Key Takeaways
- Protect your brand’s premium pricing by quietly moving excess stock through professional reseller channels.
- Test a reseller partnership by creating small, well-described inventory bundles for a select group of sellers.
- Develop strong business relationships by treating professional resellers as partners with clear terms and consistent deals.
- Turn your returned and aging inventory from a cost center into a profitable new revenue stream.
Resellers used to get a bad rap.
They were the folks scooping up clearance items to flip on eBay or haggling at garage sales with a barcode scanner in hand. Not exactly someone a polished DTC brand would partner with.But things have changed. Fast.
Today’s professional reseller looks a lot different. Many run full-time businesses, have loyal followings, and treat their inventory sourcing with the same care a retailer does. Some even buy in bulk directly from brands, helping them quietly move aging or excess stock without the drama of a public fire sale.
If you’re sitting on inventory you need to move without hurting your pricing or brand image, these resellers might be your secret weapon.
Why brands are warming up to resellers
Inventory problems are almost guaranteed in eCommerce. Sometimes you over-order. Sometimes demand shifts. And sometimes you just have way too many returns or discontinued SKUs taking up space.
In the past, your options were limited. You could slash prices and run a sale, but that often upset your loyal customers. Or you could sell it off to a liquidator, where you’d make pennies on the dollar and lose track of where your product ends up.
Resellers offer a third path.
They’re scrappy, smart, and incredibly good at moving products through their own channels. Whether it’s live selling on Whatnot, flipping finds on eBay, or managing storefronts on Amazon and Poshmark, these sellers know how to get inventory moving. And they’re hungry for more.
This isn’t a side hustle anymore
Many of the resellers doing big volume today aren’t casual flippers. They’re business owners.
Some specialize in a niche. Others have storefronts, branded packaging, and thousands of repeat buyers. They source products like yours to fuel their stores and auctions, and they’re constantly looking for new inventory sources.
The best part? They don’t need your marketing support, your creative, or your attention. Just give them a good deal on a product they can move, at a fair price, and they’ll handle the rest.
Why resellers are actually good for your brand
Let’s clear something up. Selling to resellers doesn’t mean your brand is “discounting” or losing control. If anything, working with the right resellers gives you more control over how your excess inventory is handled.
Here’s how it can help:
- You can move inventory quietly without marking down your own site.
- You’ll avoid flooding marketplaces with branded listings that undercut your retail price.
- You’ll reach new audiences as resellers often have buyers you’d never find on your own.
- And you’ll get cash back from products that might otherwise collect dust or go to a liquidator.
Think of it as an off-price channel that lives outside your customer-facing brand experience.
What resellers want from you
Professional resellers don’t expect perfection, but they do want clarity.
If you want to attract serious buyers, here’s what you should offer:
- Good margin because they need room to make money after fees and shipping
- Accurate product descriptions and condition notes
- Clear terms around resale (no surprise MAP enforcement or last-minute restrictions)
- Consistent supply, even if it’s just a few times per year
- Basic organization so think small lots, manifests, photos
Some resellers are happy buying pallets. Others want 50–100 unit bundles they can sort through. As long as the deal makes sense and they know what they’re getting, they’ll keep coming back.
How to test a reseller partnership
You don’t need to launch a formal program or build a portal. Just start small.
Go through your inventory. Pull anything that’s been sitting for too long, or that you’re planning to phase out. Look for returned items in good shape, overstock, or anything that’s hard to sell full price.
From there, create a few small bundles of maybe 25 to 100 units each. Group items that make sense together. Add notes about condition, MSRP, and suggested resale pricing.
Then offer those lots to a few resellers.
You can post in reseller Facebook groups, reach out to Whatnot sellers, or work with premium platforms like Reseller Source, which connects brands with vetted resellers across categories. It’s built for brands looking to offload excess inventory without blasting it all over the internet.
Platforms like Reseller Source make it easier to test this channel without doing all the legwork yourself.
Avoid these common mistakes
Just because its excess inventory doesn’t mean you should treat it carelessly.
Here are a few things to avoid:
- Don’t send out mystery boxes. Resellers don’t want to gamble. Give them real info.
- Don’t dump your entire warehouse all at once. Flooding the market kills pricing.
- Don’t hide terms. If something is a final sale or has scuffs or defects, say so upfront.
- Don’t disappear after one deal. The best reseller relationships are ongoing.
Also, stay aware of where your product ends up. If you’re protective of your brand or pricing structure, build in guidelines about where and how items can be sold. Most professional resellers are happy to work with brands that are transparent.
One example from the field
A mid-sized beauty brand had a backlog of returned subscription boxes, with products in perfect condition, but with outdated packaging or overstocked SKUs.
Instead of discounting on their own site, they bundled these items into themed “reseller boxes.” Each box was labeled by category and condition, priced affordably, and offered in limited quantities.
They reached out to top Whatnot beauty resellers and quickly sold out. Many of those resellers came back asking for more, and now they move hundreds of boxes per month, all without touching their main customer base.
Returns that used to be a cost center became a small, profitable revenue stream.
Final thoughts
Resellers aren’t the problem. In many cases, they’re the solution.
If you’re dealing with aging inventory, customer returns, or canceled SKUs, take a step back before slashing prices or writing things off. There’s a fast-growing community of professional resellers ready to buy, sell, and move your products, without asking you to sacrifice your brand identity.
The key is treating them like partners, not an afterthought. Give them a little structure, a little consistency, and a fair deal. In return, they’ll help you clear space, recover cash, and reach more customers.
And once you start working with a few good ones, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should my brand consider working with resellers?
Working with resellers allows you to sell excess or returned inventory without running public sales that could devalue your brand. It’s a discreet way to recover cash from stock that would otherwise take up space or be sold to a liquidator for a much lower price.
Isn’t selling to resellers bad for my brand’s image?
This is a common misconception. Partnering with professional resellers actually gives you more control than using traditional liquidators, as you can set clear terms on how and where your products are sold. It creates a private sales channel that doesn’t interfere with your main customer base.
What is the best way to start a reseller partnership if I’ve never done it before?
Start small by gathering a bundle of 25 to 100 units of overstocked or returned items. Create a clear description of the products, including their condition, and offer this test lot to a few vetted resellers. This lets you test the process without a large commitment.
What do professional resellers actually want from a brand?
Resellers are business owners who need two main things: clarity and a good margin. Provide accurate descriptions of your products, be upfront about any defects, and offer the inventory at a price that allows them to make a profit after their selling fees and shipping costs.
How are today’s resellers different from the garage sale flippers of the past?
Many modern resellers run full-time businesses with professional storefronts on platforms like eBay, Poshmark, or Whatnot. They have established customer bases and treat inventory sourcing seriously, making them reliable and strategic partners for brands.
What is the biggest mistake to avoid when selling inventory to resellers?
Avoid sending “mystery boxes” with no clear description of what’s inside. Resellers are not gambling; they are making calculated business purchases and need to know exactly what they are buying to price it effectively. Always provide a manifest or detailed list of the items.
What type of inventory is best suited for selling to resellers?
The ideal inventory includes customer returns in good condition, products you have over-ordered, or discontinued items you need to clear out. Anything that is hard to sell at full price but still has value is a perfect candidate for a reseller partnership.
Can I control where my products are sold after a reseller buys them?
Yes, you can establish clear guidelines about where your products can be listed for sale. Most professional resellers are happy to follow reasonable restrictions, such as avoiding certain online marketplaces, as long as these terms are communicated clearly and upfront.
How does working with resellers help me reach new customers?
Resellers often have their own loyal followings and niche audiences on platforms your brand may not be active on. By selling through them, your products are introduced to new groups of buyers that you might not have reached through your own marketing efforts.
How can a reseller partnership become a consistent revenue stream?
Once you establish a relationship with a few trusted resellers, you can create a regular process for moving your excess inventory. Many brands create themed bundles of returned or overstocked goods that they offer to their reseller partners monthly or quarterly, turning a former cost center into a predictable source of income.
