How to Sell Wholesale to Retailers: Shopify Brand Playbook

To sell wholesale to retailers, set a wholesale price that leaves room for both of you (usually about half the retail price), build a line sheet, set your minimums and payment terms, find retailers, approve them through an application, and give them an online way to order and reorder. On Shopify, you can run the whole process from one store, because native B2B features are now included on every plan.

BSS B2B Solution

Turn your Shopify store into a wholesale portal

Wholesale pricing, volume discounts and a registration form that approves and tags retail buyers, on top of Shopify’s native B2B.

Install BSS B2B Solution See how BSS B2B Solution works

Last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Shopify facts link to the Shopify page they come from. BSS B2B Solutions makes BSS B2B Solution and BSS B2B Quote, two apps mentioned in the ordering steps, so treat them as options next to Shopify’s native features. This playbook is for brands that make or source their own products. If you want to buy wholesale instead, read how to start a wholesale business. It is part of our complete guide to Shopify B2B.

Key takeaways

Price with the keystone rule as a starting point: wholesale is about half of retail. It only works if your product cost is about a quarter of the retail price or less.
Write down your terms before the first conversation: opening order, reorder minimum, payment terms, shipping and returns.
Retailers come from five places: trade shows, sales reps, marketplaces, direct outreach and your own customers. Start with direct outreach, the cheapest to test.
Use an application form so you approve every retailer before they see wholesale prices.
Since April 2, 2026, Shopify’s native B2B (companies, catalogs, quantity rules, payment terms) is on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus at no extra cost.
Wholesale is built on reorders, so make reordering a two-minute task.

Is your brand ready for wholesale?

Wholesale trades some retail margin for volume and reach. Check three things first:

Margin. Can you sell at roughly half your retail price and still make a profit after shipping and packaging? Step 1 shows the test.
Capacity. Can you fulfill orders of 12, 24 or 48 units of one product, on a schedule, without stopping your retail sales?
Proof. Do you have product photos, a clear brand story and some retail sales to show a buyer? Shop owners want evidence that your product sells.

Step 1: Price for wholesale

The default formula in retail is keystone pricing: you sell to the retailer at half of the suggested retail price (MSRP), and the retailer marks it up by doubling. A $40 product wholesales for $20. Both sides earn a 50% margin on their own selling price. Our keystone pricing definition has the details.

Keystone only works if your cost leaves room. Use this table to test your own product:

	Product A	Product B
Suggested retail price (MSRP)	$40	$40
Wholesale price (50% of MSRP)	$20	$20
Your product cost, landed	$10	$14
Your gross profit per unit	$10	$6
Your gross margin on the wholesale price	50%	30%
Retailer margin on MSRP	50%	50%

A cost of $10 on a $40 product is 25% of retail, and it leaves you a healthy margin. A cost of $14 is 35% of retail. Keystone still works for the retailer, but your margin falls to 30% before shipping and fees, so you may need to raise your MSRP or cut costs before you open wholesale. Margin expectations differ by category, so ask two or three retailers you respect what they need.

Then add volume rules. Two common ones are a lower price at higher quantities and a separate price level for distributors. See Shopify tiered pricing and the wholesale pricing hub. Our wholesale price calculator runs these numbers for your products.

Also decide on a minimum advertised price (MAP) policy now, if you want one. It tells retailers the lowest price they may advertise, which protects the shops that carry you and your own retail store.

Step 2: Set your terms

Terms are the rules of the relationship. Put them in one page you can send to any retailer:

Opening order minimum. The smallest first order you accept, by dollar amount or units. Choose a number that covers a basic assortment and the cost of packing a box. Our guide to the minimum order quantity on Shopify shows how to enforce it.
Reorder minimum. Usually lower than the opening order, so reordering stays easy.
Payment terms. Prepayment, or net terms such as net 30. See the next section.
Shipping. Who pays, and at what order size shipping becomes free.
Returns and damages. What you accept, how many days the retailer has, and how you refund.
Territory or exclusivity. Whether you limit the number of shops in one area. Do not promise exclusivity casually.

Net 30 and other payment terms

Net 30 means the retailer pays 30 days after the invoice date. Many retailers ask for it, and it means you lend them the money for a month. A cautious approach: take prepayment on the first order, and offer net 30 after a retailer has paid on time once or twice. Our guide to net terms on Shopify and net terms glossary entry cover the mechanics, and our net 30 terms template gives you wording you can adapt to your own situation.

On Shopify, payment terms can be set to net 7, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90, or due on fulfillment, on a company location. Shopify says payment is not captured automatically when the terms expire, so you collect it in the admin. Net terms are available on all plans. See also the order rules and terms hub.

Step 3: Build a line sheet

A line sheet is a one-to-few page document that lists your products with wholesale prices, so a buyer can decide in minutes. Our line sheet glossary entry gives the definition, and our line sheet template gives you a layout to start from. A good line sheet includes:

Section	What to include
Brand introduction	Two sentences on who you are, where you make the product and who buys it
Product rows	Photo, name, SKU, variants, wholesale price and MSRP
Packing details	Units per case, case price if relevant, product weight and dimensions
Ordering terms	Opening order minimum, reorder minimum, payment terms, lead time
Contact and next step	Name, email, and a link to your wholesale application

Keep two versions: a PDF to email, and a live version on your Shopify store that shows current prices and stock. Send the PDF to start the conversation and the live link to place the order.

Step 4: Find retailers

There are five main sources. Use the table to choose where to start, then work through them one by one.

Source	How it works	Best for	Watch out for
Direct outreach	You email or message shops that fit your brand	Testing demand cheaply	Takes steady effort, and many messages get no reply
Your own customers	Ask retail customers who own shops, and invite them to apply	Brands with an existing audience	Small list at first
Trade shows	You show the line in person for buyers who attend	Categories with strong shows, such as gift, home or fashion	Booth, travel and sample costs come before any order
Sales reps and agents	Independent reps carry your line to their buyers, for a commission	Reaching a region you cannot visit	Agree territory, commission and account ownership in writing
Marketplaces	Retailers discover you on a wholesale marketplace	Finding shops you would not reach yourself	A fee on each order. See Faire alternatives for brands

A simple direct outreach routine

List five brands similar to yours, and find the independent shops on their “where to buy” pages.
Pick the 30 shops that fit your price and style best, and note the owner’s name and email.
Send a short email with your line sheet link. Follow up once after a week.
Offer a sample or a small first order to lower the risk for the buyer.
Record every reply, so you learn which message works.

A short message that works for a first contact:

Hi [Name], I run [Brand], a [category] brand made in [place]. Shops like [Similar Shop] sell our [hero product] to customers who want [benefit]. Our wholesale price is half of retail, with a [minimum] first order. Here is our line sheet: [link]. Would you like to see samples?

Step 5: Onboard retailers with an application

Do not hand your wholesale prices to everyone. An application form lets you check that the applicant is a real business before they see your price list. Ask for the business name, website or store address, contact details, what they sell and a tax ID or resale certificate where your market uses one. Our guide to wholesale application form fields lists what to ask and what to leave out.

On Shopify, Shopify’s setup checklist points to a Shopify form app for access requests. BSS B2B Solution includes a wholesale registration form that approves applicants and tags them automatically, so approved buyers see wholesale prices and everyone else does not. See how to set up a Shopify B2B registration form and the customer onboarding hub.

Approve quickly, ideally within a day, while the buyer’s interest is fresh. When you approve, send a welcome email with your terms page, your line sheet link and a contact for questions.

Step 6: Take orders through a B2B portal on Shopify

After approval, a retailer should order without calling you. Shopify’s B2B features cover most of this on every plan: companies with locations, catalogs with their own prices (up to 3 active on Basic, Grow and Advanced), quantity rules, quantity price breaks and net terms. Plus adds unlimited catalogs, direct company catalogs, deposits and partial payments. Our guide to Shopify B2B without Plus explains what that means in practice.

Match the tool to how retailers order:

First orders are browsed on the product pages with wholesale prices showing.
Reorders are fast when they work from SKUs. A quick order form or wholesale order form lets a buyer type SKUs or upload a CSV. BSS B2B Quote adds a quick order page and CSV upload.
Phone and rep orders can be entered by you as a draft order.
Large or custom orders start as a quote request that you answer with a price, then convert to an order.

If you need more price groups than the catalog limit, hidden prices for visitors who are not approved, or a registration flow, add an app. Our comparison of BSS B2B Solution with native B2B shows where each fits. For a real-world example, see how KAPR gives barbers and salons a portal.

Step 7: Win the reorder

The first order proves the retailer likes the product. The reorder proves the shop sells it. Plan for that second order:

Send a note after delivery asking how the product is selling.
Check in around the time the first order should be nearly sold through. That timing depends on your category.
Email approved buyers before each new season with the updated line sheet and a link to order.
Track three numbers: share of retailers who reorder, average order value, and days between first and second order.

When	What to do
Week 1	Finalize price, terms and line sheet. Set up the store for wholesale.
Weeks 2 to 3	Send outreach to your first 30 shops. Open your application form.
Weeks 4 to 6	Approve applicants, ship first orders, ask for feedback.
Weeks 7 to 12	Ask for reorders, invite your best shops to refer others, refine your price and terms.

Common mistakes

Pricing without checking cost. A 30% margin after wholesale discounts, shipping and returns is thin.
Offering net terms to everyone. Start with prepayment for new retailers.
Showing wholesale prices to the public. It confuses retail customers and upsets your retailers.
Letting one retailer undercut the rest. Use a MAP policy and enforce it.

FAQ: selling wholesale to retailers

How do I price products for wholesale?

Start with keystone pricing: set the wholesale price at half of the suggested retail price. Check that your landed product cost is about a quarter of retail or less, so you keep a healthy margin after shipping and fees. Adjust by category after talking to retailers.

What does net 30 mean in wholesale?

Net 30 means the retailer pays 30 days after the invoice date. It means you extend credit for a month, so many brands take prepayment on the first order and offer net 30 once a retailer has paid on time.

How do I find retailers for my products?

Use direct outreach to shops that already sell similar brands, invite your own customers who run shops, work with sales reps, show at trade shows, or list on a wholesale marketplace. Start with direct outreach because it is the cheapest to test.

What is a line sheet?

A line sheet is a short document that lists your products with photos, SKUs, wholesale prices, suggested retail prices and ordering terms. Buyers use it to decide what to stock. Keep a PDF to email and a live version on your store.

Do I need a minimum order for wholesale?

Yes, most brands set an opening order minimum and a lower reorder minimum. The opening order should cover a basic assortment and the cost of packing and shipping. On Shopify, quantity rules can enforce minimums for B2B buyers.

Can I sell wholesale on Shopify without Shopify Plus?

Yes. Since April 2, 2026, Shopify’s native B2B features are included on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus at no extra cost. Basic, Grow and Advanced allow up to 3 active B2B catalogs. Plus adds unlimited catalogs, direct company catalogs, deposits and partial payments.

Next steps

Start with Step 1 for your best-selling product. When the numbers work, write your terms, build the line sheet and send your first ten outreach emails. Then set up your store for wholesale with our complete guide to Shopify B2B, and see how other brands did it in our Shopify B2B examples.

BSS B2B Solution

Give your retailers a wholesale portal

Install BSS B2B Solution to add wholesale pricing, volume discounts and a registration form with approval and automatic tags to your Shopify store.

Install BSS B2B Solution Read about BSS B2B Solution

Sources

Shopify pages read on October 8, 2026, except where noted. The keystone examples are arithmetic on invented prices, not benchmarks. BSS plan details are from the BSS B2B Solution listing on the Shopify App Store.