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cnewbee
08-17-2010, 03:28 PM
Hello All. I am new to the forum and glad to be here. I am looking at starting an online nutritional supplement store. I do not plan to carry any product. I have been looking up drop ship companies and EVERY website is asking for a fee just to provide you with a list of these drop shippers. I am willing to pay for this service if it works. Is that the route to go in finding information on or drop shippers? THANKS IN ADVANCE.

Patrysha
08-17-2010, 06:09 PM
You shouldn't have to pay for a list of drop shippers...but it might take a while to find a legitimate source of information. It's a highly competitive field and there's lots of scams out there which is what you found. I have no experience in the field directly (done some writing on the fringes of the industry) but a google search turned up a EyeFive Worldwide amongst others...

Harold Mansfield
08-17-2010, 07:07 PM
Do you already have a line of products in mind or are you looking for products and shippers?
Also, are you looking fro something to sell offline or will selling online be your primary way of moving product?

If so, all you are really describing is affiliate marketing and it's not that difficult to get that set up. The Health Products company that I use even has branded stores that you can install on your own domain. No coding. No products. You just need to know how to drive traffic to the site which is pretty much the whole kit and caboodle.

If you can...a little more info on your plan, or how you want to do it.

cbscreative
08-17-2010, 08:09 PM
From what I know about the dropshipper market, it is riddled with scams. A company called Worldwide Brands seems to be legit, and also expensive because they invest a great deal of resources to assure the quality of the info they provide. Even with the best list of resources, I'd do some serious competitive research. If 50 companies are all selling the only 5 brands of products with a legitimate dropship arrangement, you'd better have a great business plan to compete.

That's not to discourage you. With the right niche and good planning, there should still be opportunity. Nutritional supplements seems like it would be a mine field of competition, but just as an off the cuff example, suppose you found out that no one was supplying supplements specific to the needs of fire fighters who face intense heat on the job. Then you find out there are a good number of people looking for something like that. Now you have a niche. You don't have to carry the entire line of the dropshipper, you specialize instead.

Sam Bakker
09-06-2010, 07:16 PM
Hey,

Iv got some ownership in a supplements store online. It's a tough and competitive business. I looked into expanding as you are looking to do with supplements for bodybuilders and it was a mess. We contacted the distributors and did get names of places that would drop ship for us. When we looked at their price compared to that competiting with us in the space who were ordering in for themselves we gaveup as there was not enough money to be made and the business is to price competitive...

My advice as grim as it may sound would be to find another industry to drop ship. I have done some drop shipping in clothes, electronics and watches all were great successes because those markets have room to add value and a unique spin.

billbenson
09-07-2010, 05:16 PM
Sam, I would think that the products you mentioned would be low margin as well. Whats the minimum margin you will accept?

And welcome BTW.