How to Find a Manufacturer for Your Amazon Private Label Products

6 Traits to Look For When Evaluating Private Label Manufacturers

We will discuss how and where to find private label manufacturers later in the piece, but here are several characteristics your manufacturers must have that will lead to a mutually beneficial relationship. 1. Competitive Pricing Is the supplier willing to provide a pricing quote? Is there room for negotiation? Is their pricing affordable and will it allow you to resell on Amazon at a competitive price? Negotiating a good price from the manufacturer will allow you to increase your profit margins once the product has moved through the supply chain to be sold on Amazon.  You can request quotes from multiple suppliers to determine if the pricing you are actually receiving will be competitive in the market. Be sure to also ask about any minimum order quantities, additional pricing for iterations of samples, and any shipping or transportation costs. 2. Experience in Your Product Niche Be sure the manufacturers you are considering have experience private labeling products as well as making products in your specific product category or niche. Ask to see images of the exact products they have produced as well as tangible product examples to confirm their legitimacy. Confirm the colors, sizes, styles, and any other relevant specs in which they can make the product, as well as if they have the capability to accommodate any modifications you are seeking. 3. High-Quality Products Product quality is a legitimate concern when working with a new manufacturer, so once you have identified this supplier and before you establish a partnership, be sure they can send samples so you can perform a quality check. In order to navigate any potential concerns with products of poor quality, requesting samples will allow you to verify a product’s look, feel, and quality before investing any money into inventory. Some sellers may even contact their supplier using another name and email to get an additional sample to compare quality and make sure the supplier did not just send a high-quality sample while the seller was meticulously vetting the product. Receiving samples will enable you to test the product, examine the specs in detail, and identify any changes that need to be made prior to the production run. 4. On-Time Delivery and Adherence to Lead Times Ask every manufacturer about their production lead time and history with on-time delivery. This will be especially relevant if you are working with a manufacturer overseas and you are working to receive products in time for a shopping event such as Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. 5. A Low Product Defect Rate Inquire about the manufacturer’s defect rate and explore online reviews from other sellers who have partnered with the manufacturer. The Maker’s Row directory, for example, allows you to read up on the experiences that other members of the community have had in the past with individual manufacturers. 6. Flexibility to Establish Terms of Trade In order to extract the maximum value from each manufacturer, always ask about periodic, effective, and structured negotiations to ensure ongoing profitability and healthy performance metrics. Be vigilant and regularly check in with your supplier to ensure he or she remains honest and trustworthy.  Ask them about any available discounts on pricing — which are known as Terms of Trade — to help you compensate for any defective product issues and ensure that you continue to benefit from your supplier as your business scales. Always have both parties sign a contract outlining any agreed upon terms and keep those documents available for quick reference.

Where to Find the Best Private Label Manufacturers

The two most popular ways to find private label manufacturers for your Amazon business are on the Internet or in person at trade shows. 1. Online Directories

• JungleScout

JungleScout launched a Supplier Database to help you find legitimate, high-quality global manufacturers. While there is a cost associated with the tool, you can view suppliers’ customer volume and confirmed shipments to verify legitimacy.

• Salehoo

With more than 8,000 pre-vetted local and global manufacturers, Salehoo allows you to connect with specific private label manufacturers for specific product niches. There is a flat annual or lifetime fee to access the directory.

• Trillion Source

Known for helping sellers and brands source products from China, Trillion Source works with more than 5,000 verified and certified manufacturing facilities.  

• ThomasNet

With its Supplier Discovery tool, you can evaluate more than 500,000 U.S.-based custom manufacturers and filter by supplier qualifications, location, state, and quality certifications.

• Maker’s Row

Maker’s Row has a network of 10,000 manufacturers and, across its network, has produced more than 2 million American-made products.

• MFG

MFG refers to itself as “the world’s largest custom manufacturing marketplace” and provides access to thousands of manufacturers in its directory, lets you create custom RFQs, and matches you with manufacturers that can fulfill your unique needs.

• DHgate

Headquartered in Beijing, DHgate refers to itself as the largest B2B cross-border e-commerce trade platform in China and has more than 22 million products available across a variety of product categories.

• Global Sources

Another Chinese-based manufacturer company, Global Sources is based in Hong Kong and facilitates trade between Asia and the world through its online supplier marketplace, trade shows, magazines, and apps. 2. Alibaba While Alibaba is an extremely commonly used website for finding private label manufacturers, it is critical that you trade exclusively with vetted gold suppliers, the company’s premium suppliers who are required to pass an onsite check before being verified. Doing so will help you ensure security and avoid scams or counterfeit suppliers.  You can also leverage Alibaba’s trade assurance program, which mitigates risk by guaranteeing money back in the event of a supplier issue such as delays, quality and quantity discrepancies, or other processing problems. 3. Reddit A search on Reddit for private label manufacturers will yield threads that include manufacturer recommendations for specific verticals, locations, or even specific products. 4. A Google Search If you want to cast a wide net, starting with a Google search will generate a vast variety of results that you may have to sift and filter through to find exactly what you are looking for, but if you have the time to do so, you can find manufacturers based on your product category and niche.  For example, you can search “cosmetics private label manufacturers,” “cosmetics private label manufacturer,” or “U.S. cosmetics private label manufacturer,” depending on what exactly you are looking for. Google is a particularly helpful resource if you are looking for U.S.-based private label manufacturers for products that require specific health or safety compliance. 5. Trade Shows and Wholesale Markets If you would prefer to meet your potential manufacturers in a face-to-face scenario versus an online portal, you can travel to domestic or overseas trade shows or wholesale markets to establish an immediate personal connection. Some shows are “order-writing shows” meaning you can place orders with manufacturers on the exhibition floor at the show itself. Specifically, the Private Label Manufacturer’s Association (PLMA) can be a great resource for finding private label manufacturers. PLMA represents more than 4,500 member companies around the globe, provides services to manufacturers in more than 75 countries, and hosts several trade shows annually, most notably in Chicago and Amsterdam.

Final Thoughts

Sourcing private label products for your Amazon business allows you to maintain control throughout the entire process — from finding the right manufacturer to negotiating on pricing and creating your brand’s logo, design, and packaging. Vetting each prospective manufacturer and checking for reviews and verifications prior to engaging in a partnership will help ensure that your overall experience is productive and enables you to drive private label growth on Amazon.