Navigating B2B dropshipping: A Comprehensive Guide 2024

Anna Navolokova, Marketing Manager in Multi-Programming Solutions  •  8 min read

Instead of merchandising to the end consumer via a contracted supplier, entrepreneurs can provide bulk sales to other companies without holding any stocks. Thus, traditional B2C dropshipping can be transformed into a profitable B2B model. Your main task will be attracting potential buyers and promoting a store, while the partner will fulfill orders and ship consignments to clients right from their warehouses.

Our guide will go through impressive market stats, trending niches, and essential steps in organizing a profitable selling channel. Also, you’ll learn about the invaluable role of special software in streamlining routine processes and improving the overall productivity of your online shop.

Table of Contents

Statistics and Trends of B2B Dropshipping

The most common B2B dropshipping product types

How to choose the right B2B supplier

Direct Shipping to End Customers

Setting Up Your B2B Business

Es‎sential B2B Dropshipping Software Features

Conclusion

Statistics and Trends of B2B Dropshipping

Check these numbers to ensure the B2B model is currently thriving and can bring new opportunities for continuous development and prosperity:

• In 2022, vendors who worked as mediators between suppliers and end customers created a market share of $225.99. This number is expected to grow to 23.4% by 2030.
• With its annual revenue share of 35.73%, the US dropshipping B2B sector has overrun the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which holds 33.9% of the volume.
• Selling stuff without any stock backstage can be 50% more profitable than making deliveries yourself.
• Around 27% of all e-commerce merchants offer dropshipping instead of direct shipping.
• Over 86% of users from Aliexpress prefer to make purchases in niche stores rather than in general.
• The most popular product range in retail includes clothes, fashion attributes, handmade crafts, and electronic devices.

Generally speaking, statistics on dropshipping businesses in the US state this kind of sales can bring many advantages and ensure stable profit for those risk-takers who dare to conquer the market in the current year. 

The most common B2B dropshipping product types

Choosing the right assortment to sell is vital for a company’s growth and thriving. You should retail goods that are in high demand on the local market, which can ensure regular orders and increased traffic. It's also crucial that your stuff is easy to pack and ship and doesn’t require additional spending from a buyer.

Consider the next trending B2B dropshipping items for a sales season in 2024 to boost efficiency and popularize the brand to broader markets.

Office equipment and furniture

Companies of all sizes constantly evolve, improving their offices and opening new filial branches. Most invest in comfortable working areas, increasing employee engagement and productivity. Standing desks, ergonomic chairs, high-speed printers, interactive whiteboards, and even coffee machines remain some of the best products for dropshipping when it comes to bulk sales.

Health and safety goods

Сompliance with hygiene standards and ensuring a safe environment within corporate workspaces is one of the prior tasks for business owners who care about employees. First aid boxes, air purifiers, sanitary stations, fire extinguishers, gloves, and safety goggles are B2B dropshipping trends in 2024. This stuff is in demand among various business types, which makes it the best bulk seller.

Smart accessories

This category doesn’t offer electronic devices but rather a wide selection of tech support that makes everyday life easier and workspaces cozier. The set of items for wholesale B2B dropshipping may include:

• wireless charging pads and portable power banks to keep their corporate team connected on the go;
• docking stations for laptops to convert the equipment into a desktop;
• USB hubs to attach several devices;
• noise-canceling earphones, a vital accessory for open-office areas to help users focus on their own tasks.

Hospitality stuff

This niche for B2B dropshipping may cover the demands of restaurants, bars, and hotels. It is a very lucrative area as companies constantly purchase new equipment and goods or replace old ones. Kitchen equipment, cleaning tools, shakers, glassware, and cotton linens are some of the best but not the last goods to retail through your online shop.

Specific industry products

You can successfully operate a company in such spheres: automotive tools for repair stations, beauty salon equipment, medical supplies for clinics, gym stuff, materials for construction, etc. You may examine potential affiliates in the B2B suppliers directory, analyze the highest demand in the market, and pick the one that will make a worthy deal.

Eco-friendly items

One of the proven methods to establish constant sales in your online store is by focusing on sustainable goods. Modern enterprises work on reducing harm to the environment by applying biodegradable packing materials, solar-powered equipment, recycled consumables like notebooks or pens, LED lighting, water-saving tools, and other “green” B2B dropshipping solutions.

We hope this list of trendy products helps you look differently at bulk sales and discover new opportunities for scaling your brand.

How to choose the right B2B supplier

When looking for future partners, entrepreneurs should pay attention to the items' quality (if possible, buy samples), payment conditions, minimal orders, and other factors of the dropshipping policy. Details to consider before making a final decision:

• Verify whetehr a service meets your customers’ expectations.
• Examine delivery terms and conditions to find a better option. Buyers wait for the fastest possible shipping at a wise cost.
• Check trending products for B2B to understand whether their prices suit the majority of brand clients and can still leave a profit.
• Learn the lowest order value. Your clients may be good with purchasing ten chairs for the office but not 100 at a time.
• Evaluate available payment gates, proceeding time, and any additional fees that may occur. 
• Test the support team. You may probably rely on companies that give quick responses. In case any issues arrive, you’ll be able to solve them in a timely manner.
• Ensure you can choose dropshipping software, like DropZa, to organize a smooth and hassle-free selling process within a B2B supplier platform.
• Get familiar with the partner’s product catalog. It should be wide enough to cover your growing demands in the future.
• Read the return policy to know about possible underwater stones for your clients.
• Last but not least, search for other business reviews and define the partner’s reputation.

Now you know what to research while choosing a wholesaler for your organization. Let’s determine why we emphasized the necessity of dedicated software to run a successful store.

Direct Shipping to End Customers

In contrast to the classic selling model, where an item changes several owners and locations before it is shipped to the final destination, in B2B dropshipping, things happen within a more direct route. Although most business operations like monitoring orders, inventory tracking, and payment processing are provided between 3 participants (buyer, retailer, and supplier), only the last one makes the physical product transfer. Such an approach greatly reduces the risks of damaging, losing parcels, or mishandling crucial data, often occurring with several touchpoints.

Top-notch technology and advanced dropshipping software ensure automated and straightforward transactions between all the stakeholders in the selling chain, making the process transparent, fast, and accurate.

Thus, tools such as DropZa, with third-party integrations, handle the most vital commercial processes, like orders and inventory management, label printing, and parcel tracking until the item reaches end customers. Dedicated software helps sellers and their clients stay informed about the actual item availability at warehouses. When a retailer activates product listings at their online shops, they confirm all the stuff is in stock and can be sent at any minute.

On the other hand, B2B dropshipping suppliers can monitor their stocks in real time regardless of the number of connected merchants within their app. Automated alerts help keep a hand on the pulse and make replenishments to ensure seamless order fulfillment without delays.

Generally, the B2B model benefits all the participants of the selling process. Retailers save costs on holding an inventory and renting a warehouse and receive access to a broader product assortment. At the same time, manufacturers expand market reach and speed up the turnover.

Setting Up Your B2B Business

Before diving deep into the waves of online sales, preparing a solid strategic plan and predicting possible challenges is vital. First and foremost, vendors should start by analyzing the target audience, local preferences, and expectations from their online service. Then, you should calculate the involved expenses (mainly for website development and software subscriptions) and potential margin. Learn the dropshipping statistics for B2B retail, evaluate and select reputable partners to build long-term relationships, and scale when the time comes.

Don't underestimate the power of automated data exchange between stakeholders because it draws a precise path for easy order proceedings, stock control, and successful delivery.

When you get involved in business, make efforts to expand your customer network. Popularize the brand, be useful, and bring value through your service. There are several ways you can put it into action:

• Join international selling websites. They help suppliers and merchants meet each other, discover new profitable niches and markets, scale and grow their customer base worldwide.
• Focus on content marketing. Along with the products themselves, you can address the customers’ pain points through blog articles. Create text and video materials to help other businesses solve problems or educate new workers. Valuable content may attract new clients and help you widen the zone of influence.
• Use Facebook Live to make daily or weekly broadcasts. Compile relevant content and help people learn more about your items through regular stories. Thus, you’ll gain more excitement from potential buyers, better showcase your assortment for sale, and stay informed of the latest users' expectations. 
• Contact influencers. Connect with industry experts and involve them in advertising your brand. These key players will drive sales for your business and help you build a reputable company.

Es‎sential B2B Dropshipping Software Features

While traditional commerce platforms allow organize sales for a single merchant, B2B dropshipping in Europe and America with a multi-vendor approach requires a specific system with additional integrations and more complex fintech and logistics. Here are the crucial features you should look for while choosing software for your business. :

• Product information management (PIM) tool - ensures accurate and up-to-date data about product availability and its detailed descriptions.
• Integrations for streamlined contract creation. Your business partnership isn’t limited to a single supplier. But working with several ones, it's better to automate the process of commercial agreement approval. You just add the required data on the payment processor, fees, and duration, and the system will generate documents within several seconds.
• Dropshipper dashboard. This feature conveniently centralizes your partners’ information, including orders, users, and product catalog. So you can efficiently and quickly allocate the required information from a single control panel.
• Order management system. The tool automatically tracks every order from the beginning of its lifecycle (when a customer purchases an item) till the parcel is delivered to the end consumer.
• Payment layers. One more vital option in the list of dropshipping software features is organizing a safe and reliable system of financial transactions. You must accept buyer payments, keep the commission, and send the rest to the supplier. Then, consider creating invoices, bank wires, partial payments, and refunds. All in one, your e-commerce platform should deal with such complex transaction processing and large orders. 

Conclusion

Dropshipping statistics show that the B2B e-commerce model can be a profitable project convenient for your business and customers. All you have to do to succeed in your startup is find reliable suppliers, examine the most promising product niche, and integrate software solutions capable of streamlining all the essential processes in the selling chain. Without holding any inventory or renting warehouses, you’ll discover a source of stable profit, being able to expand product assortment and ensure competitive pricing for your clients.

B2B dropshipping is a perfect way to attract large industry players, speed up your turnover, and take the business to the next level.