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Online sellers can source products through five main routes: wholesale marketplaces, direct supplier or manufacturer relationships, dropshipping providers, print-on-demand services, and liquidation or closeout channels. The right route depends less on where you plan to list products than on how much inventory you are willing to buy and store, how much control you need over quality and delivery, and how much your margins can absorb in fees and shipping.
The title promises 13 sources. No single authoritative list of 13 supports that count, so this guide groups sourcing into routes and names examples from platform and official seller guidance. Platform availability, fees, and eligibility change, so confirm current terms with any provider before you commit money.
Compare the routes by inventory risk
The most important difference between sourcing routes is who carries the stock. Amazon’s official seller guide contrasts buying wholesale with dropshipping and print-on-demand, which can avoid keeping inventory. The table below sets out what you carry, the main trade-off in each route, and what to verify before committing.
| Route | Inventory you carry | Main trade-off | Verify before committing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale marketplace (B2B) | You buy in bulk and store the stock | Lower unit cost in exchange for order minimums; platform fees, payment, and shipping terms vary | Category fit, fees, payment terms, shipping terms, and integrations |
| Direct supplier or manufacturer | You buy in bulk and store the stock | Bulk discounts are available, but vetting quality, delivery, and returns falls to you | Quality, unit price, delivery speed, return policy, and bulk discount thresholds |
| Dropshipping provider | None; the supplier ships to the customer after the order | No stock risk, but less control over product quality, packaging, and delivery | Current supplier and app availability, shipping origin, delivery time, and terms |
| Print-on-demand provider | None; the provider makes or stores and ships each order | Suited to customized goods, but product costs and delivery terms need comparison | Per-item production cost, delivery terms, and quality on your product type |
| Liquidation or closeout lot | You buy a lot and store whatever arrives | Can be low cost, but condition and contents carry uncertainty | Condition, manifest accuracy, shipping costs, and return terms |
Wholesale marketplaces
Shopify’s 2026 guide to B2B marketplaces describes them as places where brands and manufacturers sell in bulk to retailers, resellers, and distributors. This route suits sellers who want to buy existing product lines in quantity and hold them as stock. The guide recommends evaluating each platform on category fit, fees, payment, shipping, and integrations before you open an account.
Faire
Shopify’s channel guidance lists Faire as a platform for connecting retailers with brands, which makes it a common starting point for independent sellers buying existing lines. Check its current buyer minimums and payment terms directly, since they are set by the platform and can change.
FashionGo and Global Sources
Shopify’s 2026 guide compares these platforms alongside Faire on the same criteria: category, fees, payment, shipping, and integrations. Use that comparison as a checklist rather than a ranking, and confirm each platform’s specific category focus on its own site.
Category-specific marketplaces
For some categories, a specialist marketplace fits better than a general one. Shopify lists Newegg as a specialist marketplace for electronics and home technology. Use category fit as the first filter, then check the marketplace’s current seller and buyer terms.
Direct supplier and manufacturer sourcing
Amazon’s seller guide notes that sellers can make products themselves or work with suppliers. Its advice for choosing a supplier covers quality, fair price, quick delivery, easy returns, and bulk discounts. Working directly with a supplier usually lowers unit cost, but you take on the vetting that a marketplace would otherwise handle. A practical sequence looks like this:
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →- Shortlist suppliers in your category and compare them on quality, price, delivery, and returns.
- Buy a sample before placing a larger wholesale order. Shopify’s supplier guide presents sampling as a way to reduce risk, not as a guarantee that a supplier is reliable.
- Confirm the bulk discount thresholds and whether returns cover defective or mis-shipped goods.
- Check demand for the product before you buy stock. Amazon points sellers to its Product Opportunity Explorer for product ideas and demand research.
Discovery marketplaces
Shopify’s supplier guide discusses marketplaces such as Faire and AliExpress as places to find suppliers. These are useful for discovery, but a listing does not establish a supplier’s quality or delivery record, so the sampling step above still applies.
Dropshipping providers
In dropshipping, a supplier ships the product directly to the customer after the seller receives an order, so the seller does not hold stock. Shopify’s Help Center lists dropshipping and print-on-demand app options, including Syncee, which connect a store to supplier catalogs.
Before you list a dropshipped product, check:
- The current supplier, product, and app availability, since catalogs and apps change.
- The shipping origin, because it drives delivery time and, in many cases, the customer experience.
- The supplier’s return and replacement terms, since you remain the customer’s point of contact.
- Whether the product’s quality and packaging match what your customers will expect from your brand.
Print-on-demand suppliers
Printful describes custom dropshipping in which a third party makes or stores the product and ships each order. This suits sellers who want to test customized goods without buying stock upfront. Print-on-demand changes how inventory is handled, but it does not by itself establish profitability: per-item production cost and delivery terms still need comparison across providers before you price your products.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Liquidation and closeout inventory
Shopify’s marketplace guidance identifies Direct Liquidation as a B2B auction marketplace for liquidated inventory. Lot terms, condition grading, and manifests vary by auction and were not reviewed for this guide, so treat any listing description as unverified until you have checked it. Before bidding, confirm:
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- The condition grading and how the lot was assessed.
- How accurate the manifest is and whether it lists every item you will receive.
- Who pays shipping and what it costs for the lot’s weight and destination.
- Whether returns are accepted and on what terms.
Choose a route that matches your budget and control needs
- You want to own stock and lower unit costs: start with a wholesale marketplace or a direct supplier, and buy samples before scaling.
- You want to avoid holding inventory: use a dropshipping provider or print-on-demand supplier, and accept less control over shipping and product quality.
- You are selling customized goods: print-on-demand is the route to compare first.
- You can accept uncertain condition in exchange for a lower cost: liquidation lots may fit, but only after you have verified the lot terms.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
