place. Drop shipping enables people | | | | professional if the shipment appears like it came from |
| to open an online store with very little capital and risk. | | | | you and is personalized to the customer. |
| The main difference between buying wholesale and | | | | With the fact that when a wholesaler dropships they'll |
| using drop shipping is that you don't buy discounted | | | | be taking care of packaging and shipping fees, the |
| bulk up front. Instead of buying large amounts of | | | | cost is passed on to you. Generally, dropshipped items |
| merchandise at discounted prices, storing and | | | | cost between $2 and $5 more per item than if you |
| managing the inventory, you purchase merchandise on | | | | were to buy them in bulk. However, this should equal |
| a per item basis as your customers buy them from | | | | the difference of what you would have been paying |
| you. Your website or eBay listing would have product | | | | to manage inventory and ship products yourself. If it |
| descriptions and pictures (like a catalog does) provided | | | | doesn't, then drop shipping might not be the best |
| to you by the drop shipper since the product is with | | | | strategy for you. It's also important to take into |
| them. However, I would definitely recommend that | | | | account that you are guaranteed to not have excess |
| anyone buy samples before listing anything just to | | | | stock leftover that you weren't able to sell, which can't |
| check for quality and for how accurate the product | | | | be said of any wholesale method where you buy the |
| descriptions are. | | | | goods in bulk before you sell them. |
| Drop shipping goes on behind the scenes, usually | | | | |