Amazon wholesale is buying existing branded products (Nike, Lego, Vitamix, OXO) from authorized distributors at wholesale prices and reselling them on Amazon at retail. Unlike private label (creating your own products), wholesale has built-in demand โ€” you’re selling products people already search for and buy.

The Model Explained

Find an in-demand product on Amazon with healthy sales volume (3,000+ units/month). Contact the brand’s authorized distributor or directly the brand for wholesale pricing (typically 40โ€“60% below retail). Calculate if the margin works after Amazon fees (typically 15% referral fee + $3โ€“$5 FBA fee per unit). Order inventory, send to Amazon FBA warehouse. Amazon handles storage, fulfillment, and returns.

Finding Wholesale Products

Use Keepa or Jungle Scout to find products with stable sales history and buy box competition. Avoid: products dominated by the brand itself (they always win the buy box). Target: products sold by multiple sellers where no single seller dominates. Contact: brands’ wholesale/distribution departments directly, or find distributors on Wholesalecentral.com, Faire.com, or trade shows.

Required Capital

Minimum practical wholesale order: $500โ€“$2,000 per product. Starting portfolio: 3โ€“5 products across different categories = $3,000โ€“$8,000 initial investment. Return timeline: 3โ€“6 months to positive cash flow as inventory turns. Target: 25โ€“35% ROI per inventory cycle (sell in 60 days, repurchase, repeat).

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Ungating Premium Brands
Earn: The key skill in wholesale
Many of Amazon’s highest-selling categories (Nike, Disney, certain cosmetics) are “gated” and require brand approval to sell. The ability to get ungated for top brands is the key competitive advantage in wholesale. Apply early and follow Amazon’s ungating process exactly.