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What Are the Pros and Cons of Buying Wholesale Silk Flowers?

Robert Ferguson
Robert Ferguson

For businesses, there are several pros of buying wholesale silk flowers. Along with the convenience of ordering assorted floral supplies from one location, a wholesale silk flower supplier usually has a considerable amount of inventory available. The cons of purchasing wholesale silk flowers may include having to meet minimum order requirements. While the large amount of inventory means that purchasers have the advantage of being able to buy flowers in bulk, some wholesalers require bulk purchasing, which can be a disadvantage.

Wholesale silk flower distributors sell to licensed businesses authorized to buy wholesale items. With multiple floral distributors located around the world, business owners have their choice of many different types and styles of silk flowers. A floral business owner purchasing wholesale silk flowers has the advantage of shopping around for the best quality items, the most generous return policy, and the order requirements that best suit individual company needs. Another pro for the business owner is the offer of discounted prices when buying in bulk offered by wholesale distributors.

If only a few flowers are needed for a wedding bouquet, for example, buying wholesale may be more expensive.
If only a few flowers are needed for a wedding bouquet, for example, buying wholesale may be more expensive.

The ability to buy in bulk quantities can definitely be seen as a pro for purchasers. When silk flowers are shipped in bulk, it can mean a significant savings in shipping costs. Shipments of wholesale silk flowers for individual stems or for multiple smaller quantity shipments can incur high shipping costs.

The same advantage can become a disadvantage if purchasers are required to buy wholesale silk flowers in bulk quantity. This can be expensive if only a few stems of a particular silk flower are needed for special orders such as wholesale silk roses for a wedding bouquet or wholesale silk orchids for a prom corsage. While the wholesale distributor sees a profit, the retail business owner spends money on extra flowers that are not needed. The excess flowers are added to the businesses inventory with the possibility of recouping costs in the future, however.

There are several other cons when buying wholesale silk flowers. Distributors sell their goods wholesale with the understanding the finished product will be sold to consumers at an appropriate retail price. In order for a wholesale distributor to experience a profit on silk flowers sold to licensed businesses, the company may have a requirement that an order must be for a minimum dollar amount set by the company. The wholesaler may also specify a set quantity to satisfy minimum order requirements.

When ordering from a wholesale distributor, purchasers should check for any hidden processing fees. Returning these items may incur a restocking and handling fee that has a set price or is a computed percentage charge. Depending on the purchaser's country and what country the silk flowers from, the cost may include additional import and/or customs fees.

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    • If only a few flowers are needed for a wedding bouquet, for example, buying wholesale may be more expensive.
      By: pirotehnik
      If only a few flowers are needed for a wedding bouquet, for example, buying wholesale may be more expensive.