How to get more wholesale orders: try this 15-minute stockist re-engagement strategy

If you’re trying to figure out how to get more wholesale orders without spending hours pitching or hunting for brand new retailers, here’s something simple you can do today. It’s quick, it’s personal, and it focuses on an area most product-based business owners overlook.

Instead of chasing new shops, let’s turn to the retailers who already know your brand, love your products, and have ordered from you before. This is often where the easiest, most profitable wholesale sales come from.

Below is a 15-minute wholesale sales strategy that includes a free wholesale email pitch template you can use to spark a reorder today.

A simple wholesale sales strategy to re-engage stockists

Step 1: Identify your best stockist to re-engage (5 Minutes)

Open your sales records. You’re looking for one retailer who:

• Ordered multiple times last year

• Hasn’t ordered yet this year

• Had clear bestsellers

Once you’ve found them, pull out a few quick details:

• Their top 3 bestselling products

• How many units they ordered

• How often they reordered

These notes don’t need to be polished. You’re simply gathering the information that will make your email feel thoughtful, relevant, and grounded in what sold well.

This small bit of prep is what turns a generic follow-up into a helpful, personalised wholesale email pitch that buyers actually respond to.

Step 2: Send a warm wholesale email pitch (10 Minutes)

Now you’re going to use that data to send a short, friendly email that reminds your stockist what sold well for them and gives them an easy way to top up.

Here’s a ready-to-use template:

Subject: Top-up your bestsellers + new ones

Hi [Stockist’s Name],

Thank you for all your support last year. I was looking over your past orders, and your top 3 bestsellers were:

[Product Name 1] – You ordered X units [X times] [Product Name 2] – You ordered X units [X times] [Product Name 3] – You ordered X units [X times]

Would you like to top up your stock of these? I’d love to help you keep them on your shelves.

I also thought you might love these new products - they have a similar feel and I think they’d sell just as well in your shop:

[Insert image of new product] [Insert image of new product]

Let me know if you’d like me to put together a quick top-up order for you. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

All the best, [Your Name]

Why this strategy works

You remove the thinking and make it easy for them to reorder.

• You gently remind them of what sold well before.

• You introduce new products in a way that feels curated rather than salesy.

• You’re not asking “Do you want to order?” You’re assuming interest and making it simple to say yes.

This is wholesale selling at its most human. Helpful, personal, and rooted in the relationship.

Your Wholesale Challenge Today

Send just one email. That’s it.

It might bring in an order tomorrow.

It might open a conversation that leads to something next week.

It might reconnect you with a stockist who becomes one of your best again.

Growing your wholesale isn’t always about finding new shops. Often the biggest opportunity is the one already sitting in your inbox.

FAQs

How do I get more wholesale orders from existing retailers?

Reconnect with past stockists and remind them of their bestsellers. Make topping up simple with a friendly, data-led email.

How do I write a wholesale email pitch that gets replies?

Keep it warm, helpful, and specific. Buyers respond when you show them what worked before and make the next step easy.

How often should I follow up with retail buyers?

Every 6 to 12 weeks is enough to stay visible without feeling pushy.

Want more simple, actionable wholesale strategies?

This kind of targeted, relationship-focused approach is exactly what we work on inside Sales Growth Lab. If you want support with:

• Selling wholesale to retailers

• Creating better wholesale email pitches

• Building a repeatable wholesale sales system

• Feeling confident and consistent with your outreach

You can apply to join Sales Growth Lab here.