Are you tired of selling the same products as everyone else? Do you want to create a unique brand and stand out from the competition? Well, then, let’s start talking about private label dropshipping, a profitable business model.
With that in mind, this article will cover the top five private-label suppliers and the steps to start a private-label dropshipping business. Let’s go!
What Is Private Label Dropshipping?
Before we dive into private label dropshipping, let’s talk about the basics. What is a private label? A private label is a product manufactured by a supplier and sold by a retailer under their brand. This allows businesses to sell products under their brand label without investing in the manufacturing process, which can be costly and time-consuming.
So, how does private label dropshipping work? A private label supplier manufactures products under our brand name and logo, which we list in our store. When a customer places an order, the supplier delivers the product directly to the customer.
However, private label suppliers are selective about the dropshippers they work with, as they want to minimize the risk of manufacturing products that may not sell. As a result, dropshippers are usually expected to demonstrate their sales performance, showcasing their ability to promote and sell the products effectively. This, in turn, helps to guarantee profitability and foster a mutually beneficial partnership between both parties.
Private Label Vs. White Label Dropshipping
Now that we know about private-label dropshipping, let’s distinguish it from white-label dropshipping. In private label dropshipping, a supplier manufactures customized products for a dropshipper and attaches a label containing the seller’s unique brand.
On the other hand, white-label dropshipping involves selling products already available on the market with no customization. These products are generic and not tailored to the dropshipper’s brand or specifications. Ultimately, private label dropshipping enables us to offer unique products to help us stand out from the competition.
Private Label Vs. Dropshipping
Private label dropshipping is a lucrative business model that combines private labeling and dropshipping. With private labeling, suppliers create products according to our specifications, and we can customize packaging and branding. However, we’re responsible for holding inventory and shipping orders.
On the other hand, dropshipping allows us to sell products without inventory or purchasing products in advance. When we combine private labeling and dropshipping, we have private label dropshipping. In this model, private suppliers manufacture goods, hold inventory, and label products with our brand.
As middlemen, we only pay the supplier after customers pay us, and the supplier handles order fulfillment. This creates a low-risk business model that frees us from inventory and shipping management. Private label dropshipping allows us to sell our own products without the hassle and costs associated with traditional inventory management.
Private Label Dropshipping: Pros & Cons
While private label dropshipping is an appealing venture, multiple factors must be considered. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of private-label dropshipping:
Pros
- Loyal customers
- Stand out from the competition
- Flexibility
- High-profit margins
Branding products with our unique label allows us to create a distinct identity and differentiate ourselves from the competition. This differentiation can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases. Additionally, private label dropshipping allows us to set our own pricing, resulting in higher profit margins than dropshipping products with generic labels.
Cons
- Limited private label suppliers
- Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)
One of the biggest challenges of private label dropshipping is finding suppliers willing to manufacture and brand goods for us. Plus, minimum order quantities can also be an obstacle, making it difficult to test the market. However, we can overcome these cons by building a proven sales track record. To do so, we can start by dropshipping white label products and then transition to private label products.
Private Label Dropshipping: Best Practices
With the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages, here are some best practices for dropshipping private label products:
- Read supplier reviews
- Collect all product details from the supplier
- Dropship private label products that interest you
- Order a sample product
- Find the perfect target market
First, it’s crucial to read supplier reviews to ensure they are reliable and reputable. This will help us avoid potential issues with product quality, shipping, and communication. Next, collect all product details from the supplier, such as product specifications, branded packaging specifications, shipping estimates, and product certifications. This information will help us make informed decisions about pricing and profit margins.
Then, we can order a sample product to evaluate its quality and ensure it meets our expectations. Finally, finding the perfect target market for our private-label products is essential. This involves conducting market research and identifying the demographics and interests of our potential customers. By understanding our target market, we can create effective marketing strategies that will help us attract and retain customers.
6 Best Private Label Dropshipping Suppliers
The importance of working with quality private-label dropshipping suppliers cannot be overstated. We should work only with the best in the business to build a successful and trustworthy brand.
With that in mind, here are the best private-label dropshipping suppliers:
Let’s learn why they are some of the best in the business.
1. AutoDS
To kickstart our list, we have AutoDS, an all-in-one dropshipping platform that helps you automate your business, find and source winning products, and work with private suppliers. Besides automation, the platform offers access to exclusive suppliers and Print on Demand services. It also allows you to create and sell custom products without manufacturing or shipping hassles.
Key Features
- Private Suppliers
- Product Sourcing
- Winning Products Hub
- Instant product imports
- Price and stock monitoring
- Pricing automation
- Customized Branding
- Fulfilled by AutoDS
AutoDS offers a comprehensive selection of high-quality products like apparel & full-printed apparel, accessories, decoration, footwear, home & living, and more. It provides a wide range of customizable products categorized for easy navigation and a user-friendly design editor. Furthermore, the AutoDS team of experts adds new POD products monthly to provide you with the newest, most trending items.
What sets AutoDS apart is that users enjoy an all-included experience. Want exclusive products with fast shipping? AutoDS has got you covered. Want to forget about manual tasks like product importing, listing optimization, price & stock updates, and automated order fulfillment? Look no further! Moreover, AutoDS supports all the popular selling platforms so that you can sell your POD items through different channels to reach a wider audience.
2. Printed Mint
Fourth on our list of private label suppliers is Printed Mint, a dropshipping company specializing in print-on-demand (POD) products for private-label dropshippers.
Key Features
- Specializes in print-on-demand
- High-quality items
- Custom packaging
- Offers dropshipping services
Mainly focusing on a single niche, Printed Mint offers print-on-demand products. With POD products, we can create unique designs on products such as t-shirts, bags, hats, and more.
Plus, Printed Mint provides high-quality products to help build a strong base for our private label business. On top of that, Printed Mint provides a custom packaging service allowing us to add a personal touch to the products.
3. AliExpress
Next up, we have AliExpress, an online retail platform. This supplier is a popular choice for dropshippers seeking private-label products.
Key Features
- Thousands of private-label suppliers
- Low-priced products
- AliExpress dropshipping center
- Buyer protection
The AliExpress platform has many suppliers who offer private-label dropshipping services. Additionally, the product prices are low and competitive on the platform.
Plus, with the Dropshipping Center, AliExpress allows us to filter and search for winning private-label products. On top of that, AliExpress also provides buyer protection, which means our payment is secure.
4. Alibaba
If we want products specially manufactured for us, Alibaba is a great platform. It’s a wholesale dropshipping platform with thousands of trusted manufacturers.
Key Features
- Tons of product options
- Low private labeling costs
- Hundreds of verified suppliers
- Comfortable payment system
With over 6000 categories, Alibaba has tons of products for private labeling. Additionally, private labeling costs are comparatively low because we purchase products directly from a supplier on Alibaba.
With plenty of reviews and ratings, many suppliers on Alibaba have verified suppliers who are reliable and trustworthy. Working with credible suppliers ensures that our private-label items are of the highest quality possible.
5. Magnum Coffee
Another excellent private-label supplier is Magnum Coffee Roastery. It is a private-label supplier specializing in coffee products.
Key Features
- Quality coffee products
- Custom packaging and design
- Marketing services
- Reliable and trustworthy supplier
Magnum Coffee Roastery is the most reliable and competent distributor of private-label coffee products. The company uses high-quality ingredients for excellent taste.
Additionally, Magnum Coffee Roastery wraps our coffee products in custom packaging. Furthermore, the company also has a superb reputation as a reliable supplier, certified by various associations such as National Coffee Association USA, USDA Organic, and Fair Trade Certified.
6. Hawthorn
Last but not least, we have Hawthorn, a private-label clothing supplier. Based in the UK, Hawthorn is one of the leading clothing manufacturers, producing garments of the highest quality.
Key Features
- High-quality clothing
- Fully customizable clothing
- Quality check
Notably, Hawthorne offers high-quality garments. They take great care in ensuring their clothing is made with the finest materials. This commitment to quality is beneficial for our business.
Plus, Hawthorn provides fully customized clothing to their customers’ specifications. They offer various customization options, from choosing the fabric and color to adding logos and other branding elements. This allows their customers to create clothing that is unique to their brand and reflects their style.
All in all, these suppliers have proven track records of providing high-quality products, reliable shipping services, and excellent customer support to their clients. By partnering with them, we can confidently offer our customers a diverse range of products that meet their needs and expectations.
How To Start A Private Label Dropshipping Business
So far, we’ve learned about private label dropshipping, its benefits, and the types of suppliers that support it. Now it’s time to learn how to start a private label dropshipping business.
Here, we have seven easy steps to accomplish our mission:
- Product Research – Find Your Private Label Product
- Contact A Private Label Dropshipping Supplier
- Set Up Your Private Label Dropshipping Store
- Import Private Label Products To Your Store
- Brand & Promote Your Private Label Dropshipping Business
- Fulfill Your Customer Orders
- Deliver Outstanding Customer Service
Now, let’s go over them in detail.
1. Product Research – Find Your Private Label Product
Product research is a crucial first step in dropshipping, particularly for private-label products. Since we’re paying for products in advance, we must identify those with high chances of a sale. Here are proven product research methods to find and sell the best private label products:
- AutoDS Winning Products Hub
- AutoDS product-finding blog
- AutoDS best sellers playlist
- Search supplier best seller sections
- Check out Google Trends for high-ranking product keywords
- Use Google Lens to find profitable product sources
Among these methods, the AutoDS Winning Products Hub is an advanced product research tool that helps us find highly profitable products. This product research tool is developed by AutoDS, an automation software trusted by many dropshippers.
With a generous selection of potentially winning products, we can depend on this tool to make plenty of profits. Not only does it provide us with profitable products, but it also gives us advanced insights. For instance, we can find out how our competitors market the product, its retail price, and its suppliers.
On top of that, we can also identify our target audiences, such as ideal age group, gender, and key interests. Overall, it is a handy tool for our private label dropshipping business.
2. Contact A Private Label Dropshipping Supplier
Once we decide on a product, it’s time to contact private label suppliers who offer dropshipping services. Start by inquiring about the availability of our product and other details. Assuming the supplier has the product we wish to sell, we can send specifications like the brand logo, product dimensions, and our design.
So how do we find private-label dropshipping suppliers? Here are several ways to contact dropshipping suppliers:
- Attend trade shows
- Referral from other dropshippers
- Send a direct message via social media
- Privately message suppliers
- Use a dropshipping platform
Using a dropshipping platform is a dependable option when finding and contacting private label suppliers. One such platform is AutoDS, which enables us to connect with over 25 reliable dropshipping suppliers.
By working with both AutoDS and top-performing private label dropshipping suppliers, we can streamline our business and set ourselves up for success.
3. Set Up Your Private Label Dropshipping Store
Now that we have found a supplier, the next step is choosing where to list the products. Selling channels are primarily of two types: marketplaces and customizable eCommerce platforms.
Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are trading platforms with an existing audience. With those existing audiences, there is a high chance that customers will come across our products.
In contrast, customizable eCommerce platforms like Shopify/Wix allow us to add custom designs and templates to brand our store and personalize it for our target audience.
By integrating with AutoDS, we can automate crucial tasks like product importing. Here are the selling channels that work best for dropshipping businesses and integrate seamlessly with AutoDS:
Customizable eCommerce Platforms
eCommerce Marketplaces
4. Import Private Label Products To Your Store
After choosing a selling channel, we must import private label products into our store. To add products, we can either import private label products manually or automatically. In the manual method, we go to the supplier’s website and copy the product’s details, such as titles, descriptions, images, and variations.
Then we paste them into our stores. For multiple product imports, we repeat the same steps, which can be overwhelming.
In contrast, automatic importing can help us import products in seconds. The dropshipping tool handles manual tasks, saving us valuable time while minimizing errors. With that said, the AutoDS product importer is one of the best importing tools for private-label dropshippers. Here are four key features of the AutoDS product importer:
- One-click Importer
- Single Product Importer
- Multiple Product Importer
- Bulk Upload with a CSV File
So, let’s see how we can import multiple products in a few seconds with the One-click Importer:
- Install the AutoDS Dropshipping Helper Extension.
- Go to AliExpress (the supplier’s website) and search for the products to import.
- On the product page, click the ‘Import to AutoDS’ button above the product title.
The AutoDS product importer extracts all relevant information. In this case, it extracts all the details of the cap, including the title, descriptions, and 26 variations. Then, it uploads this data to the AutoDS drafts page.
We can improve our listings on the drafts page by optimizing their titles, images, descriptions, and variations. For example, we can shorten the product title to align with our brand better.
All in all, using AutoDS’ product importing tool enables us to import an extensive selection of private-label products at once. As a result, we can significantly save time and minimize the required effort compared to performing the task manually.
5. Brand & Promote Your Private Label Dropshipping Business
Since we run a fully customized store with private-label items, branding is critical in establishing our unique identity. Plus, it helps us build trust with our potential customers.
Generally, we can brand several vital elements, such as our logo, store page, product page, images, product titles, and more. By branding these elements effectively, we can create a memorable experience for our customers, ultimately leading to increased trust, loyalty, and sales.
Moreover, branding and marketing go hand-in-hand. Our branding is a strong foundation for our marketing strategies, as they establish our unique identity and help us stand out from the competition.
From there, we can develop marketing campaigns highlighting our brand values, showcasing our products’ unique features and benefits, and effectively communicating our brand message.
With that in mind, we can promote our private-label dropshipping business with the following methods:
Shopify/Wix/WooCommerce
- PPC Ads
- Influencer Marketing
- Create a Blog Page
- Email Marketing
- Record product videos and post them on social media to go viral
eBay
- Promoted Listings Advanced
- Promoted Listings Standard
- Volume Discounts
- Sales Events
Facebook Marketplace / Facebook Shops
- Facebook Promotions
- Promote products in Buy & Sell groups
Amazon
- Amazon’s ‘Win The Buy Box’
- Amazon Sponsored Ads
Etsy
- Etsy ads
- Etsy offside ads
Utilizing these marketing tools can help us effectively promote our private-label products and increase sales.
6. Fulfill Your Customer Orders
When sales roll in, fulfilling customer orders becomes a vital responsibility. There are two approaches to fulfilling private label orders: manual and automatic.
With the manual method, we must visit the supplier’s website, provide customer details, place the order, and complete the payment. This approach can be laborious and time-consuming, particularly when managing many daily orders.
However, AutoDS offers automated fulfillment options that simplify this process and reduce labor. Furthermore, Automatic Orders and Fulfilled By AutoDS are two automatic order fulfillment tools that make fulfilling orders efficient.
Automatic Orders
AutoDS’ Automatic Orders tool makes our task easier by automating the order fulfillment process. To purchase products from our suppliers, this tool uses our buyer accounts. Buyer accounts are linked to payment methods such as PayPal or credit cards.
Automatic Orders also sends automatic tracking updates to our customers, making it simple for them to track their orders without contacting us. As a result, it decreases our workload since we no longer have to manually provide tracking information to customers.
Fulfilled By AutoDS
On the other hand, AutoDS offers an exclusive feature called Fulfilled by AutoDS, which provides a complete solution for order fulfillment, tracking information updates, and one-click returns. This feature differs from Automatic Orders as it does not use buyer accounts to fulfill orders.
Instead, Fulfilled by AutoDS utilizes the platform’s loaded balance (AutoCredits) to automatically fulfill customer orders, ensuring buyer accounts remain protected from being locked.
Overall, AutoDS’s order fulfillment tools allow for efficient order fulfillment, enabling us to scale our revenue and build a loyal customer base.
7. Deliver Outstanding Customer Service
Finally, we must provide excellent customer service. Good customer care is essential for the success of any business. By offering quality services, providing accurate information, and resolving issues quickly, we can enhance the shopping experience for our customers.
With that in mind, here are some great ways to offer excellent customer service:
- Handle customer queries and complaints swiftly
- Process returns and refunds promptly
- Send personalized messages
- Include a FAQ page
- Make use of customer service management software
Now that we have completed all our steps, we can start a private label dropshipping
business. And if we follow these steps correctly, there are high chances of achieving dropshipping success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Difference Between Private Label Vs. White Label Dropshipping?
Private label dropshipping involves selling items designed and branded exclusively for a single retailer or dropshipper. In contrast, white-label dropshipping means selling generic items sold under different brands by various retailers.
How Can I Find A Reliable Supplier For Private Label Dropshipping?
To find a reliable supplier for private label dropshipping, we need to do the following:
- Attend trade shows
- Get referrals from other dropshippers
- Send a direct message via social media
- Privately message suppliers
- Use a dropshipping platform
What Are The Best Products For Private Label Dropshipping?
Some of the best products for private label dropshipping are:
- Health and Wellness Products
- Beauty and Personal Care Products
- Home and Kitchen Appliances
- Pet Supplies
- Fashion Accessories
- Sports and Fitness Equipment
Conclusion
That’s it! You now have the knowledge to start your own private label dropshipping business with ease by following the seven steps to success and working with the best private label suppliers.
Consistently providing high-quality private-label products and services can help your brand flourish as your store gains popularity. For more ideas and strategies to succeed in dropshipping, check out these helpful resources:
