If you’ve watched the video below, this is the companion piece—the cup-of-tea version. Same ideas, more story. Let’s talk about adding wholesale to your brand in a way that gets you on more shelves, smooths your cash flow, and doesn’t turn your inventory into a spreadsheet crime scene.

Why Wholesale Works

Wholesale gives you three things retail rarely does at the same time: reach, rhythm, and revenue. Stockists put you in front of new customers who weren’t already stalking your Reels. Orders land in bigger, steadier chunks, which is excellent for cash flow and forecasting. And if you sell anything seasonal (fashion, I’m looking at you), you can play the hemisphere game—winter in the north while it’s summer here—so the same SKUs work year-round.

The Cleanest Setup on Shopify

The grown-up version of wholesale is a proper B2B store. Use a wholesale app (I like Wholesale Gorilla) or Shopify’s native B2B if you’re on Plus. Gate access with customer tags, assign price lists, enforce minimum order quantities, and—if you’re feeling generous—offer net terms.

Yes, you can hack it with “hidden” bundles shown only to tagged customers. But links have legs. Once upon a time a retail shopper found a hidden B2B bundle URL and checked out at wholesale. My eyebrows are still recovering. If you insist on the workaround, hide products from search, check for tags at cart/checkout, and set MOQs that scare away casual one-unit bargains.

Distributors & Indent: Selling the Future

If you’re a brand or distributor, the indent model is a beautiful thing. You sell next season’s range about six months ahead, take real POs (take a deposit if you enjoy sleeping), and when stock lands in Australia your 3PL (like us) receives it, scans it, pick-packs it, and dispatches to each stockist against their order. Production is guided by demand; stockists secure sizes; your cash flow stops playing peekaboo.

International Wholesale Without the Headache

Two clean lanes:

• Factory → Stockist (direct): Faster and leaner. You’ll need tight terms, crisp paperwork, and honest landed cost calculations.
• Factory → You (AU) → Stockist (abroad): More control and QC, great if you already centralise inventory here and want consistent branding and packing standards.

Whichever lane you choose, keep Shopify your single source of truth. Run wholesale through the app so inventory stays synced and your reporting cleanly separates Wholesale vs Retail.

A Quiet Word About the U.S. Right Now

Costs have been doing CrossFit: freight, duties, taxes, the lot. Wholesale still works, but do the maths before you romance the margin. A quick sniff test:

Retail – retail fees – COGS – freight/duties – wholesale discount – 3PL handling = reality.

If “reality” makes you frown, adjust the levers: raise MOQs, tweak discount tiers, ship less often but larger (freight per unit falls), or offer DDP with crystal-clear tax expectations. AusPost aligned with one solution provider today.

Operations That Don’t Fall Over

Barcodes or bust. Your warehouse life will be infinitely kinder if every unit is scannable and every movement traceable back to a PO or wholesale order. The flow should read like choreography: receive → scan → pick/pack → dispatch.

The Kit I Actually Use

• B2B: Wholesale Gorilla (or Shopify B2B on Plus)
• Gating: customer tags + price lists + MOQs
• Inventory truth: Shopify (no rogue spreadsheets) or a IMS / WMS
• Workflow: barcode-first receiving and pick/pack tied to the PO

Getting Started (Today, Not “Someday”)

Decide your lane (proper B2B if at all possible). Put the velvet rope around pricing with tags and MOQs. Price like an adult—tiered discounts that still leave oxygen after fees. Prep the pack (barcodes, cartons, size curves). Pilot with three good stockists. If you’re seasonal, use the hemisphere hack. Review weekly: orders, reorder cadence, returns, and—most importantly—gross margin by channel.

Parting Notes (and a Small Plea)

Wholesale isn’t a personality trait; it’s a process. Guard the gates, keep your inventory honest, and let your 3PL do the barcode ballet. If you want me to dig into the nitty-gritty—app setup, indent steps, US duties, or link-leak prevention—say the word. I’ll bring receipts and a strong opinion on MOQs.

No barcode? No peace. ✌️