Wholesale pitching is the part of running a handmade business that most makers put off for months, or forever. It feels formal. It feels like a big-company thing. But getting even two or three stockists on board can double your revenue without doubling your production time, and the pitch itself doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, specific, and easy for a buyer to say yes to.
What a wholesale pitch actually is
A wholesale pitch is a short, direct proposal you send to a retailer, gift shop, or boutique asking them to stock your products. It's not a press release, and it's not a long story about how you started sewing in your garage. It's a business document. The buyer on the other end is reading it to answer one question: can I sell this, and will it make me money?
Most pitches fail because they're written from the maker's perspective rather than the stockist's. Keep that in mind every time you write a sentence.
Getting your numbers right first
Before you write a single word, you need to know your wholesale price. The standard approach is to set your wholesale price at roughly half your retail price, which means your retail price needs to be at least 4 times your cost of goods to leave any margin at all. If your numbers don't work at that ratio, your pricing structure needs fixing before you pitch anyone.
This is where so many handmade sellers come unstuck. If you've been pricing handmade products for profit correctly from the start, wholesale becomes a much simpler conversation. If you haven't, revisit your cost calculations first. A wholesale arrangement at the wrong price point is worse than no arrangement at all.
You should also decide on a minimum order quantity before you pitch. A realistic MOQ protects your time and your materials budget. If you haven't settled on one yet, the post on how to set your minimum order quantity walks through exactly how to approach it.
The structure of a pitch that works
A good wholesale pitch has five parts. Keep it to one page, or one short email. Long pitches get skimmed and then archived.
1. The opener: who you are and what you make
Two sentences. Name your business, name your product category, name your location. "Fabric by TrishaMakes is a Brisbane-based maker of digitally printed custom fabric accessories, including pouches, totes, and market bags." That's it. Don't mention your passion, your journey, or how long you've been sewing.
2. Why it fits their store
This is the paragraph most pitches skip, and it's the most important one. Tell them specifically why your products belong in their shop. You need to have done your research first. Know their aesthetic, their price point, their customer. "Your gift section focuses on Australian-made products with a handcrafted feel. Our printed fabric pouches retail between $28 and $45, which sits well within your current accessories range." Specific. Not generic.
3. The product overview
List 3 to 5 products you're proposing to wholesale. For each one, include the retail price, your wholesale price, and a one-line description. A simple table works well here. Buyers scan; they don't read.
4. Terms and minimums
State your minimum order value or quantity, your payment terms (payment upfront is standard for first-time wholesale relationships), and your lead time. Be honest about turnaround. If you air freight preorder fabric and can deliver within 3 weeks, say so. If lead time is longer, say that too. Surprises after the order is placed damage the relationship before it starts.
5. The call to action
Ask for one thing. A meeting, a call, or a sample request. Don't give them three options and hope they pick one. "I'd love to send you a sample pack if you'd like to see the quality in person. I can have one with you within the week." Direct. Easy to act on.
Sending samples: when and how
Samples are expensive to make and post, so don't offer them to every store you contact. Send them only to stockists who've expressed genuine interest, or to stores where you're confident the fit is strong. A sample pack should include 2 to 3 of your best-sellers, a printed one-page line sheet (your product list with images, descriptions, and pricing), and a handwritten note. The note doesn't need to be long. It just needs to feel like a person sent it.
Follow up within 7 to 10 days if you haven't heard back. One follow-up is professional. Two is the limit. After that, move on.
Common mistakes that kill wholesale pitches
Pitching too early is the most common one. If your product photography isn't good, the pitch won't land no matter how good the products are. Buyers make visual decisions fast. Invest in decent product photography for your online shop before you approach stockists. That same photography does double duty in your pitch.
The second mistake is pitching stores that aren't a real fit. Sending a bulk email to 40 shops wastes your time and burns goodwill. Research 8 to 10 stores properly and pitch them well, rather than spraying a generic pitch at everyone with an email address.
The third mistake is making payment terms vague. "We can work something out" is not a term. State your terms clearly. First orders are typically payment in advance. Returning stockists may qualify for net-30 terms after a track record is established. Write it down.
After the yes: protecting the relationship
Getting a stockist to say yes is the start, not the finish. Deliver on time, exactly as described. If something goes wrong with an order, contact the buyer before they contact you. Most retail buyers are forgiving of problems that are flagged early. They're not forgiving of problems they discover on their own.
Check in every 6 to 8 weeks. Not to pitch, just to ask how the products are selling and whether they need a reorder. That kind of proactive communication turns a one-off order into a long-term stocking relationship, and long-term relationships are where wholesale actually becomes worth the effort.