| Dealing with a wholesaler for the first time can be | | | | website from a live stock database, or a static |
| a little daunting, especially for new businesses. | | | | database. The difference between the two, is |
| Unless they've come to you by recommendation | | | | that with a live database, every item you see will |
| - highly unlikely, as retailers guard their suppliers | | | | be in stock, and in the quantities shown. A static |
| religiously - it's hard to know what to expect. The | | | | database is common where the wholesaler also |
| goods they supply could be first rate, shoddy and | | | | has an offline operation - warehouse or |
| broken, or fail to arrive for many months. This | | | | showroom in Manchester, for example. In this |
| article provides a few tips for dealing with | | | | case, the database that powers the website may |
| Jewellery Wholesalers, and tells you what to be | | | | be unchanged year by year, and the lines listed |
| on the look out for. | | | | may have no relation to what they actually have |
| We've been jewellery wholesalers for over 8 | | | | in stock. |
| years, supplying retailers across Ireland and the | | | | We had an instance ourselves where we placed a |
| UK. Prior to that, we operated several jewellery | | | | reasonably sized order (£2000) on the |
| retail establishments in Ireland, during which time | | | | website of one of the larger UK wholesalers. A |
| we dealt with all of the large jewellery wholesalers | | | | couple of days later we received a phone call |
| and importers in the UK. | | | | from a harried member of staff telling us that |
| The first thing you need to know about UK | | | | they only had £40 of the items in stock, |
| jewellery wholesalers and importers is that they | | | | didn't know when or if the remainder would ever |
| are unlikely to ever have visited the manufacturer | | | | be restocked, and did we want to go ahead and |
| of the products they sell. They usually order from | | | | order? |
| a catalogue that hasn't changed in years, content | | | | So, if the website doesn't tell you that all items |
| in the knowledge that all of their competitors are | | | | are in stock, you should assume the worst, and |
| doing the same thing. If you come across a | | | | email or phone the company before wasting your |
| wholesaler who sells jewellery that looks | | | | time ordering. |
| completely different to everyone else's, then hold | | | | Many wholesalers have a poor reputation when it |
| onto this supplier as if your life depended on it. | | | | comes to delivering the actual goods you |
| Chances are they are one of the very rare few | | | | requested. The reason for this is usually laziness. |
| who actually deal direct with manufacturers on a | | | | A particular necklace may come in 6 or 7 colours, |
| regular basis. | | | | and rather than list each colour with its own |
| Years ago, when we dealt with importers | | | | product id number, they list only one, and tell you |
| ourselves, we'd get a visit a few times a year | | | | in small print that 'assorted colours' will be sent. |
| from their sales rep, showing us the new stock | | | | Which, of course, is enough to drive any jewellery |
| catalogue. Of course, the new stock was little | | | | retailer to distraction. We all know how near |
| more than the old stock in different colours, a | | | | impossible it is to shift blue costume jewellery. |
| fact that failed to generate even a hint of | | | | Even worse, is the small print that says |
| embarrassment when it was pointed out to him. | | | | something along the lines of 'items similar to those |
| The best way to locate wholesalers who may be | | | | listed' may be sent. |
| dealing with new designs, and who may be buying | | | | So what should you do to ensure this doesn't |
| direct from manufacturers rather than using last | | | | happen to you? Check with the wholesaler first, |
| centuries catalogues, is to look online. The old | | | | to ensure they will send you exactly the items |
| bricks and mortar businesses are slow to change, | | | | you request and in the colours you specify. If |
| but the new wholesalers on the internet are not | | | | unsatisfied with the response, place a small order |
| encumbered by out dated ways of doing things. | | | | initially, across varying lines and colours. When |
| When buying jewellery from online wholesalers, | | | | you're happy, start building up your order sizes |
| you need to know if the company is running their | | | | and quantities. |