5 simple ways to grow wholesale in the second half of the year

The second half of the year is where wholesale gets serious. Buyers are placing festive orders, retailers are restocking for their busiest trading months, and the brands who planned ahead are the ones getting the orders. The brands who wait and hope tend to spend autumn wondering why it went quiet.

Here's the good news. You don't need a complicated strategy to grow wholesale from here. You need a handful of proactive moves, done consistently, starting now. So let's talk through five simple ways to increase your wholesale orders before the year is out.

1. Set a specific, time-bound target

"Grow my wholesale" isn't a goal. It's a wish. And wishes are hard to plan around.

A target like "30 new stockists by 30 September" is completely different. It's specific, it has a deadline, and it tells you exactly what to do each week to get there. Suddenly you're not vaguely hoping for growth, you're working backwards from a number and a date.

Pick your own version. Maybe it's ten new stockists by the end of Q3. Maybe it's doubling your reorders from existing shops before Christmas. Whatever it is, make it specific enough that you'd know on the day whether you hit it. A real target changes how you spend your time, because now every pitch and every follow-up is moving you towards something.

2. Go back to your existing stockists first

Everyone gets excited about finding new stockists. But the fastest wholesale growth usually comes from the shops already selling your products.

They know your brand, they know it sells, they've done the hard part of saying yes once. All they need is a reason and an easy way to reorder, especially heading into their busiest season. A simple "here's what's new and here's what sold well for shops like yours before Christmas" email can bring in orders far quicker than starting cold with a stranger.

Before you chase anyone new, look after the stockists you've got. Consistent reorders from happy shops are the steady, plannable income that makes a wholesale business feel less like a rollercoaster.

3. Get your festive offer in front of buyers early

This is the one that catches makers out every single year. Retail buyers place their Christmas orders far earlier than feels natural, often between now and the end of September. If you wait until the shops feel festive, you've already missed the ordering window.

So get ahead of it, get your autumn range ready in May and June. Give buyers a reason to order now, whether that's for back to school/uni, autumn and Halloween, or Christmas and New Year. The earlier you're in front of them, the more of their budget you get before it's spent elsewhere.

4. Make it easy to say yes

A lot of lost wholesale orders aren't lost because the buyer didn't want your products. They're lost because ordering was too much like hard work.

Look at your line sheet or catalogue. Is it current, clear, and does it make it clear what’s your best sellers? Can a buyer see your prices, your minimum order, and your terms without having to email and wait? Is reordering quick, or does it involve digging out an old PDF? Every bit of friction you remove makes it easier for a busy buyer to say yes. This is the boring, unglamorous stuff that quietly moves the needle more than any clever marketing.

5. Show up consistently, not in bursts

Most wholesale growth doesn't come from one big push. It comes from steady, repeatable outreach that you actually keep up.

The brands who grow are the ones with a system. A set number of pitches a week. A follow-up that happens on a schedule/plan rather than when they remember. A rhythm they can sustain even in a busy month. It doesn't need to be a lot, but it does need to be consistent. Because nothing changes if nothing changes, and a quiet inbox isn't doing your business any favours.

Pick a realistic number of outreach actions per week and protect that time like an appointment. Consistency beats intensity every time.

Want help putting this into action?

Reading a list is one thing. Actually doing it, week after week, with someone keeping you accountable, is what gets you the stockists.

That's exactly what Sales Growth Lab is for. It's my programme for product business owners who know wholesale holds the key but are done winging it. Inside, we build the repeatable system that brings in the right stockists and consistent reorders, so you get steady growth you can plan a life around. It's the difference between reading about growing your wholesale and actually doing it, with me in your corner the whole way.

If you want to make the second half of this year the one where your wholesale finally clicks into place, come and join me.

Find out more about Sales Growth Lab here and let's get you stocked.

Therese x

FAQ:

How do I grow my wholesale business? 

Start with a specific, time-bound target, look after your existing stockists so they reorder, get your festive offer in front of buyers early, remove friction from ordering, and show up with consistent outreach rather than occasional bursts. Small, repeatable actions grow wholesale faster than one big push.

What is a good wholesale sales strategy for the second half of the year? 

Focus on peak season. Buyers order festive stock between summer and the end of September, so lead with your Christmas and gift ranges, warm up your existing stockists first, and set yourself a realistic stockist target for Q3 and Q4.

How do I increase wholesale orders without finding new stockists? 

Go back to the shops already selling your products. Reorders from happy stockists are the quickest way to increase wholesale orders, especially if you make reordering easy and remind them what sold well before their busy season.

When should I send my Christmas wholesale offer to retailers? 

Earlier than you think. Many retail buyers place festive orders between now and the end of September, so getting your seasonal offer out over the summer means you catch their budget before it's spent.

About the author

I’m Therese, and I’m a wholesale mentor for product-based businesses. I’ve spent the last 18 years in the home and gift industry, helping hundreds of founders move from "guessing" to getting their products onto the shelves of major retailers like Selfridges and Liberty. If you’ve just finished your mid-year review and realised there’s a gap between where your wholesale business is and where you want it to be, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Click here to see how I can help you build your wholesale strategy inside Sales Growth Lab.