27 Trending Wholesale Business Ideas for 2025 (+ Examples)

There are many advantages of getting into the distribution business and selling wholesale. You’ll be part of a growing industry that caters to high-revenue loyal B2B customers. 

But before you dive in headfirst, take a bit of time to research profitable wholesale business ideas. After all, knowing which categories or niches are trending helps to lay the groundwork for a successful entrepreneurial venture in distribution.

In this post, you’ll find a list of the 27 best wholesale business ideas in 2025. These ideas are supported by hard facts and figures to help guide your decision.

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Why should you create a wholesale business?

Pros of a wholesale business

If you’re thinking about starting a wholesale business, you’re onto something. Selling to other businesses presents a range of benefits that other strategies don’t:

• Growing market. Ecommerce is booming—and retailers need to source their inventory from somewhere. You can capitalize on this by acting as the middleman between manufacturers and resellers.
• Economies of scale. Wholesale customers buy products in bulk. You’ll need to find fewer B2B customers who place higher-value orders to make the same revenue as selling direct to consumer (DTC).
• Customer retention. Businesses tend to be more loyal than direct consumers. They want a continuous supply of bestselling products, so you won’t need to spend as much time (or money) acquiring new customers with a wholesale business.

Cons of a wholesale business

Wholesaling can be a profitable business model—but there are a few downsides to consider before starting your own business as a reseller:

• Thin profit margins. Wholesalers tend to make between 15% and 30% profit on a wholesale price. This doesn’t leave much room for discounting or competitive pricing. 
• High upfront costs. Wholesaling isn’t a business you can start without money. You’ll need cash upfront to place an order with a manufacturer, and many have high minimum order quantities.
• Inventory storage. Bulk inventory needs to sit somewhere. You’ll need to invest in a fulfillment center or storage facility to hold inventory before you resell it, and both come at an additional cost.

Best wholesale business ideas

1. Footwear
2. Accessories
3. Lingerie
4. Loungewear
5. Activewear
6. Jewelry
7. Skin care
8. CBD
9. Spa and spiritual
10. Cosmetics
11. Interior design
12. Kitchenware
13. Garden and plants
14. Pet supplies
15. Candles
16. Party accessories
17. Phone cases
18. Wines
19. Groceries
20. Specialty chocolate
21. Condiments and sauces
22. Educational materials
23. Kids’ toys
24. Maternity products
25. Office supplies
26. Medical equipment
27. Health and safety supplies

Wholesale business ideas in fashion

Fashion is one of the most popular industries many aspiring entrepreneurs consider when looking at profitable wholesale business ideas. 

Clothing and apparel claim a large portion of total retail ecommerce revenue—which is no surprise, considering the US fashion industry is forecasted to reach $1.6 trillion by 2030.

Let’s have a look at the different niches this giant umbrella category covers and the wholesale company ideas within it:

1. Footwear

Come rain or shine, footwear is one thing people don’t leave the house without—and that’s why it ranks among the top wholesale ideas.

If consumers living in sunny states like Texas, Arizona, or Florida are among your target markets, summer footwear such as sandals and sneakers are fantastic wholesale ideas. Up north, boots would probably be a safer bet.

Shoes aside, there are also other footwear-related products to sell wholesale. For instance, you can also get into shoe care and sell polish, brushes, and wax.

2. Accessories

The global fashion accessories market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2021 to 2026, which presents lots of growth opportunities.

Bags and hats, eyewear and beachwear accessories, and even keychains—there are plenty of wholesale business opportunities in the accessories niche.

That said, there are things to consider before starting a business in the wholesale accessories market. Because of the sector’s highly competitive nature, constant innovation and development are necessary to stand out from the competition.

3. Lingerie

The global lingerie market is expected to have a valuation of $78.66 billion by 2027. This spells big potential and is certainly a niche to consider when thinking about wholesale business opportunities.

Lingerie can be a competitive but lucrative industry. Selling lingerie wholesale can get competitive, which means knowing exactly what types of products are trending (and which trends will last) is key to ensuring your business takes off.

4. Loungewear

Though we’re no longer living in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, loungewear staked its claim in the market and is here to stay in a post-pandemic world. 

Lockdowns helped consumers rediscover the pleasures of staying indoors. Consumers spend $12.4 billion on products in this category every year. With that, the loungewear trend has stuck around, which makes it a great wholesale business idea.

5. Activewear

More people are working out than ever before. Reports show that around 58% of Americans exercise at least once per week. As a result, the global activewear market is forecast to rise to more than $450 billion by 2028. 

One great way to tap into this trend is by selling activewear wholesale. Since many people will be looking to work out in public, products that are as attractive as they’re comfortable will have the best chance of selling.

6. Jewelry

Jewelry is an excellent wholesale business idea, as it’s cheap to produce and ship. Wholesale products in this category are also rising in popularity. Retail sales in the jewelry industry are set to exceed $330 billion by 2026.

One of the biggest advantages of becoming a wholesale jewelry business is that both the raw materials and the finished products don’t take up much space. This reduces the need for warehouses for inventory management.

Wholesale business ideas in wellness

Long gone are the days when “wellness” was thought of only in terms of what we eat and how much we exercise. These days, it’s a concept that encompasses physical beauty, mindfulness, and mental health.

According to recent research, the global wellness market is currently worth $1.8 trillion, with consumer interest especially increasing in the past two to three years.

Here’s a look at some wholesale ideas in the health and wellness industry:

7. Skin care

Skin care products have always been a big hit among consumers, and this is expected to continue in the foreseeable years ahead.

What’s been driving the skin care industry in recent years is the pivot toward “clean” beauty products. More and more consumers are starting to purchase products that are free of chemicals and toxins like paraben, phthalates, and sulfates, and made only with organic and natural ingredients.

The good news is that where there’s growing demand, there’s supply. So if skin care is an appealing niche for you, you’re in luck. There are plenty of skin care suppliers at your disposal that you can seek for wholesale business options.

8. CBD

Up until the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, CBD products were considered illegal in the US. 

Despite it being a fairly new market, CBD products have skyrocketed in popularity since they were legalized. Sales of CBD products in the US are tipped to exceed $16 billion by 2026, with more than 40% of sales happening online. 

If you’re looking to start selling CBD products wholesale, there are legal requirements to abide by—like making sure the potency of your products stays below certain thresholds. You may also need to acquire a special business license to sell CBD. 

If you’re a producer, make sure you’re up to date with federal and state laws. If you’re operating as an intermediary, source your products only from trusted wholesale suppliers. Visit the US Food and Drug Administration website for more information. 

9. Spa and spiritual

Spa and spiritual products also rank among the top wholesale businesses in 2025. The global spa market will be worth an estimated $156 billion by 2027, with an average CAGR of 8.3%.

Whether it’s bath salts, incense, or crystals, these wellness products have triumphed recently, as consumers take to alternative healing. All this potential translates into great distribution business opportunities for anyone looking for wholesale ideas.

10. Cosmetics

Cosmetics offer a viable wholesale distribution business idea. The industry is thriving, with the huge market set to be worth $129 billion by 2028. The products tend to be small and lightweight, making it easy to store and ship them.

Plus, cosmetics trends change so quickly that there’s likely to always be something new to develop or sell. This also feeds continuous demand as consumers look to replace outdated cosmetics products with new trendy ones.

Wholesale business ideas in home and living

Like fashion, home and living is a huge overarching category that envelopes many different niches, each unique in its own way.

Here’s a breakdown of the top wholesale business ideas in this space:

11. Interior design

Interior design, home goods, and small improvement projects are great product offerings to have as a wholesaler. The global home décor market, for example, is currently worth $35.44 billion, with a CAGR of 4.9% expected by 2029.

Plus, the opportunities in this niche are endless. There are always new interior design trends, which means constant opportunities to develop new products and iterations of existing products. Selling wholesale home goods products like cushy throws, top-quality bed sheets, and sleep masks could be a profitable venture.

12. Kitchenware

The kitchenware segment is expected to reach $17.19 billion worldwide this year. Whether it’s décor or cookware, there are plenty of opportunities as a kitchen wholesale distributor. Market trends also open the doors for matching wholesale items to sell.

The kitchen accessories possibilities are endless. Below are some kitchen products to get your wholesaling business off the ground:

• Appliances
• Bowls and plates
• Cabinets or shelving
• Glassware
• Knives
• Platters
• Pots and pans
• Storage and organization systems
• Table linens
• Utensils

13. Garden and plants

The lawn and garden market will be worth about $150 billion with an estimated CAGR of 2.53% through 2029. And most of these sales happen in the US.

Products like planters, hangers, and even plant accessories are all products to sell online in this category. 

Entrepreneur Sonja Detrinidad, for example, started Partly Sunny Projects after she began getting requests from customers who wanted a personal plant shopper. She scoured local buy-and-sell sites for secondhand plants and resold them at a profit. 

14. Pet supplies

About two-thirds of American households have a pet. These homes spend an average of $1,533 on a dog and $653 on a cat annually. 

There’s no denying that getting into the pet supplies wholesale business can be profitable. Here are some wholesale pet items to sell:

• Beds and bedding
• Bowls and other feeders
• Cleaning supplies
• Clothing and accessories
• Crates, cages, and aquariums
• Food
• Grooming supplies
• Health care and supplements
• Leashes, collars, and harnesses
• Toys
• Treats

Wholesale ideas in arts and crafts

People spend $1.2 billion on arts and crafts every year in the US alone. Yet you don’t need to make and sell your own products to capitalize on this business idea. Many wholesalers will make unique handicrafts for you to sell online. 

Here are some wholesale business ideas to experiment with in the arts and crafts niche:

15. Candles

One of the hottest wholesale ideas that has completely overtaken the home décor market in recent years is candles. And why shouldn’t they? Their benefits include helping to reduce stress, improve focus, and add a cozy touch to any room.

If you’re serious about starting a candle wholesale business, start doing adequate market research into wholesale candle suppliers. Then pay special attention to the rise of sustainable candles. More consumers are starting to lean toward eco-friendly and non-toxic candles, which are typically plant-based and chemical-free.

16. Party accessories

Wholesaling party supplies not only gives you a variety of products to sell, it also gives you volume, since they’re largely disposable products that people buy regularly. Plus, the market doesn’t seem to be going anywhere—there’s always something to celebrate.

Here are some products to consider in this category:

• Backdrops
• Balloons
• Banquet equipment
• Centerpieces
• Décor
• Disposable tableware
• Flowers
• Party favors

17. Phone cases

Phone cases are a great wholesale product to sell for a number of reasons. To start, 98% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind, and the trend is similar globally.

Phone cases are a versatile wholesale business idea. Logistically speaking, phone cases are small, lightweight, and easy to ship. 

Plus, it’s easy to come out with new phone case designs on the fly. And as new devices are released, you’ll also have a chance to develop new cases. It’s a constant stream of demand!

Wholesale ideas in food and drink

People need to eat and drink, hence why the global food and beverage industry is estimated to be valued at $4.32 billion by 2029. 

Here are some wholesale business ideas if you want to open an online store in this niche:

18. Wines

Expiration dates are the biggest hurdle when selling food and drinks online. You have a limited window to receive inventory from your supplier and sell it to customers. 

What’s great about bottled wine is that it doesn’t have an expiration date. In many cases, the older the wine, the better it tastes—and the more expensive it is to buy. This makes it a great wholesale opportunity if you want to break into the alcohol market. 

19. Groceries

If you’re looking for something a little more traditional, grocery stores are a great place to begin. For starters, the likelihood of getting return customers is high—people will need to restock their pantries and fridges pretty often.

And even though most people do their grocery shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, more and more consumers are starting to purchase their groceries online. 

Plus, it’s easy to add items like grocery list notepads and grocery tote bags to your product portfolio. These complementary items can increase average order values. People wearing your branded totes also act as walking billboards for your store.

20. Specialty chocolate

People spend millions of dollars on cocoa-related products every year. Many wholesalers capitalize on this trend by selling chocolate in bulk at discounted prices.

The food industry has some major players who’ve been manufacturing chocolate for years. This has paved the way for specialty chocolate suppliers, like those who make chocolate bars with higher-quality ingredients or unique flavors.

This wholesale business idea can help you claim your share of the premium chocolate market, which is currently valued at $31.87 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2025 to 2030.

21. Condiments and sauces 

It’s not unusual to find a sauce brand with a cult following. 

The most impressive case study of recent years is Hot Ones. Creators of the YouTube series, which interviews celebrities as they eat hot-sauce-soaked wings, released a collaborative line of hot sauces with Heatonist as an alternative to traditional merch.

But you don’t have to launch a YouTube channel to sell sauces. You could work with manufacturers to sell sauces such as:

• Condiments (ketchup, mayo, barbecue sauce)
• Dessert sauces (custard, caramel, chocolate sauce)
• Cooking sauces (pesto, alfredo, salsa)

Wholesale ideas in baby and children

If there’s one thing that parents aren’t afraid to splash the cash on, it’s products for their children. Here are the best wholesale business ideas in this niche:

22. Educational materials

There’s a large annual market for education supplies. In the US alone, there were more than 50 million K–12 students enrolled and more than 3.8 million teachers employed in public schools alone.

Below are some education products to consider wholesaling:

• Arts and crafts supplies
• Backpacks
• Calculators
• Computers
• Educational software
• Lunchboxes
• Notebooks/folders/binders
• Textbooks
• Toys/games/puzzles
• Writing utensils

23. Kids’ toys

From life’s greatest milestones like birthdays and graduations to special events like the holidays, there are plenty of occasions all year round for kids to receive toys. 

This spells great news for merchants as wholesale business opportunities in this sector abound. According to recent data, the global toys market is set to grow from $129.5 billion in 2024 at a CAGR of 2.45% by 2029. 

Although this may be a product category that’s traditionally sold in brick-and-mortar stores, thanks to the rise of ecommerce, the tide is definitely changing. Statistics show that revenue from online children’s toy sales in the US is set to reach $9.3 billion by 2027—an increase of almost 47% from this year.

From dolls and crayons to teethers for the smaller ones, you’re bound to find a toy wholesaler that sells something for every age group.

24. Maternity products

There’s a lot that new parents need to buy when they’re expecting a baby: 

• Maternity clothes
• Birthing balls 
• Breastfeeding equipment
• Pregnancy journals 
• Baby carriers 
• Pregnancy pillows

Interestingly, you don’t need to rely on manufacturers to buy maternity products brand new. The maternity resale market is set to exceed $240.8 million by 2025 because items in this wholesale niche tend to have a short shelf life. A birthing ball is no longer required after someone gives birth, for example. 

You can pick up these unwanted maternity products at thrift stores, garage sales, or on peer marketplaces like Craigslist for a fraction of the price they’d cost to buy new.

Wholesale ideas in business to business

You don’t have to buy wholesale products and sell them to retailers. You can start a business being the middleman between manufacturers and other B2B businesses. Here are some ideas:

25. Office supplies

Businesses spend big bucks on office supplies. Statista estimates that in 2025, the global office supplies industry will exceed $272.2 billion, growing at a CAGR of 2.6% since 2019.

Chinese wholesale suppliers are dominating this market, exporting $18.1 billion worth of office supplies every year. Marketplaces like Alibaba and AliExpress connect you with these manufacturers who sell wholesale products like:

• Pens
• Paper
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Printing equipment
• Mailing supplies

26. Medical equipment

Businesses are expected to sell $313.9 billion worth of medical devices and products this year. Whether it’s something as simple as medicine cups or you become an official reseller of a licensed medical device, there’s money to be made in this industry.

Filtrous is a great example of this wholesale business idea. Founder David Yadzi started selling laboratory syringe filters to other businesses. In the 10 years since then, Filtrous has grown into a multimillion-dollar wholesaler of laboratory supplies—even counting institutions like UCLA as a customer.

27. Health and safety products 

Businesses spend billions on health and safety each year. While that might sound expensive, it’s much cheaper to prevent health and safety concerns than to rectify an accident. 

You can act as a supplier that sells the following products in this wholesale niche:

• Alarm systems
• CCTV cameras
• First aid supplies
• Fire safety equipment
• Safety signage 
• Ergonomic office equipment
• Cleaning supplies
• Personal protective equipment (like gloves, ear muffs, and protective clothing)

Examples of successful wholesale businesses

Use these real-world examples as inspiration for your own wholesale business idea:

Laird Superfood

Surfing aficionado Laird Hamilton didn’t start a wholesale business intentionally. Back in 2015, he co-founded Laird Superfood alongside his volleyball pro wife, Gabrielle Reece, which started as a direct-to-consumer business selling plant-based creamers.

Laird Superfood started its wholesale arm by only accepting B2B orders by phone or email. “It was a really labor-intensive and time-consuming process,” says Paul Hodge, founding business partner and CEO. “We needed to switch. We needed a robust platform that offers an automated wholesale portal customers can access anytime they like.”

What Laird Superfood really needed was a B2B commerce platform that was generated for mobile without any additional costs. It turned to Shopify to build a password-protected wholesale storefront, complete with negotiated custom price lists and support for bulk orders.

Now, wholesale accounts for 75% of the brand’s revenue—and sales are growing by 15% month over month. 

Dermalogica

Dermalogica is a behemoth in the skin care industry. Founded in 1986, Dermalogica has sold wholesale for many years. These B2B orders took place on a custom-built platform that allowed wholesalers to place orders … but not much else. 

The Canadian chain of the brand wanted to improve the buying experience for B2B customers. So, Dermalogica Canada turned to Shopify, which let the skin care retailer add a password-protected wholesale storefront on the side of its DTC website. 

The new site was incredibly easy for wholesale customers to use. Dermalogica’s team says this alone increased the frequency of repeat B2B customers by three times. Three-quarters of those buyers rate the shopping experience as a 4 out of 5 or higher.

“Customers used to be so frustrated by our platform that they’d rather call us on the phone to place orders,” said Nicholas Lachhman, associate ecommerce manager. “Now we’re seeing customers be so comfortable with the experience that they’re placing orders for thousands of dollars worth of product from their mobile phones.”

Kulani Kinis

Australian swimwear brand Kulani Kinis started with a mission: to offer affordable swimwear without compromising on style or quality. 

It always had a wholesale component that ran parallel to its DTC business. But in an attempt to grow this sales channel beyond a handful of retailers, Kulani Kinis enlisted the help of Shopify to run a B2B storefront on the same platform that powered its DTC online store.

“Thanks to features such as Shopify Plus’s native B2B companies profiles, we can set up a new retailer in the wholesale website to make the user experience highly personalized to that customer,” says Alex Babich, managing director and co-founder. “We’ve been able to create a user-friendly space for smaller retailers around the world to select and buy our products to sell.”

Kulani Kinis has seen three times growth in B2B customers since scaling its business on Shopify. Wholesale revenue increased by 60% year on year.

Build on these successful wholesale business ideas 

Getting into wholesale is a great way to start a business. It requires more products but fewer customers and fewer individual sales. One of these wholesale business ideas could be the idea that sparks your entrepreneurial spirit.

Once you’re ready to launch your wholesale business, get started with an ecommerce platform like Shopify. Whether you’re selling direct-to-consumer or B2B, Shopify has all the tools you need to launch your online business today and grow it for years to come.