The Best UK Dropshipping Suppliers for Your eCommerce Business (2024)
Dropshipping is a fantastic way for eCommerce entrepreneurs to start a business. The right dropshipping suppliers can provide a low-risk supply option that earns high profits without huge upfront costs.
We found the best UK dropshipping suppliers for 2024 and uncovered their pros and cons. Read on to learn how to choose the right dropshipping supplier for your eCommerce store.
What Is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a business model for eCommerce stores. Rather than storing and shipping products themselves, dropshipping sellers act as middlemen between customers and manufacturers.
Once a customer orders, the dropshipping supplier packages and ships the products to the customer on the seller’s behalf. This is an excellent option for entrepreneurs who want to start an eCommerce business without the hassles of order fulfilment or upfront costs.
Here’s a breakdown of the dropshipping process:
- Sales: Customers purchase products from your online businesses at retail prices.
- Order Fulfilment: Orders are forwarded to your dropshipping supplier, who fulfils them at pre-agreed wholesale prices.
- Direct Delivery: The dropshipping supplier processes and ships the orders to your customers.
- Profit: You keep the remaining money after paying production and other operational costs.
Dropshipping vs Print on Demand
Print on Demand and dropshipping are both fulfilment options for eCommerce stores. Both offer an automatic order fulfilment and shipping service, but Print on Demand allows product personalisation.
Print on Demand (POD) requires a bit more effort since you customise all your products with unique designs, but it opens up an opportunity to appeal to niche audiences and build a brand identity.
Dropshipping:
- Faster order fulfilment
- Potentially higher profit margins
- No involvement in the production
Print on Demand:
- Less competition
- Product customisation
- More involvement in the production
Why Choose a POD Supplier?
Instead of selling unbranded products with a dropshipping supplier, POD suppliers let you express your creativity with custom designs.
A traditional dropshipping store won’t cut the mustard if you want to create branded merchandise or designs for a particular niche. People buy personalised products more now than ever before, and POD has opened up an excellent opportunity for you to get your share of the profits.
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Top 6 UK Dropshipping Suppliers for Launching an Online Business
We made a list of the best dropshipping companies in the UK so you can find the right supplier for your online store. Read on for important details about each wholesale supplier.
Printify is the top pick for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and anyone wanting to sell customised print-on-demand merchandise. We offer hundreds of unique, high-quality products, like t-shirts, hoodies, pet products, and mugs, at excellent prices with fast delivery.
Printify integrates seamlessly with popular eCommerce platforms and marketplaces like Shopify, eBay, and Etsy to streamline order fulfilment. As soon as a customer orders, Printify takes care of the printing and shipping so you can focus on marketing your business.
There are no minimum order requirements and no upfront investment. Signing up gives you free access to the best POD Print Providers for your eCommerce store.
- Products: Over 900 items for you to customise, including clothing, accessories, homeware, pet supplies, stickers, and more.
- Location: Our Print Providers operate in the UK, North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. They all provide both local and international shipping.
SaleHoo has partnerships with over 8,000 of the best dropshipping suppliers. Their user-friendly interface helps you find UK dropshipping suppliers with tons of in-demand products.
Use SaleHoo’s free Market Research Lab to filter product details based on price, fulfilment location, shipping options, and more.
SaleHoo’s centralised platform puts you in control – monitor orders, negotiate prices, and scale your eCommerce store with a trusted network of the best dropshipping companies.
- Products: Over 2.5 million products with low or no minimum order requirements.
- Location: Most SaleHoo suppliers ship internationally, and you can filter selections for local wholesalers, including UK wholesalers.
Avasam is a fully automated dropshipping platform headquartered in London that specialises in high-ticket products.
They provide all the tools to streamline your dropshipping business and maximise sales potential, including integration with over ten eCommerce platforms.
Avasam takes supplier quality seriously, ensuring each partner undergoes a thorough verification process before joining the platform.
- Products: Over 100,000 products from verified suppliers across over 15 categories, including health and beauty, fashion and lifestyle, DIY and tools, and PPE (personal protective equipment).
- Location: Fulfillment centres across the UK.
Wholesale Deals is a directory for wholesalers and dropshipping suppliers. Their primary focus is on eBay and Amazon sellers, but people selling on other platforms will still benefit.
The directory leans heavily towards UK-based suppliers, making it a valuable resource for dropshippers with UK customers.
- Products: Over 400,000 verified product sources across various categories.
- Location: Mostly UK-based dropshipping suppliers with some international options.
The Wholesaler is a UK dropshipping directory that prioritises supplier quality.
Unlike many dropshipping platforms, The Wholesaler has a supplier directory and lets you contact potential suppliers directly.
- Products: Everything you can think of, from beauty products to tech accessories and pet supplies.
- Location: Fulfillment centres across the UK.
Clothes2order is a UK customer favourite for custom-branded clothing. It has a wide selection of apparel, from tees and polo shirts to hoodies and workwear, with customisation and branding options.
Clothes2order prioritises speedy deliveries by offering 24-hour dispatch with no minimum order requirement. Orders over £100 qualify for free shipping within the UK.
The website includes an order tracker that displays the estimated delivery time in hours.
- Products: Customisable clothing.
- Location: Fulfillment centre in the UK.
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Top 9 International Dropshipping Suppliers
If you want to expand your business beyond the UK and are open to dropshipping companies with international fulfilment centres, then you’re in luck!
We’ve compiled a list of nine dropshipping service providers around the globe so you can take your online business worldwide.
AliExpress is one of the most popular online retail marketplaces globally, averaging over 400 million monthly visitors in recent years. This extensive eCommerce platform hosts millions of online stores and hundreds of dropshipping suppliers.
While AliExpress suppliers might not be the most cutting-edge, they make up for it with variety. You’ll find dropshipping wholesalers for almost any niche imaginable, all at competitive prices.
It’s a great place to experiment with your niche and research potential competitors. However, you’ll need to find suppliers who independently offer dropshipping services.
- Products: Over 100 million products across every imaginable category.
- Location: Global supplier options, but most products are shipped from China, leading to longer shipping times and higher costs for UK customers.
Alibaba, the parent company of AliExpress, is the industry’s largest B2B eCommerce platform. Unlike AliExpress, Alibaba offers bulk quantities, financing options, and the ability to add your brand’s labels to some products.
Dropshipping through Alibaba can be more challenging than with AliExpress since Alibaba focuses on bulk orders. However, it’s excellent for sourcing international wholesale products. Alibaba excels at connecting you directly with dropshipping suppliers, and some even offer product customisation.
Use Alibaba to find dropshipping suppliers and add their products to your AliExpress store or any other eCommerce platform. Look for suppliers with high ratings and focus on finding discounts, bulk pricing options, and affordable shipping.
- Products: Over 200 million products from a huge network of wholesale dropshipping suppliers.
- Location: Global supplier options, but most products are shipped from China, leading to longer shipping times and higher costs for UK customers.
CJDropshipping is another excellent resource with an extensive product catalogue and automatic listing integrations. Filter product recommendations based on specific eCommerce marketplaces and browse a global network of suppliers.
CJDropshipping simplifies operations by managing platform integrations, order routing APIs, and browser extensions.
- Products: Over 400,000 products across 13 categories, including apparel, home decor, electronics, and more.
- Location: CJDropshipping has international fulfilment centres with warehouses in the US, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Germany. They plan to open fulfilment centres in the UK and France.
Modalyst is a one-stop shop dropshipping supplier. It offers a selection of speciality products and a list of suppliers from marketplaces like AliExpress.
Modalyst streamlines the dropshipping process through an automated business-to-business (B2B) model, seamlessly connecting you with partnered suppliers.
It integrates directly with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Wix, making adding and syncing new products easy.
They offer a free Hobby plan with a 25-product limit. The Startup subscription allows up to 250 products for $35/month (prices in USD only), while the Pro subscription removes product limits and grants access to premium suppliers for $90/month.
- Products: Millions of everyday items and speciality dropshipping products.
- Location: Suppliers are based in the US and China.
Megagoods is a well-established dropshipping supplier specialising in consumer electronics. They have an extensive range of worldwide brands and even offer custom private labelling for a more personalised touch.
Megagoods prioritises efficient shipping and excellent merchant support throughout the supply process, with the bonus of no minimum order requirements.
Founded in 2004, they’re a transparent and experienced company – a great choice if you want a direct partnership with a wholesale supplier.
- Products: Over 2,000 products across dozens of consumer electronics categories.
- Location: Their primary fulfilment centre is in Santa Clarita, California, USA, and they offer international shipping options.
Wholesale2B is a well-established player in the dropshipping industry, offering over a million products from more than 100 suppliers, automated inventory management solutions, order synchronisation, and insightful tracking analytics.
Import up to 10,000 products with a single account. Wholesale2B caters to a wide range of platforms, with dedicated dropshipping plans for eBay, Amazon, Shopify, BigCommerce, and many more. They even provide educational courses for dropshipping newbies and curate lists of top-selling dropshipping favourites to help you get started.
- Products: Over one million products across various categories, with a particular focus on baby products, clothing, pet supplies, and consumer electronics.
- Location: Most suppliers are US-based, with a few in China. International shipping is available.
Spocket is a versatile dropshipping service provider with a beginner-friendly interface. Set up an account in just a few clicks, browse thousands of products for free, and stay ahead of the curve with curated lists of trending items with high profit potential.
Spocket seamlessly integrates with most eCommerce platforms, offering partnership deals and affiliate programs to help grow your business.
Their website provides comprehensive help services, academy guides, and access to a dedicated online community of entrepreneurs. You’ll also find valuable insights into the hottest products to sell, sourced from reliable dropshipping companies.
- Products: Thousands of top-selling products across many categories, including women's clothing, beauty, gardening, pet supplies, tech accessories, and more.
- Location: Fulfillment centres located in the EU and the US.
Doba is a fantastic platform for sourcing dropshipping suppliers and products across any category or niche. It regularly offers discounts and promotions on seasonal items and bulk quantities, making it a cost-effective option. It integrates with popular eCommerce marketplaces and platforms like Shopify, eBay, and Amazon.
The wholesale supplier directory is a goldmine for niche ideas. Doba curates lists of top-performing suppliers that consistently provide high-quality products and efficient fulfilment.
- Products: Over 300,000 products across all categories, with thousands of new releases added each month.
- Location: Products are shipped directly from China, with some localised US warehouses.
AutoDS is a cloud-based powerhouse that streamlines your entire dropshipping operation. Manage orders, communication, cancellations, and returns for all your stores from one central hub.
The platform seamlessly integrates with many wholesalers and reputable dropshipping suppliers like Aliexpress.
- Products: Over 500 million trending products.
- Location: Suppliers ship from locations worldwide, including the UK, EU, the US, and China.
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Choosing the Perfect Dropshipping Supplier for Your Online Store
For your store to succeed, you need to choose a dropshipping or print-on-demand supplier that fits your niche and meets your quality expectations.
We’ll go over how to select the right dropshipping suppliers for your online store.
1. Location
If you plan to sell in the UK, find reputable dropshipping suppliers with local warehousing to reduce delivery times and shipping costs. If you want to sell abroad, consider one of the suppliers with international fulfilment centres.
Make sure the supplier is certified and compliant with all relevant local regulations. Printify’s Print Providers have fulfilment centres in the UK and abroad, so they’ll ship orders from the warehouse closest to your customers.
2. Minimum Order Quantities
Look for suppliers with low or no minimum orders so you can fulfil orders without worrying about high upfront costs.
3. Product Variety
Look for a supplier with a wide variety of high-quality products so you can expand your niche market and grow your dropshipping business.
Make sure your dropshipping suppliers provide all the products you want. Otherwise, you’ll need to source from multiple suppliers, which can be tricky and add extra costs.
Check how many products you can list since many dropshipping companies have limits unless you choose a paid plan.
With Printify, you can list as many products as you want for free with no minimum order requirements.
4. eCommerce Platform Integrations
While some dropshipping companies have dedicated software that automatically syncs with popular sales channels, others are just supplier directories. To reduce your workload, look for suppliers that integrate directly with your chosen sales platform.
5. Avoid Fake Dropshipping Wholesalers
Unfortunately, some dropshipping companies sell counterfeit products or set unrealistic expectations. Don’t be fooled by flashy sales pitches or promotional emails or skip the supplier verification process.
Always make sure a potential supplier is the real deal by contacting the product manufacturer directly. Do thorough research using search engines, customer testimonials, competitor product comparisons, and scam-detecting resources.
Launch Your Dropshipping Business With Printify
Create a free Printify account to access a global network of industry-leading Print Providers.
Print on Demand is perfect for selling unique, customised products without upfront costs or order minimums.
1. Connect Your Sales Channel
Log in to your account and click My new store at the top left under the Printify logo. Select Add store to view our list of seamless integrations. Choose your sales channel and fill in the requested information to connect your eCommerce store to your Printify account.
2. Choose Your Product
Head over to the Printify Product Catalogue and browse the product categories. Filter by fulfilment location, product type, and printing technique to narrow down your search.
Click on a product to view printing locations, design features, wholesale pricing, and shipping costs.
Select a Print Provider based on their location and rating from other Printify merchants.
3. Customisation
Time to customise your products! Click Start Designing to go to the Product Creator.
Upload your design using the recommended image resolution and file format. Drag and drop your image onto the product and adjust its placement and size.
Not feeling super creative? No problem! You’ll find a library of free designs along with an AI Image Generator and Shutterstock integration to find unique, high-quality designs.
Select Preview to see how the final product will look. Once you’re happy with your design, click Save product.
4. Order a Sample
Go to My products, select Create order in the top right, then Sample. Choose a product you want a sample of and fill in your billing and shipping information.
Order samples to check the product quality before committing to full-scale production. Make sure you rate your sample order after it arrives – we love hearing feedback from our merchants.
5. Publish to Your Online Store
Choose a product from your My products page to add a title and description, set your profit margins, and select listing images. Hit Publish to upload your product to your connected sales channel. This may take a few minutes.
6. Market Your Store – We’ll do the Rest
Now, it’s time to promote your online dropshipping business. Visit our blog for tons of helpful marketing hints and tricks.
When a customer orders from your store, Printify will manufacture and ship the product to their doorstep. There are no order minimums, and you’ll only pay for production when you make a sale, eliminating hefty upfront costs.
Quick Tip
Need some help? We’re here to help you every step of the way, so don't hesitate to contact our Merchant Support Team or use the resources in our Help Centre.
Conclusion
Dropshipping can be a super profitable business model if you choose the right suppliers.
Research your options thoroughly. Consider supplier location, available platform integrations, product variety, and minimum order quantities.
Compare pricing from multiple dropshipping suppliers and read reviews from other merchants. Don’t be swayed by flashy deals – always vet suppliers before committing.
Start a print-on-demand dropshipping business with Printify for smooth, automated order processing.
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Written by
Andris Mucenieks
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