When launching an online clothing business from Turkey, entrepreneurs typically start by selecting the most beneficial strategy to enter the niche with minimal investment and generate revenue in a geometric progression within a short period. 

On the one side, the dropshipping model appears very attractive, as it doesn’t require a significant initial capital to make sales. Still, more and more retailers are adopting bulk practices, partnering with reputable marketplaces like Turanline, as they offer affordable options to beginners.

What does buying wholesale mean? It’s a process of purchasing several units of a particular product at a lower price for further selling with your markup. Regardless of its consequences, which may include increased responsibility and starting expenses, the concept is a wise choice for entrepreneurs focused on long-term growth. Today, we’re sharing the best practices of how you can improve your sales in the right way.

Table of Contents

Understanding order fulfillment models

Common order fulfillment challenges and solutions

How does the order fulfillment works on Turanline?

Key considerations for buying wholesale on Turanline

Final thoughts

Within a B2B e-commerce activity, you’ll face order fulfillment several times: once, when supplying your store with Turkish products, and again when retailing goods to your own clients. That’s why it's crucial to understand all the main characteristics, pros, and cons of possible processes before organizing sales. 

In-house fulfillment

This business model is often a choice for large corporations with the resources to control the entire execution chain, as well as for startups taking their first steps in retail or crafting products at home. What is order fulfillment done in-house? It’s an entrepreneur’s decision to handle all tasks, from packing to shipping, on their own. 

Pros:

• You don’t rely on suppliers as all the products are stored in your facilities. 
• Better control over the fulfillment process. You can directly impact the unpacking user experience by qualitative service and extra perks (thank you letters, small gifts, etc).
• You may establish a smooth logistics chain by partnering with reliable carriers that offer affordable prices.

Cons:

• Your profit is formed after deducting diverse expenses, including maintaining suitable conditions for storage (or renting it), logistics, advertising, paying employees' salaries, etc.
• It may take several months to build a successful online or land-based store and start generating desired revenue. You should consider a strategy to attract, engage, and retain clients.
• High competition. Your rivals are the same online stores and large marketplaces with similar goods. So winning in this battle may be challenging. 

Dropshipping

After conducting detailed dropshipping market analysis, some brands adopt this cost-effective model, acting as intermediaries between customers and manufacturers or sellers. They don’t produce, store, or send items directly to buyers. Instead, they find suppliers and list their products in personal online stores. Then, attract clients and offer items with a markup. When a customer pays for an order, dropshippers deduct their profit and transfer the money to the producer, indicating the customer's delivery address. A supplier packs and sends a parcel to the client.

To establish a successful business, it's crucial to find a reliable partner who will report promptly about the available stock. It will help you avoid selling stuff that is not available at the warehouses.

What are the dropshipping benefits? The major points include:

• You don’t need to invest in products from the start, as it’s already available at the suppliers’ place. Only after a client makes an advance payment, may you place an order for your partner.
• No warehouses and logistics expenses.
• No spending on staff salaries. You can work alone or with a small team.

Cons:

• Even with a list of reliable suppliers by your side, you have minimal control over the product's quality and shipping. 
• Clients’ complaints will be directed to your company, not a supplier.
• Fewer chances to develop your brand, add labels, logos, etc. 

Third-party fulfillment

With the growth of sales, businesses may partner with third-party providers to handle storage, picking, packing, and shipping, allowing companies to focus on other vital tasks, such as marketing or developing new product designs. This is one of the best order fulfillment solutions for platforms that have regular wholesale buyers, require consistent packaging rules, generate revenue from seasonal offerings, and expand their coverage beyond local markets. 

Pros:

• Delegating time-consuming tasks, such as storage and delivery, frees up time for the company’s growth and expansion.
• Ensures a consistent fulfillment process, which improves customer satisfaction.

Cons:

• Less control over the shipping speed and quality.
• Additional costs of outsourcing services.
• Relying heavily on the provider’s responsibility, as it can influence suppliers’ reputation.

As for Turanline, it acts as a third-party provider for Turkish manufacturers, enabling them to send a large quantity of products to the platform’s warehouse in Istanbul and delegate the entire fulfillment process to it at the most cost-effective rate. Turanline, as a winner in the dropship vs. marketplace model battle, takes responsibility for packing and delivery, helping sellers and bulk buyers find each other without the need for direct communication, ensuring high-quality service, responsive support, and fast processing time.

If you are a retailer seeking to diversify your assortment with distinctive clothing from Turkish manufacturers, wholesaling with Turanline may be a prudent and cost-effective solution. Analyzing the pros and cons of dropshipping, we can say that working with a marketplace will help you gain better control over the quality of products, packaging, and shipping, which can enhance clients’ loyalty. Moreover, optimized logistics and discounted prices will help your business generate more revenue and facilitate turnover.

Fulfilling orders is a complex task, where bottlenecks occur if the responsible persons don’t handle it correctly. But every pitfall is an opportunity for further growth. So, let’s explore how to use them right.

Tracking inventory

For many sellers, the e-commerce order fulfillment process can become a real test as they face poor stock control, especially before holiday eves and peak sales seasons. Without proper management, preventing overselling may be challenging. That’s why tracking an inventory in real time is an essential task for all enterprises that offer in-house services. Although Turanline marketplace works with dozens of local manufacturers who regularly send products to its warehouse, all inventory is tracked, which allows for efficient management, minimizes errors, and enables fast and qualitative order fulfillment.

Shipping costs

When buying products from multiple Turkish suppliers independently, businesses may incur significant expenses associated with separate deliveries. Even wholesale prices sometimes don’t save their profit, as shipment eats a substantial amount of money. With Turanline, these issues can be easily addressed, as the marketplace allows for packing various types of goods from diverse manufacturers in a single parcel. This cost-effective and smart approach enables brands to manage their supply chain more profitably and save time on transportation.

Order accuracy

Often, companies with poor warehouse organization face problems with incomplete sets. Workers may mix up products, pack the wrong quantity, or simply fail to locate the storage area. As a result, buyers can receive a package which content doesn’t correspond with the order. In this case, sellers risk losing a client and receiving a complaint, which negatively impacts the brand’s reputation.

The Turanline team ensures you get precisely what you purchase. All products are picked and packed by marketplace workers who provide quality control at every stage of the fulfillment process. Moreover, buyers can receive a video record of the packing before shipment (if required).

Scaling without compromising quality

Frequently, services working with retailers globally may lack resources and executives when their sales volume grows. Turanline prioritizes its clients and ensures that orders are handled on time with a high level of quality at every step of the fulfillment process. This includes constantly controlling stock, checking every product according to international standards, and shipping your parcel in the shortest possible period while tracking its current location.

The main difference between marketplace and dropshipping is that suppliers don’t search for clients on their own and have no direct communication with potential clients. When manufacturers produce stuff, they transport it to the Turanline warehouse, where workers handle the rest of the tasks after receiving an order. Even if you already have trusted suppliers by your side, Turanline can significantly increase your productivity by offering a massive product assortment and unified logistics. Here’s a detailed description of how the platform works:

1. Buyers select suitable products on the platform, calculate shipping costs and discounts, and complete a payment. If clients require consultation on how to start a clothing business by buying wholesale, a responsive support team can address any questions regarding items, minimum batch sizes, delivery, and other related matters.
2. After receiving an order, Turanline managers collect it at the warehouse, checking the quality and quantity, and record the process for the client (if required). The assortment listed on the platform is available in stock. So you don’t need to wait while items are being produced.
3. Turanline workers pack your parcel and deliver clothes directly with a trusted international carrier. A buyer receives the ID number of an order to track the current location in real-time until it arrives at the front door.

While the explained dropshipping business can seem a low-cost entry into e-commerce, it often limits entrepreneurs in vital aspects, such as quality control, branding, and customer engagement. In contrast, wholesale models offer more consistency and supervision, making it more promising for future growth.

While the Turanline ensures reliable order fulfillment automation, buyers can take steps on their end to maximize efficiency through cooperation with the marketplace. Here are several ways they can do it.

Prepare the space and create a purchasing schedule 

To effectively start buying wholesale online, such as women’s shoes or men's clothing from Turanline, you should first ensure you have enough space to store large volumes of products at your location (home, physical store, or warehouse). Owning inventory increases the level of responsibility. You should define how much you can sell and forecast future demand to place an advance order for a new delivery. You can create a special schedule and restock your warehouse on a specific day of the month, or purchase required items before they are about to run out. Here, it is necessary to consider the transportation period to avoid sales downtime.

Make a solid financial plan

When buying wholesale for resale, you should spend some money upfront. Expenses will include product prices, shipping costs, customs fees, warehouse rentals, online store promotions, etc. You can save some investments by ordering small batches of goods. To receive Turkish clothes, purchase as little as 10 kg or 20 kg for air or auto delivery, respectively. Thus, you’ll be able to test market preferences with a minimum risk and prevent illiquid stocks.

Track customers’ demand

Trends change with lightning speed, so you should always control best sellers and users’ behaviour. Dropshipping, compared to marketplace, doesn’t require bulk orders by prepayment. But when you wholesale, regular market analysis is crucial for a successful business. For example, if you find out your clients buy fewer children's clothing, like pajamas, don’t overstock your warehouse with such items. Analyze what is in higher demand in your location to prevent unnecessary spending. Also consider seasonal products, such as beach accessories, which are typically less purchased from spring to autumn. 

Choosing between dropshipping and wholesaling with marketplaces like Turanline can be a life-changing decision for everyone organizing a clothing business from Turkey. While one model may seem appealing due to its low entry and fewer responsibilities, the second one offers greater control over quality, branding, and the customer experience. 

E-commerce solutions like Turanline combine the benefits of bulk purchases with qualified order fulfillment, creating a solid foundation for your profitable clothing business.