Wholesale orders can introduce your freshies to new customers, create repeat business, and help you build relationships with boutiques and other local retailers. However, a large order is not automatically a profitable order.

Before offering wholesale pricing, you need accurate product costs, realistic production capacity, clear order terms, and a process you can repeat without creating confusion for you or the buyer.

This guide walks through how to prepare for wholesale, find potential accounts, pitch your products, price orders, manage production, and turn a first order into a lasting business relationship.

Step 1: Know Your True Cost Before Offering Wholesale

Wholesale pricing must begin with your numbers—not with another maker's price or the assumption that wholesale should always be half of retail.

Calculate the complete cost of each freshie, including materials, packaging, labor, overhead, payment fees, and normal waste. Then determine the minimum wholesale price that still leaves your business with a worthwhile profit.

If you have not calculated those numbers yet, begin with our Guide to Pricing Freshies and Calculating Costs.

Remember: A large order that only replaces supplies—or pays less than your true unit cost—creates more work without building a sustainable business.

Wholesale Orders vs. Bulk Retail Orders

A wholesale buyer purchases products to resell to their own customers. A boutique, gift shop, salon, or vendor market may buy freshies at wholesale and set its own retail price.

A bulk retail customer buys a large quantity for personal use, gifts, an event, employee appreciation, a fundraiser, or promotional purposes. The products are not necessarily being resold.

These customers may receive different pricing and terms. A reseller needs room for a retail margin, while a bulk customer may receive a quantity discount without receiving your full wholesale price.

Step 2: Decide Whether Your Business Is Wholesale Ready

Before contacting retailers, ask whether you can consistently:

• Produce the promised quantity within a realistic turnaround time
• Deliver consistent scent strength, appearance, and packaging
• Purchase enough supplies without disrupting regular orders
• Communicate clearly and respond to questions
• Track designs, scents, quantities, payments, and deadlines
• Replace damaged or incorrect items according to written terms

Wholesale should be repeatable. If every order requires a completely different process, excessive customization may consume the profit you planned to earn.

Step 3: Build a Wholesale-Friendly Product Selection

Start with products you can make consistently and efficiently. Your wholesale selection does not need to include every mold, scent, color, or decorative option you offer at retail.

Consider limiting wholesale choices to:

• Reliable best-selling designs
• A manageable scent list
• Standard color combinations
• Simple or moderately painted options
• Seasonal collections offered before the selling season begins

Highly detailed painting, special packaging, exclusive molds, custom logos, and one-of-a-kind designs may require higher pricing, larger minimums, setup fees, or longer turnaround times.

Step 4: Establish Wholesale Prices and Minimums

Your wholesale structure can use a minimum order quantity, a minimum dollar amount, case packs, or a combination of these methods.

Minimums should be large enough to justify the time spent communicating, planning, invoicing, producing, and packing the order. They should also be attainable for the type of retailer you want to serve.

When setting a wholesale price, confirm that it:

• Covers your complete unit cost
• Pays for the labor required by the order
• Includes any added wholesale packaging or administrative costs
• Leaves your business with sustainable profit
• Allows the retailer to set a reasonable resale price

If the numbers do not work, you may need to adjust the retail price, simplify the wholesale product, increase minimums, improve production efficiency, or exclude that item from wholesale.

Step 5: Write Clear Wholesale Terms

Put the terms in writing before accepting an order. Address:

• Minimum order quantity or dollar amount
• Wholesale prices and suggested retail prices, if provided
• Payment schedule and accepted payment methods
• Turnaround time and when that timeframe begins
• Available designs, scents, colors, and substitutions
• Custom work, setup fees, and revision limits
• Shipping costs, insurance, delivery, or pickup
• Damaged items, shortages, and the reporting deadline
• Changes, cancellations, and refunds
• Exclusivity, if you offer it

Wholesale and resale requirements vary by location. Determine which business or tax documents you must collect, such as resale documentation where applicable, and consult a qualified professional when necessary.

Step 6: Create a Simple Wholesale Catalog or Line Sheet

A wholesale catalog should make ordering easy. Include:

• Your business name and contact information
• Clear product photographs
• Product names or item numbers
• Wholesale price
• Suggested retail price, if you choose to provide one
• Minimums or case-pack quantities
• Available scents, colors, and designs
• Packaging details
• Estimated turnaround time
• Ordering and payment instructions

Keep the catalog focused. Too many choices can make ordering difficult and increase the chance of production mistakes.

Step 7: Find Potential Wholesale Customers

Look for businesses whose customers already purchase gifts, accessories, home fragrance, or car-related products. Potential accounts may include:

• Gift shops and boutiques
• Vendor markets and locally owned stores
• Salons, spas, and nail studios
• Car washes, detailers, and dealerships
• Florists and gift-basket companies
• Realtors and closing-gift businesses
• Fundraising organizations
• School, sports, and community groups

Visit or research the business before pitching. Make sure the store's style, price range, customer base, and existing products are a reasonable match.

Step 8: Approach the Business Professionally

Keep the first message personal and concise. Introduce yourself, explain why your products may fit the store, and offer a simple way to view the wholesale information.

Sample wholesale outreach message:

Hi [Name]! My name is [Your Name], and I own [Business Name]. We create handmade car freshies in a variety of designs and scents. I think several of our products could be a great fit for your customers, especially [brief reason specific to the store]. We offer wholesale ordering with clear minimums and turnaround times. May I send you our current wholesale catalog and ordering information?

Avoid sending a long generic sales message to every business. A short note showing that you understand the store is more effective and more respectful of the buyer's time.

Should You Offer Free Samples?

A sample can help a serious buyer evaluate the scent, quality, packaging, and size of a freshie, but you do not need to give free products to every person who asks.

You may choose to:

• Provide one sample to a qualified local retailer
• Offer a paid sample pack
• Credit a sample purchase toward the first qualifying wholesale order
• Bring a small sample selection to an in-person meeting

Set a sample policy that protects your time and inventory.

Step 9: Confirm the Order in Writing

Before production begins, provide an order confirmation, invoice, or purchase agreement showing:

• Every design and scent
• Quantity of each item
• Unit prices and total
• Packaging or labeling requirements
• Shipping, delivery, or pickup method
• Payment received or remaining balance
• Estimated completion date
• Approved custom details

Do not rely on scattered messages when producing a large order. One final written record reduces misunderstandings.

Step 10: Plan Wholesale Production

Break the order into a production plan before starting. Group similar work together:

• Confirm supply quantities and order shortages
• Organize batches by scent
• Group matching colors and designs
• Schedule baking, cooling, painting, and drying time
• Leave room for mistakes or replacement pieces
• Plan packaging only after paint and glitter are completely dry

Build a realistic buffer into the schedule. Promising the shortest possible turnaround leaves no room for supply delays, weather, equipment problems, or products that need to be remade.

Step 11: Perform Quality Control

Check every freshie before packaging:

• Correct design, scent, and color
• Fully fused beads with no weak sections
• Clean painted details
• Dry, non-tacky finish
• Secure hanging hardware or string
• Clean, accurate packaging and labels
• No debris, damage, or missing items

A wholesale buyer will judge the order as a complete collection. Consistency matters as much as the appearance of one individual freshie.

Step 12: Package, Ship, or Deliver the Order

Arrange products so the buyer can check the shipment easily. Include a packing slip or itemized list and confirm that the final count matches the invoice.

If shipping, use appropriate protective packaging, tracking, and any insurance required by your terms. Send the buyer the tracking information and explain how to report shipping damage or shortages.

For local delivery or pickup, confirm the date, time, location, and person receiving the order.

Step 13: Follow Up and Encourage Reorders

After the retailer has had time to display and sell the products, follow up politely. Ask:

• Did the order arrive as expected?
• Which designs and scents are selling fastest?
• Did customers request anything different?
• Would the buyer like information about the next seasonal release?

Keep notes about each account's preferences, average quantity, best sellers, and reorder schedule. Make repeat ordering easier than the first order.

Common Wholesale Freshie Mistakes

• Offering wholesale before calculating true costs
• Automatically pricing at half of retail
• Accepting unlimited customization at standard wholesale prices
• Setting no minimum order
• Starting production without written approval and payment terms
• Promising an unrealistic turnaround time
• Failing to plan for imperfect or replacement pieces
• Using inconsistent packaging or labels
• Giving free samples without qualifying the buyer
• Never following up after delivery

Frequently Asked Wholesale Freshie Questions

What should my wholesale freshie price be?

It should cover your complete unit cost and leave sustainable profit while giving the retailer room to resell the product. Calculate it from your own costs rather than applying a universal percentage.

Should I require a minimum wholesale order?

A minimum can help ensure the order justifies the administrative and production time involved. You can use a minimum quantity, minimum dollar amount, case packs, or a combination.

Should wholesale buyers pay before production?

Choose a payment policy that protects your business and state it clearly before accepting the order. Many makers require full payment or a deposit for new accounts or custom production, but your policy should reflect your risks, cash flow, and applicable requirements.

Should I offer custom designs to wholesale buyers?

You can, but custom work may require setup fees, larger minimums, longer turnaround, limited revisions, or different pricing. Do not include extensive customization unless the order remains profitable.

Should I offer exclusivity to a retailer?

Exclusivity should be specific and worthwhile. Define the geographic area, products covered, duration, and purchasing commitment in writing. Consider professional advice before entering an agreement that limits where you can sell.

A Repeatable Process Creates Better Wholesale Relationships

Wholesale success is not only about finding a store willing to place an order. It comes from knowing your costs, offering products you can produce consistently, communicating clear terms, delivering dependable quality, and making it easy for the retailer to reorder.

Start with your numbers, build a focused offer, approach businesses that fit your products, and improve the process after every order.

Keep learning: Visit the Freshie-Making Resource Center to explore all our freshie-making and business guides.