Your first wholesale order: from shopping list to shelf

Separate essentials from experiments

Make one list of items the store needs to operate and another of products you want to trial. Include current stock, a target quantity, and where each item will be displayed or stored. A product without a planned location may be difficult to manage after delivery.

For a new store, use a provisional assortment based on its available space and intended customers, then revise it from actual activity. For an established store, use recent sales and consumption records. Keep your assumptions visible instead of treating them as established demand.

Read the pack description carefully

Distinguish individual units, inner packs, display boxes, and cases. Record how many sellable or usable units each order quantity represents. Check the product size as well as the count so similar names do not lead to the wrong selection.

For example, a beverage case and a countertop display may each be ordered as one unit while containing very different quantities. Confirm ambiguous listings with the supplier and keep the answer beside the item on your order sheet.

Prepare your account application

Use your business’s current contact details and the information requested in the application. Make sure the person completing it can access the email address and phone number needed for verification. Follow the prompts for business and account information.

At Gokul, new applications are reviewed; existing customers may be asked to verify and link an account. Follow the status shown after submitting. An account request does not confirm an order. Once your account is ready, sign in to see account pricing and ordering options.

Confirm the basket and fulfillment arrangements

Review the final products, quantities, availability, charges, and any proposed substitutions. Ask how and when fulfillment will be confirmed. Supply the correct receiving address and any access information the supplier requests.

Do not schedule a promotion around unconfirmed stock. If part of the basket is unavailable, decide whether to wait, reduce the order, or consider a specified substitute. Ask how that change affects the rest of the order before accepting it.

• Exact product and order quantity
• Confirmed availability or clearly marked backorder
• Current pricing and applicable charges
• Agreed fulfillment arrangements
• Contact for questions or discrepancies

Receive, record, and learn from the order

Set aside space to count incoming cases and check them against the confirmation. Record shortages, incorrect items, or visible damage and follow the supplier’s reporting process. Put stock into its assigned locations so it can be found and counted later.

After the first selling or usage period, review which items moved, which created questions, and whether the case sizes fit your needs. Use those observations for the second order. A clear record of a small first order is more useful than a large assortment you cannot evaluate.