How Many Suppliers Does it Take to Complete Your Startup Dollar Store

Many people who start a dollar store business think they can get all the products they will need from one supplier.  This could be no further from the truth.  You will need many different suppliers to provide all of the required dollar store merchandise for your dollar store business.

Most importantly, you will need a supplier to provide general dollar store merchandise to sell.  Most people shop at dollar stores to pick up common household items like soap, paper plates, and school supplies.  You will need an easy way to stock all of these items in your store.

For this, it is best that you work with a general merchandise supplier.  They typically offer all of these products in stock since they get their products from wholesalers and manufacturers themselves.  However, going this route will be slightly more expensive since they are middlemen in effect.

While general suppliers are useful, you will sometimes need specialized dollar store merchandise for certain departments in your store.  It may be in your best interests to work with a supplier who specializes in these items. 

Once you have found a few suppliers to work with, it is important for you to evaluate them periodically.  Great suppliers are the backbone of your dollar store business.  If you have found a great company to work with, then make sure you develop the relationship so it lasts a long time.

Although it is good to find great suppliers, you will inevitably run into a few bad ones too.  You need to stop working with bad suppliers as soon as you determine they do not fit your need.  You do not want to count on having a shipment of goods and then find the goods do not arrive when you need them.

You should always be on the lookout for even better suppliers.  Once you have found them, you should cut relationships with any bad ones you have.  You may also be able to find a supplier that provides you with quality products at a better price than you are already paying.  What business owner would not want cheaper products to sell?

There are a few ways you can find a suitable supplier for your dollar store business.  If you have a manufacturer in your area, then you can try contacting them directly to see if they will work with you.  This will help cut down on shipping costs which is a problem when working with distant suppliers.

You could also focus your efforts online.  Simply go to a search engine and perform a keyword search with manufacturer, wholesaler, or distributor in it.  You could also try searching for brand or product names themselves.

One of the most important things to take into consideration when you find a supplier is their cost.  You want quality products at the cheapest possible cost so that you can make the most money selling them as possible.

As you have just learned, you will need plenty of suppliers for your dollar store business.  Distributors can provide you with a wide range of general dollar store merchandise for you to sell - like plates, soap, toothpaste, etc.  A manufacturer or specialized wholesaler may be a better option for certain items though.  Make sure that you replace any bad suppliers as soon as possible.