How to reply to "do you do wholesale?"
"Hi, we run a gift shop in Harrogate. Do you do wholesale?" For a small brand, this message can be the start of a whole new kind of income. It can also be a time-waster, a reseller hunting for cheap stock, or occasionally a scam. Most owners either reply with their full price list straight away, or leave it because they are not sure what to say. This guide covers the first reply to send, the few questions that tell you whether a buyer is real, how to share trade terms without giving everything away, how to spot a fake order, a worked example, and the note to give an AI agent so it can qualify wholesale enquiries while you make the decisions.
The short answer
Thank them warmly, say whether you sell wholesale, and ask two or three questions: the name and location of their shop, where they sell and roughly what they are looking for. Once you know they are a real business, send your trade price list and minimum order. Move the conversation to email for anything formal, and keep the final terms for yourself.
Replies you can adapt
Change the details to match your business. Names, prices and times are examples.
| When | Reply |
|---|---|
| First reply, you do wholesale | Thank you for getting in touch, we would love to hear more. Could you tell me the name of your shop, where it is and which of our products you are interested in? Then I can send you our trade price list. |
| First reply, you do not | Thank you so much for thinking of us. We do not sell wholesale at the moment, but I would be glad to keep your details and let you know if that changes. Would that be all right? |
| Sending terms | Thank you, Clare. I have emailed our trade price list to you. In short: a minimum first order of £150, trade prices at half our shop prices, and payment before dispatch for first orders. Delivery is usually within ten working days. |
| Moving to email | It is easiest to keep wholesale details in one place. Could you email me at trade@example.co.uk with your shop name and website? I will reply with the price list the same day. |
| They want a sample | We are happy to send samples to shops at trade price, and we take the cost off your first order. Which two or three pieces would you like to see? |
| They want exclusivity | Thank you for asking. We usually avoid exclusive deals, but we try not to supply two shops very close to each other. I will pass this to Ruth, who looks after our stockists. |
| They want lower than trade price | I understand. Our trade prices are the same for every stockist, so I cannot go lower on a first order. For orders over £500, we can offer free delivery, if that helps. |
| Something feels wrong | Thank you. For first wholesale orders we take payment by bank transfer before dispatch, and we deliver to the business address shown on your website. Could you send me a link to your shop? |
| A large or unusual order | That sounds like a big order, thank you. I would like Ruth, who handles our wholesale accounts, to talk it through with you. She will email you by tomorrow afternoon. |
What to avoid
- Sending your full trade price list before you know who you are talking to.
- Agreeing to payment terms, such as 30 days, on a first order with a stranger.
- Shipping to an address that does not match the business, or to a parcel locker, on a first order.
- Promising exclusivity, custom products or special prices in a DM.
- Letting an AI agent agree prices, terms or minimum orders that are not in your wholesale note.
What to tell your AI agent
- Tell it to ask for the shop name, location, website or social link, and the products they are interested in.
- Give it a short wholesale note with what it may share: your minimum order, rough trade discount and delivery time.
- Tell it to move formal requests to your trade email address and to keep the full price list for a person to send.
- Tell it never to agree prices, credit terms, exclusivity or custom work.
- Tell it to pass anything that looks unusual, such as rushed large orders or odd payment requests, to a person.
When a person should take over
- Every new wholesale account, before the first order is accepted.
- Any request for credit terms, exclusivity, own-label or custom products.
- Orders that look unusual, rushed or too good to be true.
Why a quick, curious reply wins
Shop buyers often contact several brands when they are filling a shelf for a new season. A brand that replies quickly and sounds organised goes to the top of the list. You do not need to have every answer ready in the first message. You need to sound interested and ask the right questions.
Asking questions is also how you protect yourself. A real shop owner is happy to tell you their shop name and where they sell, because that is how wholesale always works. Someone who will not answer is telling you something useful.
Real buyer or not?
| Signs of a real buyer | Signs to slow down |
|---|---|
| Gives a shop name, location and a website or social link | Will not say which shop they are from |
| Asks about your minimum order and lead times | Asks for a large order straight away, with no questions |
| Happy to pay before dispatch on a first order | Insists on paying later, or with an unusual method |
| Delivery address matches the business | Delivery to a different country, a parcel locker or a freight forwarder they choose |
| Writes about their customers and their shop | Writes a vague, copied message that could be to anyone |
None of these proves anything on its own. They tell you when a person should look more closely before any stock leaves. A short pause to check a website is much cheaper than a large unpaid order.
A worked example
A small candle brand gets this on Instagram. The AI agent answers from the owner's wholesale note and hands the account to the owner by email. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Buyer | Hi, love your candles. Do you do wholesale? |
| Business | Thank you so much! Yes, we work with a number of independent shops. Could you tell me the name of your shop, where it is and which candles you are interested in? |
| Buyer | We are Bramble & Co in Ludlow, gifts and homeware. Mostly the large tins, maybe the reed diffusers too |
| Business | Lovely, thank you. Our minimum first order is £150 at trade prices, which are half our shop prices, and orders usually go out within ten working days. Could you email trade@example.co.uk with your website? Ruth will send the full price list today. |
| Buyer, by email | Hi Ruth, here is our website: bramble-example.co.uk. We would like to see the price list. |
| Owner, by email | Hi, thank you for getting in touch. Here is our trade price list and order form. For your first order we take payment by bank transfer before dispatch. I am happy to send two sample tins at trade price if you would like to smell them first. |
The agent shared only what the note allowed and moved the details to email. Ruth checked the website, sent the price list and offered samples, all decisions that belonged to her.
A wholesale note for your AI agent
Wholesale enquiries
We sell wholesale to independent shops in the UK. We do not supply market sellers or marketplace resellers.
Ask:
1. Shop name and town
2. Website or social link
3. Which products
You may share:
- Minimum first order £150
- Trade price is half the shop price
- Delivery within ten working days
- Samples at trade price, taken off the first order
Then: ask them to email trade@example.co.uk. Ruth sends the full price list.
Never:
- Send the full price list yourself
- Agree discounts below trade, credit terms, exclusivity or custom products
Hand to Ruth at once: orders over £500, overseas delivery, unusual payment requests or anyone who will not name their shop.How Spaces fits in
Spaces connects your own Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and email accounts to the AI agent you already use, so it can reply to wholesale enquiries where they arrive and carry them on by email. Replies to people who wrote to you are the kind of conversation Spaces is built for. It is not a tool for messaging lists of shops you have never spoken to.
On email, Spaces waits at least 30 seconds between messages. You can tag wholesale chats and give them an owner, so every new stockist enquiry lands with the person who decides.
Sum up and next step
Reply warmly, ask who they are and what they want, and share your basic terms once you know they are a real business. Move the details to email, keep the full price list and every special term for a person, and slow down whenever something feels off.
Write your wholesale note today, even if it is only five lines. It will make your own replies faster and let your AI agent handle the first steps safely.
Pricing
FAQ
Should I put my wholesale prices on my website?
Most small brands keep them off the public site and send them on request. You can still say "we supply independent shops, email us for our trade price list", which tells buyers you are open to it without sharing your margins.
What minimum order should I set?
One that makes the order worth packing and still lets a small shop try you. Many makers choose a figure that covers a mix of products for a shelf. Whatever you choose, write it down so every buyer hears the same number.
Should I give credit terms to new stockists?
It is wiser to wait until a shop has ordered from you before. Payment before dispatch is normal and fair. You can offer terms once a shop has ordered and paid a few times.
How can I tell if a wholesale enquiry is a scam?
Look for a real shop name, a working website or social account and a delivery address that matches. Be careful with rushed large orders, unusual payment methods or delivery to someone else's address. When in doubt, let a person check before anything is sent.
Can my AI agent handle wholesale enquiries?
It can handle the first steps well: thanking the buyer, asking who they are and sharing your basic terms from a note. A person should send the full price list, approve the account and agree anything special.
Should I offer samples?
Samples help buyers decide, especially for things like candles, skincare or fabric. Many brands sell them at trade price and take the cost off the first order, which filters out people who are only collecting freebies.
What if I do not want to sell wholesale yet?
Say so kindly and offer to keep their details. A shop that liked your products enough to ask may well be your first stockist when you are ready.