Wholesale Buying
How to Request an FMCG Wholesale Quote
What a supplier actually needs in order to quote — and why an enquiry with these details comes back faster and firmer than one without.
3 min read
Why wholesale is quoted, not listed
A published wholesale price would have to assume a quantity, a destination, an Incoterm and a packaging format. Change any one and the number changes. That is why serious wholesale supply is quoted against a specific enquiry rather than shown on a page — a listed figure would be accurate for almost nobody.
The practical consequence for a buyer is that the quality of the quotation depends on the quality of the enquiry. The list below is what turns a vague request into a firm number.
What to include
- Product list — brand and product name, as specifically as you can. A brand alone usually covers many SKUs at different pack sizes.
- Pack size and format — 500ml bottle, 65g sachet, 24-can tray. This determines units per carton and therefore everything downstream.
- Quantity per line — in cartons or pallets if you know them, otherwise approximate units. Quantity drives price more than any other variable.
- Destination country and port — the discharge port or delivery city. Freight and documentation both depend on it.
- Incoterm — EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP. If you are unsure, say so and say what you would like included.
- Order format preference — mixed pallet, full pallets, or a container.
- Purchasing frequency — one-off trial or a repeating programme. This affects both pricing and how availability is reserved.
What happens next
- Availability is checked per line — some SKUs move in and out of stock, and pack formats vary by sourcing market.
- Quantities are converted into cartons and pallets so the load can be planned.
- Freight is assessed for the destination and Incoterm.
- A quotation comes back with the assortment, quantities, terms and validity period.
Quotations carry a validity period because freight rates and stock positions move. If a quotation has expired, the assortment usually still stands — the numbers get refreshed.
Getting a firmer answer, faster
- Send a spreadsheet rather than prose where the list is long
- Say whether a substitute pack size is acceptable — it often unlocks availability
- Give a target quantity range instead of a single figure if you are flexible
- Name the destination even for an indicative enquiry; without it, freight is guesswork
The same enquiry, two ways
The difference between an enquiry that returns a quotation and one that returns questions is specificity, not length.
| Returns questions | Returns a quotation |
|---|---|
| "Please send your price list for beverages." | "7Up 320ml cans, 24-can trays, approx. 8 pallets." |
| "We need shampoo, best price." | "Sunsilk 340ml bottles, mixed variants acceptable, approx. 300 cartons." |
| "Shipping to Africa." | "CIF Tema, Ghana." |
| "What is your MOQ?" | "Can this list ship as one 40ft? If it is short, we can add volume on the noodles." |
The right-hand column is no more work to write. It states what the buyer already knows and the supplier cannot guess.
What happens when details are missing
A supplier can quote around some gaps and not others. Knowing which is which saves a round trip.
| Missing detail | Effect on the quotation |
|---|---|
| Destination | Freight cannot be calculated at all — only ex-works pricing is possible |
| Quantity | Price cannot be fixed; anything given would be indicative only |
| Pack size | The wrong SKU may be quoted, since one brand covers several formats |
| Incoterm | Quotable on a stated assumption, but the total moves if you wanted something else included |
| Order format | Quotable, though the format chosen may not be the most economical for you |
What to expect, and when
A short, specific list moves faster than a long, vague one. A single line with a stated destination and Incoterm needs only an availability check and a freight rate. A hundred-line assortment for a new market needs every line checked, the load planned, and freight assessed against the finished plan.
If a deadline matters — a tender, a seasonal window, a vessel you intend to catch — say so in the enquiry. It changes how the work is sequenced, and it is far more useful stated up front than discovered later.
Send your enquiry
Product list, quantities and destination is enough to start. We will confirm availability and return a commercial quotation.
