How to Choose a Reliable Supplier for Online Selling

As an online seller you never touch the product, so your reputation rests on the shop you choose. A supplier that is cheap but unreliable costs more than a fair-priced one that delivers what it promised. These are the things worth checking before you build a business around a shop's products.

1. Is the stock real and up to date?

The most common cause of cancelled orders is a product listed as available that the shop no longer has. Look for a shop that keeps its listings current and marks items as out of stock promptly. If you can, start with a small order and see whether the real situation matches the listing.

2. Do the photos and description match the product?

Your customer will compare the parcel with the photos you showed. Prefer shops that use their own clear photos of the actual item, with honest details about size, colour and material. Be cautious of descriptions that sound too good to be true or that you cannot verify.

3. How reliably is an order ready for pickup?

A same-day service only works if the shop has the order ready when the rider arrives. Ask how the shop handles busy periods and what it does when it cannot fulfil an order. On Shipify, riders are asked to look at the packed item before taking it, which protects you from surprises, but a shop that is consistently late still hurts everyone.

4. Is the packaging good enough?

Damaged goods turn into refused parcels and returns. Fragile and liquid items need proper packing. A shop that takes packaging seriously is usually careful about everything else.

5. How does the shop handle problems?

Things will occasionally go wrong: a wrong item, a defect, a complaint. What matters is how the shop responds. Prefer suppliers that answer questions clearly and fix mistakes rather than argue. Keep communication on the platform so that there is a record of what was agreed.

6. Is the price sustainable for you?

Work through your margin with the method in how to calculate profit on a cash-on-delivery order. A supplier whose price leaves you no room for delivery and platform charges is not a workable supplier, however good the product looks.

Warning signs

• Stock that is always 'available' but orders are often cancelled.
• Photos taken from other websites or that look too polished for a local shop.
• A price far below what the same product costs elsewhere.
• A shop that is hard to reach or avoids answering simple questions.
• Products that are restricted, counterfeit or that you would not be comfortable explaining to your own family. Platforms, including Shipify, do not allow illegal or prohibited goods.

A simple scorecard you can keep

For each supplier, keep a short record of every order: ready on time, as described, damaged, refused. After ten orders you have real evidence instead of impressions. Keep the shops that score well, and be ready to move on from the ones that do not, however friendly they are.

Start small and measure

• Begin with a few products from one or two shops rather than a large catalogue.
• Track how many orders were ready on time, how many arrived as described and how many were refused.
• Keep the shops that perform well and drop the ones that do not.

If you run a shop yourself, the same list works in reverse: it describes what online sellers are looking for. The guide for shop owners, how local shops can sell online without a website, explains how to prepare. Shipify lists verified local shops; you can learn more on the homepage or get in touch with questions.