Where to Find US Dropshipping Suppliers in 2024: Guide
Whether you’re dropshipping from your own store or on a marketplace like Walmart or Amazon, finding reliable suppliers is an essential part of a successful business.
Many sellers like the ease and convenience of Alibaba and AliExpress, but there are also tons of great dropshipping suppliers in the USA. If you’re looking to cut shipping times or want to support local wholesalers, USA dropshippers can address your needs.
Table of contents
Keep reading to learn more about what sourcing dropshipping from suppliers in the USA can do for your business, how to get started, and how to speed up the process.
Why Source From Dropshipping Suppliers in the USA?
When most people think of “dropshipping,” they assume resellers are sourcing products from China, which is true in many cases.
However, there’s been a surge in demand for US products that ship quickly. One 2019 survey found that customer shipping expectations are high:
40% of shoppers expected delivery within 2 days.
21% of shoppers expected delivery within 3-4 days.
10% of shoppers expected delivery within 5-7 days.
Only 2% of shoppers surveyed thought that delivery within a one-to-two-week period was acceptable.
To attract and retain a viable customer base, you need to meet the high expectations of your target audience and find fast shipping options. Consumers are also looking for the following criteria when deciding where to buy products:
High-quality products;
Sustainable products;
Excellent customer service;
Fast shipping;
Accurate shipment tracking; and
Satisfaction guarantee (i.e. a return policy).
Diversifying your product catalog to include US suppliers’ products is vital to the success of your dropshipping business.
Finding the Fastest Dropshipping Supplier
Even if you’re working with the best suppliers in China, it still takes two to four weeks (depending on which country you’re sending the package to) for the package to arrive at your customer’s door. Based on the previously mentioned statistics, this is unacceptable.
So what do you do if you’re looking to shorten your delivery time to a week or less—maybe even a couple of days?
You find local dropshipping suppliers.
By local, we don’t necessarily mean in city or state, but that you dropship from a supplier that is in the country you’re selling in.
So if you want to sell to US consumers, you need to find US suppliers that can dropship the high-quality products that you sell in your eCommerce store.
How to Find a Dropshipping Supplier
Now that you know what type of supplier you’re looking for, how do you find the best dropshipping suppliers in the USA?
It takes research to find a supplier that carries the products you want for the best price and has the most desirable shipping methods and return policies.
1. Start With a Google Search
While it may seem old-school, a simple Google search is still one of the best place to start when beginning your search for a US supplier.
Get creative with your search terms to identify suppliers that carry what you’re looking for.
For example, if you’re searching for “US made clothing”, do so by using exact keywords with quotation marks around your search terms.
Not all suppliers are great at optimizing for SEO. Because of this, you might end up on page four of the search results before you find what you’re looking for. However, with persistence, you’ll likely identify a few options.
2. Browse Dropship Supplier Directories
The easiest way to identify suppliers in the US that carry the products you’re looking for is a dropship or wholesale supplier directory.
Many directories allow you to filter your search by specific products, categories, price ranges, minimum order quantities, dropship fees, and more. You’ll have the full picture before contacting the supplier to set up your reseller account, which means that you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes time to start selling.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of dropship supplier directories so that you’ll know what to search for.
1) Inventory Source
Inventory Source’s free supplier directory lists over 4,000 wholesale and dropshipping suppliers and millions of products, so you’re sure to find a supplier partner that meets your needs.
Over 240 of the suppliers in Inventory Source’s directory can be integrated with the Inventory Source platform. The platform provides the tools to automatically sync product pricing, data, and quantity between your suppliers and your ecommerce channels.
Inside of this directory, you’ll find a robust search function that allows you to identify suppliers by product, product category, location, price, dropship fee, and more. It’s also the only completely free directory that allows you to view full product data. This way, you can analyze each suppliers’ product feed along with factors such as image quality to make the most informed decision for your business.
You’ll also get free access to the information you’ll need to establish a relationship with the supplier.
In some cases, certain suppliers provide discounts on Inventory Source services when you sign up to become a reseller, so it’s definitely worth a look.
The Inventory Source team verifies each supplier before adding them to the directory, so you know that you’re reaching out to begin a partnership with a reputable business.
2) SaleHoo
SaleHoo is another supplier directory website that began in 2005. It contains a list of wholesale and dropshipping suppliers located throughout the world.
While SaleHoo offers an extensive selection of products to pursue, you have to pay an annual membership fee of $67 for access.
You’ll also receive access to SaleHoo’s market research lab, where they reveal statistics on which products are in demand and can bring you higher profits.
3) Wholesale 2B
Wholesale 2B is a versatile dropshipping supplier directory. You can use it to find products and sell directly on a Wholesale 2B website or integrate it with another platform.
If you only intend to browse their product catalog, the service is free. To become a reseller and use their services, you’ll have to sign up for a plan. Then, you can either handle your own orders manually or pay the company to facilitate your orders for a 3% fee.
While Wholesale2B provides access to many products, it doesn’t adequately analyze your sales performance when integrated with your sales platform.
4) Worldwide Brands
Founded in 1999, Worldwide Brands was one of the first online supplier directories.
It has a large selection of suppliers (upwards of 8,000) that are verified by the Worldwide Brands team, so you know the products are legitimate.
This service is on the pricier side, however, with a lifetime membership fee of $299. Over time, this is cheaper than a subscription to SaleHoo, but it’s a huge upfront investment for someone who’s just getting started in ecommerce.
Worldwide Brands is a comprehensive directory that allows you to search for products from a list of suppliers. A simple search returns all of the information that you’ll require to contact suppliers of interest, including the company’s website, phone number, address, and other data you’ll need to get started.
What to Ask When Contacting Potential Suppliers
Before contacting any suppliers that you’re interested in sourcing from, it helps to be prepared so that you get the most out of the conversation.
Here’s an idea of what you’ll want to discuss with them.
1. Shipping Policies
To determine whether or not a relationship with a supplier will be beneficial, you need to learn more about their shipping policies. Ask questions like:
Do you have any shipping location restrictions?
Do you use USPS, UPS, or FedEx?
What is your processing turnover rate once an order is placed?
What are your shipping fees?
2. Order Process
It’s essential to understand how the supplier will want you to place an order once you make a sale. Ask questions like:
How do I place an order (by email, phone, or another method)?
Do you charge an order processing fee (or dropship fee)?
Do you have a minimum order price or quantity requirement?
3. Return/Refund Process
It’s inevitable. Customer returns will happen, and it’s important to understand how to return the product to your supplier and whether you’ll be responsible for refunding the customer out of your own pocket. Ask questions like:
How do I return a defective item?
What is your return policy?
Do you offer refunds on returned items?
4. Brand Approval
Sometimes brands must give reseller approval before you can list their products on your website or marketplace platform. If you don’t follow these guidelines, your account may be suspended, so ask questions like:
Are there any brands on your roster that require additional brand approval to sell their products?
If so, how do I apply for approval to sell products from these brands?
If you don’t know, do you have contact information so that I can reach out to the brands myself?
5. Additional Fees
You may think your margins look great, only to find that the supplier charges hidden fees, whether it's a per item dropship fee, transaction fee, or something shipping-related. Ask questions like:
Do you charge any additional fees I should be aware of?
Do you charge monthly or yearly subscription fees for access to your catalog?
Start Your Search!
Now that you know how to find dropshipping suppliers in the USA, it’s time to get to work and begin your search.
Start simply with a Google search, then move on to the directories listed above. With so many options available, you’re guaranteed to find a supplier that’s a perfect match for your business.
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