How to reconnect with stockists and kickstart your wholesale sales in the New Year

Therese
13 minutes ago
3 min read

By Therese Oertenblad, Small Business Collaborative

January is a month of mixed energy for product-based business owners. You’re coming out of your busiest season and likely need space to rest. At the same time, retailers across the UK are already reviewing Christmas performance, refreshing shelves and planning what to buy next. It’s one of the strongest months to sell wholesale to retailers, especially if you want a confident start to the year.

Understanding how retailers think in January helps you re-engage stockists, improve your buyer outreach emails and increase wholesale orders without feeling like you’re starting from scratch. This is where relationship-led wholesale shines and why having a simple plan is essential for any brand that wants to grow their wholesale business.

Your job this month is to make it very easy for stockists to see what they should bring in next.

What retailers are thinking about in January

Most shops fall into two positions after Christmas.

1. Retailers with too much stock

These shops will:

Run January sales
Clear slower lines
Rebuild cash flow
Delay larger orders until their sale has finished

They’re not ready to buy immediately, but they do want visibility. They want to know what you recommend for Valentines, Mother’s Day and spring so they can plan ahead.

2. Retailers with not enough stock

These shops:

Reorder their proven bestsellers
Fill gaps fast
Prioritise trustworthy suppliers
Focus on gifting moments like Valentines and Mother’s Day

This group moves quickly, and your wholesale website or catalogue should help them place a reorder in minutes.

What to promote in January

Retailers aren’t waiting for inspiration. They are actively choosing their spring summer range and planning which brands to reorder from. If you want to learn how to sell wholesale to retailers more easily this year, this month is the place to start.

Valentines Gifts

Think small, thoughtful, high-impact gifts. Jewellery, candles, prints, skincare, accessories and cards work well for this moment because they’re easy to merchandise and appeal to a broad audience.

Mother's Day Gifts

One of the most important gifting events in Q1. Retailers want:

Reliable bestsellers
Meaningful, giftable items
Low-risk products with strong visual appeal

Bundled items, ceramics, textiles, stationery and self-care categories all perform well here.

New for Spring

Retailers begin spring resets early. They want products that create a fresh shop floor and signal a new season. They often search for:

Colour
Florals
Lighter motifs
Refreshed versions of core pieces

If you have new-in collections, preview them clearly. If not, show how your current bestsellers transition well into spring.

Proven Best Sellers

Retailers who sold through in December need fast, reliable options. Highlight:

Products that repeatedly sell through
What did well in similar shops
Suggested reorder quantities

This is one of the simplest ways to increase wholesale orders early in the year.

Make ordering easy

If you want to sell wholesale more consistently, simplicity matters. Retail buyers make faster decisions when the next step is obvious.

Make sure you offer:

A clear, skimmable wholesale catalogue
A direct link to your wholesale website or Faire shop
Suggested picks for Valentines, Mother’s Day and spring
Accurate lead times

This is not about being fancy. It’s about reducing friction so retailers can place a reorder quickly.

The importance of following up

This is the part so many brand owners struggle with. Not because they don’t want to follow up, but because:

They don’t have a structure
They don’t know what to say
They worry about being annoying
They assume silence means no

In reality, silence almost always means the retailer is busy.

A well-timed follow-up is one of the most effective wholesale sales tips you can implement. It’s essential if you want to improve buyer outreach emails and learn how to follow up with retail buyers in a way that feels natural. And it’s a core part of what I teach inside Sales Growth Lab because without a clear plan, most brand owners send one email, then stop.

The brands that follow up consistently are the ones that secure the strong January orders.