As anyone who has read my article on drop shipping pet supplies knows, it’s a double-edged sword that requires care when looking to set up. The main catch, is you don’t want to start getting orders that require you to eat multiple shipping fees.
I recently received the following email from Stacey Byrd and decided to post it here:
“I am really enjoying the podcasts that you have and wanted to thank you for doing those!! I like that you are asking the guests what advice they have for start-up companies, both brick and mortar and online. I would like to start an online pet boutique. In listening to Bo Nelson of wholesalepet.com, and the podcast from Great Eastern Pet Supply, I have a question. You make a very good point in that you want the customer to be able to order products that you know your supplier will have in stock (either ebay or online stores)..I am trying to understand the concept of wholesalepet.com..If I order from their site, I won’t know if it is in stock – right? The advantage of wholesalepet.com is that the have smaller manufacturers with unique items and that is exactly what I want. But, I can’t direct the orders to be drop-shipped, can I? I guess I can use the product photos for my webpages. I am just not entirely sure I can trust the concept behind wholesalepet.com as it could work for me as an online retailer needing to have items drop-shipped. Thanks for any help.”
MY RESPONSE: Wholesalepet.com is NOT a drop ship resource. What they are is a one stop website that represents products from dozens if not hundreds of boutique manufacturers. Yes, you would need to purchase actual product from their site and take inventory. Please note that even though you are buying through the Wholesalepet website, the orders are being shipped by the individual manufacturers so each one will have their own minimums, terms and conditions. The shipping and fulfillment rates can vary wildly, too, so be careful not to assume that everything will come at the same time. Or in a timely manner. I used to order from a company called Nutri-vet on the Wholesalepet.com website and they would take a MONTH to get me the product. So I had to be sure to order replacement items when I still had a bunch on hand so I wouldn’t run out. Other companies I’d order from like Retail Pets, I would get the items in two days! Know your supplier!
So I hope that helps. Wholesalepet.com is a great place to purchase and view lots of pet supplies all in one place. But they are not a drop ship resource. But they do offer a wide selection, great product images and product descriptions you can copy, and helpful suggested retail pricing.
23 responses so far ↓
Cindy // December 2, 2007 at 6:54 pm |
I’m finding it really hard to find just one website with all the pet supplies I want to carry…well, offer at my new website. Is it just me, or is it just harder when you want to find just ONE drop shipper to handle/cover all your needs,(inventory)?
Stef // December 5, 2007 at 11:54 pm |
I’ve attempted three times (twice online and once on phone) in the past two weeks to get setup with the recommended Bradley Caldwell drop shipper (who is located in my state thankfully), but I’ve been thrice time put off. They have the EXACT products I want to carry, but are not being helpful in the least. The other two recommended drop shippers don’t carry the products I need (reptile supplies)…Any other recommendations?
petbizop // December 9, 2007 at 4:37 pm |
Have you viewed our list of drop ship suppliers here:
http://www.pet-business-opportunity.com/drop-shipping.html
Stef // December 10, 2007 at 4:02 am |
Yes, that’s where I got Bradley Caldwell from. The other 2 web sites listed at that link don’t even deal with Reptile Supplies.
Pamela // December 18, 2007 at 4:49 pm |
Hello,
I hope this is acceptable to put into a blog, but Affordable Agility, a large manufacturer of dog agility obstacles, now offers drop shipping. Hopefully this will be of interest to those looking for something unique to offer on their pet website.
Thank you,
Pamela, marketing representative
http://www.AffordableAgility.com/resell.htm
Howe // January 14, 2008 at 2:22 pm |
Hi guys, Im from the UK and i’m in a mad search for a reptile product supplier. The main items I want are uv mercury bulbs 160w and also incubators. Can anyone help? Thanks for your time
hjservices@yahoo.co.uk
dropshipping // May 7, 2008 at 10:54 am |
Thank you for your blog post! It was very informative and helpful! Keep up the good work!
Wholesale // May 10, 2008 at 8:19 pm |
I found a great pet supplies site.
zrii // May 16, 2008 at 5:38 pm |
Thank you for this blog. Not only was I able to get helpful info from the blogger but also within the comments page! THANKS SO MUCH!
qlemley // May 28, 2008 at 10:15 am |
Is it possible to get a preloaded website with Natures Paws and also add items thru King Wholesale if I set up my own website? I am new to this and am trying to figure out what is the best way to set it up, King has most of the products I want to sell and Natures Paws has some, but for a set fee I could get started right away fully loaded and then build my own site with shopping cart. Any ideas?
Also, the shipping is paid by the customer right?like in Amazon. How do you compete with the free shipping eSites?
Emily // June 1, 2008 at 7:03 pm |
Hello-
I am new to this also, and am debating which way to go. Either the dropshipping option or the sites such as “petecommerce.com” where it is fully stocked and ready to go. I want to specialize in green/eco-friendly pet supplies and don’t have the first idea how to start this business. Help?
quinn // July 9, 2008 at 10:57 am |
what is the best way to deal with the $25 min order and $5 handling on small orders is it best to demand a minimum for ecommerce to satisfy my drop shipper? I cant figure out the pricing?
Also what is the best way to figure out shipping and handling charges?
Ginny Bove-Grier // July 31, 2008 at 2:20 pm |
Would you be able to recommend any drop ship wholesale pet suppliers that stock both pet and adult tee shirts?
Can you recommend a company for web page design?
Chris // August 4, 2008 at 2:22 pm |
Ginny,
Peticious.com is the largest US based drop shipper for pet products. They carry over 75K items in their store.
I’ve seen pet shirts on their site. Not sure about adult shirts.
Good luck,
Chris
TheCoolPuppy // December 22, 2008 at 4:29 pm |
Hello, we offer super unique dog collars at our site, we also offer drop shipping with no added fees, and very low minimums.
PetSupplies.name // January 25, 2009 at 9:34 am |
qlemley: Try http://www.PetSupplies.name, they’ll set you up with a pet shop for a monthly fee and even take care of all your order processing.
Greg // January 26, 2009 at 2:09 am |
We offer dropshipping anywhere in the world. No minimum order, no dropshipping fees, all orders ship within 24-48 hours. We design our own unique clothing and jewelry items for dogs. Currently, we dropship for nearly 200 companies, including some of the top online stores in the industry. Check us out!
Darryl // March 15, 2009 at 6:07 pm |
Can anyone recommend a good dropshipper of pet food particularly dog and cat?
James // March 18, 2009 at 5:50 pm |
I also want to start a online business selling items for pets. I’m in the process of trying to find a good drop shipper. Can someone tell me what I should be looking for from the drop shipper and what I should stay away from when it comes to picking a drop shipper?
Greg // March 18, 2009 at 5:56 pm |
Hey James, check out our site. We design clothes, collars, jewelry, etc… for dogs. Currently dropshipping for over 200 websites. Easy to work with and reliable. Based in US.
Feel free to give us a call or email.
Judith // September 4, 2009 at 7:11 pm |
Hi,
I signed up with Storesonline and a programmer set up my website. Then I signed up with the dripshipper Doba, Storesonline dropped them because of errors and compliants. Now I don’t know what to do. I want to sell, through a dropshipper, healthy dog treats. Any ideas? Thanks.
Destiny // September 30, 2009 at 6:03 pm |
Hi I want to start an on-line pet business, but I want to be able to use multiple dropshippers. How can I set up a website to do this?
K9 Guy // October 18, 2009 at 4:49 pm |
Can anyone tell me a supplier who carries products such as bite sleeves, prong collars, puppy tugs, leashes, handler clothing etc. Basically anything to do with schutzhund and/or police k9’s. All I can find are supplies for pet quality dogs. Need supplies for working dogs. Thanks.