Which is better for B2B sales? Should you buy direct from the factory or a wholesaler?
Do you want to buy wholesale artificial plants for resale? Have you sought the best options on how to purchase faux plants in bulk? Well then, you’re at the right stop today!
In the world of decoration and furnishing, there are lots of ornamental structures arising every day. The artificial plants are one of the fast-rising decoration figures that are found mostly in every décor style. They can be used for both residential and commercial purposes. And due to this trend, they have become needed in high quantities in different regions of the world. So, lots of businesses have erupted to be able to meet up with such demand. Do you want to start an artificial plant business? It’s very understandable. But you need to ask, whom should I buy from? Factories or Wholesalers?
There has been a lot of contemplation about which is better. Some have listed the advantages and have laid down the different cons to them. So I am here to make it clearer to you. When artificial plants are concerned, a lot of factors will need to be considered when choosing. After reading this post, I can assure you that you will make the right choice even without being guided. I have put so much into it, and I hope you find it helpful.
Here is a brief highlight of the content of this post. Tap to jump to it!
- Factory direct and Wholesale; what do they mean?
- Ups and downs of buying artificial plants directly from factories.
- Ups and downs of buying artificial plants from wholesalers.
- Finally, which is better as related to artificial plants?
PS: THIS POST IS WRITTEN WITH THE FOCUS OF B2B AND NOT B2C. SO, HOW WOULD YOU RATHER PURCHASE ARTIFICIAL PLANTS IN BULK?
1. Factory direct and Wholesale; what do they mean?
Are you trying to differentiate the two terms? ‘Factory direct’ and ‘wholesale’ seems to be used a lot in business posts. Some don’t enlighten you on them. Some even classify the two terms as being generically the same. So your question will be; is there any difference at all?
My short and straightforward answer is YES! There is a massive difference between the two terms. They are also kind of related in a way. I will explain this to you. But before that, I will brief you on what each of them means.
Factory direct
‘Factory direct’ is a term that refers to buying goods directly from the MANUFACTURER. Manufacturers will sell to other businesses at factory-direct prices. Therefore, factory-direct prices are prices charged by the actual producer of the goods. So, instead of saying, “I will buy factory direct artificial plants’, you can say you buy artificial plants directly from the manufacturers. So I will use the terms factory direct and manufacturer interchangeably. Okay?
So, as a business person who intends to buy artificial plants, buying ‘factory direct’ means eliminating the middle man and cutting the whole distribution chain by directly purchasing from the manufacturer. I hope you understand this before we move further to avoid misunderstandings and ‘oopsie.’
Wholesale
The term wholesale is a broad one. There are many branches of business that sell wholesale. The wholesalers are those who buy from the manufacturers and resell in lesser quantities or MOQ. Don’t get me wrong; they do not deal in retails. They are simply middlemen or intermediaries who buy from the factories and resell at slightly higher prices. Do you understand? Yes!
I love to call them the middlemen of the retail industry. They do not design or fabricate the artificial plants; instead, they buy from factories and sell to other businesses. They can also be called suppliers.
As you can see, they are both related. One leads to the other. The wholesalers buy from the factories and act as suppliers to other businesses that plan to sell in bulk. Now that we know what they mean let us go into each of them’ pros and cons.
2. Ups and downs of buying wholesale artificial plants directly from factories
Upsides
There are a good number of advantages you can get when you buy directly from the factories. Factory direct purchases are usually of more significant benefits than buying from other distribution channels. Here are at least seven ideal reasons why buying artificial plats directly from the factory is worth it;
● Factory direct products are relatively less expensive.
I know there are lots of counter-information going on about this fact and how untrue it is. However, in this case, factory direct artificial plants cost less than buying from other intermediaries as there are no middlemen included in this process. The wholesalers and distributors have costs they MUST include into their prices and pass onto the buyers. There is no way they can escape adding such additional fees. They will need to fund their business, pay their employees, and take care of advertisements. All these expenses will add to the factories’ prices from the factories leading to a higher cost.
However, factory direct purchases are free of these additional costs. They will offer you prices of the cost of production and their profit margin. Including a middleman lengthens the chain and hence the costs.
● Factory direct artificial plants are farther from the expiration date.
When artificial plants are purchased directly from the factory, they are probably not near the expiration date. This will give you more time to resell the products without them damaging. You can also stock them up as inventories. Meanwhile, when you buy from wholesalers, you don’t know how long the products have stayed on their lists. And how much the lifespan has tampered. This is one factor you need to consider when choosing.
● Factories offer better shipment and quality oversight.
It is less likely for your products or plastic plants to get damaged during shipping when handled by the factories. Sometimes, these artificial plants change hands from one distributor to the other. They will try to sell them at different prices, and hence they are transferred. Such transfer can increase the likelihood of the products getting damaged during shipping. And even if the products get to you in good shape, there is every possibility that the structure has been weakened due to rough treatment.
Also, suppose there are no intermediaries or middlemen in between the transactions. In that case, the manufacturers will have a better idea of going about quality checks and transit.
● Factories offer customization according to your requests.
Another fantastic advantage of buying wholesale artificial plants directly from the factory is that they are customizable. You can request changes for your bulk order. You get the opportunity to requests features that you find interesting. This advantage is not available when you buy from a distributor.
Since you intend to resell, you can develop ideas that can make your brand stand out from others. The manufacturers will be willing to incorporate such customization and personalization for you.
● Factory direct purchases provide the opportunity to receive immediate feedback from buyers.
If the manufacturers or factories can receive direct feedback from buyers, it will provide them with the need to improve the products and solve existing issues through special requests. Thus, this will enhance the quality of the products.
Meanwhile, when you buy from a wholesaler or distributor, communication to the factory is made almost impossible. Sometimes, when you buy artificial plants from distributors, you often get a small booklet that advises you to contact the factory for complaints. This is LONG! We most times don’t have time for long. Therefore, the manufacturers remain ignorant of the product issues.
Downsides
No doubt, we have looked at how valuable benefits factory direct purchases are. But, here are some of its loopholes;
● Factories have horrible websites.
As an importer of artificial plants, you need to contact the factories to reach them. You will need to view pictures or samples of their products. All these are meant to be on the websites. But, they don’t update and review. Therefore you need to reach out to them first before getting a hold of the showcase product pictures.
● Samples are always a part of the transaction.
When dealing with factories directly, you need to request a sample. There is no way you can almost skip this step. And guess what! It’s not free. You have to pay for it. And once you receive the sample, you can communicate with them concerning the quality and changes you need to make.
Those are the pros and cons of factory direct dealings in artificial plant purchases. What do you think?!
3. Ups and downs of buying artificial plants from wholesalers
Just like I did for the factory direct, here are the upsides and downsides involved with buying artificial plants from wholesalers;
Upsides
● Wholesalers are faster at shipping products.
Unlike the factories that have to produce your artificial plants on order, the wholesalers already have wholesaler inventories. They don’t need to start manufacturing afresh. They have some already waiting to be sold. Hence they ship faster than the manufacturers. Therefore, if you need the products to get to you urgently, go for the wholesalers.
● Online shopping is effortless.
Many wholesalers have markets on eCommerce platforms. You find what you want on the forum, add the products to your shopping carts, and boom! You pay for it, just like that. You don’t need to go through the hassle of requesting samples or product display pictures. They will be showcased on the platforms. Such eCommerce marketplaces may include Alibaba, Aliexpress, Global Sources, and Made in China.
● They showcase all their products for you.
This leads us back to online shopping with this one. Because they want to sell off all the artificial plant species they have at hand, they often display all the products for buyers to see. Talk of saving time! You don’t need to ask many questions as all the products are there to choose your order.
● They sell at lesser MOQs.
Regardless of how cheap you can get artificial plants from factories, there is a certain MOQ you must meet up with in other to make a purchase. These MOQs are usually high and sometimes almost unbendable. However, wholesalers are willing to sell to you are lesser MOQs than the factories. Therefore, you need to compromise meeting the MOQs or paying a slightly higher price.
● They have a more comprehensive range of product options.
Sometimes, factories will specialize in producing just a few types of artificial plant species. However, the wholesaler can deal with multiple factories and have various artificial plants to reach a vast audience. This is one valuable benefit I can’t ever disagree with.
Downsides
Here are the perky loopholes of patronizing wholesalers when buying artificial plants.
● They sell at higher prices.
You are required to pay higher fees when you deal with wholesalers. Because they buy from factories, they will need money to keep selling. Also, they attach additional costs to their products. Such may include advertisement and storage.
● Their artificial plants are not customizable.
You may want to buy artificial plants in different colors. They may offer just two colors, and that’s it. They cannot make changes even if you request. It’s more like buying products from the grocery store or supermart. You take it how you see it.
4. Finally, which is better for artificial plants?
Well then, my dear! That answer is a personalized one. I wouldn’t want to sound biased as to which is better because many factors will come to play. Your choices may be affected by factors like price and budget, time, location, and communication skills. The one you will find ideal will also need to be suitable to your business model. So, the CHOICE is YOURS!
However, I hope you make the right decisions and, most importantly, one that will favor the progress of your business.
Make the right choices today! Thanks!