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Chapter 17: Wholesale scans

What you'll learn: how to check a wholesale supplier's price list against Amazon in one go, how to prepare the spreadsheet, and how to read and download the results.

Wholesale means buying stock directly from a supplier or distributor rather than from a shop, usually in larger quantities. Suppliers often send a price list as a spreadsheet. Checking it by hand could take days; a Wholesale Scan checks every row against Amazon for you. Wholesale Scans are included from the Pro plan.

This handbook doesn't recommend suppliers. Whoever you buy from, the steps below are the same.

1. Prepare the spreadsheet​

A tidy spreadsheet gives faster scans and better matches.

  • One product per row, with the first row used for column headings (or the first product). Remove logos, banners and blank rows above the data.
  • Combine split details. If the brand, product name and size are in separate columns, combine them into one product-name column.
  • Barcodes in full: make sure EAN or UPC codes are complete and shown as normal numbers, not shortened (for example "5.01E+12").
  • Image links, not pictures: remove images embedded in the sheet; use image addresses (URLs) instead, if the supplier provides them.
  • Unit prices: if the price is per case or per pack, work out the price per unit, so it matches a single unit on Amazon.
  • Watch for odd characters. Product names containing quotation marks (such as a size written as 5") can break a CSV file. Remove them if rows go missing.

VAT on supplier prices. Wholesale prices are often quoted excluding VAT. When you match the columns (step 3), set the price column to Price Excl VAT or Price Incl VAT, so the profit is worked out on the right cost for your VAT setting (Chapter 6). If you're not VAT registered, remember that the VAT you pay the supplier is part of your cost.

2. Upload and set the options​

Go to Scans → Wholesale and upload the file. ArbiSource shows how many rows it found (for example 250 Rows Found); uploading doesn't start the scan. Enter the Wholesaler Name (required) and, if you like, a Scan Name. Then choose your options:

  • Include results with negative profit. Shows every match, profitable or not. Useful for understanding a whole range, or for spotting products that would work at a lower price.
  • Use title and image matching. On by default: ArbiSource checks the titles and images agree as well as the barcode. If the supplier's titles are vague, turning it off returns every product Amazon links to the barcode. That's faster, but expect more mismatches.
  • Check restrictions. We recommend leaving this on. Amazon limits how quickly restrictions can be checked, so large lists take longer; switch it off only if you're happy to check each result yourself.
  • Discount. A percentage off the whole price list, if the supplier has offered you one.

3. Tell ArbiSource what each column holds​

Use the drop-down above each column to tell ArbiSource what it contains. The options are Not Used, ASIN, UPC/EAN, Product Name, Price Incl VAT, Price Excl VAT, Product URL and Image URL. You must assign at least Product Name and a price column. Assign UPC/EAN or ASIN too if the sheet has one (not both; ASINs give the quickest scans and best matches). Without barcodes, scans run around 20 times slower because of Amazon's limits, and matching relies on titles alone. If the sheet has separate EAN and UPC columns, set the one that's filled in to UPC/EAN and leave the other as Not Used. ArbiSource works out which row your data starts on ("Starting from row 1"); if it's picked the wrong row, click Adjust. You don't need to assign every column.

Set Amazon Cache and Filters in the top bar, and click START SCAN. Stay on the Scans page until the scan appears in the queue. Depending on the size of the list and whether it has barcodes, it may take a few minutes or several hours.

The Wholesale Scan set-up in a UK account (sample price list): Wholesaler Name and Scan Name, the options (negative profit, title and image matching, Check Restrictions, Discount), and the column drop-downs with Product Name, Price Excl VAT and UPC/EAN assigned
Video coming soon

Wholesale Scan walkthrough on the current interface, including CSV column mapping.

How to run a Wholesale Scan (ArbiSource). Recorded on an earlier version of the interface; downloading results was added afterwards.

4. Review and download the results​

When the scan finishes, it moves to Completed Scans. Click View Results to see the profitable leads in the usual result panels.

You can also download a wholesale scan as a CSV (exports are included from the Pro plan). ArbiSource merges your original spreadsheet with the results you choose, and can include the unmatched rows, so you can search for those yourself. This is often where a few extra opportunities hide.

Thinking like a wholesale buyer​

  • Minimum orders: suppliers often have a minimum order value or case size. Check that a lead still works at the quantity you'd have to buy.
  • Sales share: use the share-of-sales idea from Chapter 8 to check you could sell that quantity in a sensible time.
  • Restrictions and brand approval: some brands only allow approved resellers. Check before ordering.
  • Ask for a better price. Your ArbiSource results show exactly where a lower price would turn a product profitable. That's useful when talking to the supplier.

Checklist​

  • My spreadsheet has one product per row, full barcodes and unit prices
  • I've chosen Price Excl VAT or Price Incl VAT to match the supplier's sheet
  • I've assigned the product name, price and barcode columns
  • I've downloaded the results, including unmatched rows