What is Product Sourcing? | The Sourcing Techniques
Product sourcing on Amazon is the process by which a business attains a product to sell.
There are almost a variety of methods by which sellers source their products. Almost all sellers use a combination of methods including drop shipping, wholesale, print on demand, and custom manufactured.
Types of Product Sourcing :
You have three primary sourcing options to consider.
1) DIY products or services.
2) Work with a manufacturer or wholesaler.
3) Hire a drop shipper
DIY products or services:
The idea of crafting your own product dates back centuries.
Today, thanks to the internet, you now have a much wider reach for selling handmade goods — like, handmade jewellery.
But if you’re thinking about creating your own products, there are almost some factors to consider.
First of all, you will have full control over your brand and will likely be coming into space with something new when introducing a handmade product.
Second, startup costs are typically low, although you’re going to need to put time and energy into your business, which is a sacrifice in and of itself.
Another third, you’ll want to make sure you’re always thinking ahead about how you will scale and possibly grow your product line over time. This will help you stay competitive and offer your customer base something new.
A Checklist to Get You Started:
- Source materials.
- Determine how you’ll ship orders
- Learn what it will take to ship.
- Calculate how long your products take to make.
- Consider where you’ll store your inventory.
- Make a plan for communicating timelines.
Working with a manufacturer or wholesaler.
Working with a manufacturer or wholesaler means you’re hiring a partner to develop your product.
This is a great option if you aren’t able to make a product yourself when you’re ready to scale your DIY product by hiring someone else to make it for you, or to supplement for higher than planned sales.
While this gives you the option to pursue a unique idea or sell popular products without making anything yourself, you may need to invest more heavily upfront.
You can still have control over your brand and the quality of your product, plus get a great deal of assistance with production.
Hiring a drop shipper :
Dropshipping is a method of product sourcing on Amazon that lets you purchase from a vendor and list their products on your online store. You essentially won’t need to deal with inventory, packaging, or fulfilment.
The vendor charges you for the products as they are sold, and typically ships orders on your behalf.
It’s a great option for starting a new online business, but it’s also great for expanding the product catalogue of an existing store.
The catch is that you’ll typically have more competition, as many of the products offered by drop shippers are readily available all over the internet.
Read More: How to do Product Research | Effective product research for amazon
