There are many reasons to focus on dropshipping products in Europe. With a population of almost 750 million, it is an economically prosperous continent with over 85% of households connected to the internet.
In other words, it is a big market for eCommerce. Furthermore, with so many drop shopping retailers concentrating on the US market, you may have less competition when you focus your dropshipping efforts on Europe.
So, why not just use China-based suppliers and ship directly from there?
To do this would be missing out on the many European-based suppliers that can serve the local market with quality products and good prices and at speed.
When dropshipping with a European supplier you can eliminate the problems that arise with Chinese or Indian-based suppliers, namely long order times, the potential of damaged goods in transit, and in some cases sub-par products.
Safety concerns are also diminished as European-based suppliers have to comply with stringent European safety requirements. If there is an issue, the buck will not fall on you.
Finally, you can also say goodbye to expensive import tariffs and possible custom hold-ups.
As you can see, there are many benefits to drop shipping to Europe.
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Drop-Shipping using European Suppliers
The problem is, drop-ship platforms and suppliers concentrate heavily on products made in China.
Finding European-based suppliers or platforms that connect you with them, can be difficult when starting out.
That’s very likely why you are reading this in the first place.
Well to help you with that, what follows is a list of some of the best services that provide European-based dropshipping.
1. Recommended: Spocket
Spocket is a firm favorite with us here at Vault50. Where some drop ship platforms can be cumbersome and unnecessarily complicated, Spocket is a breeze to use. They really do have a great interface.
Anyway, the most important issue is obviously product selection. There are thousands of products listed on the platform, and they cover everything from electronics, household, clothing, health, and more.
They list both US and European-based suppliers, but you can easily filter to see the ones located in Europe.
Prices are generally more expensive than the likes of AliExpress, however, you have all the benefits of shipping from within the EU rather than from outside.
Communicating with suppliers is a little slower compared to other platforms due to the fact questions are passed through Spocket rather than directly.
This is a minor problem, however, due to the efficient software and the ease with which you can fill your store with drop ship product details.
Spocket has a good list of eCommerce platforms it can integrate with (Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, etc).
Prices are very good too, with at the time of writing, a free plan giving you access to the list of suppliers (for you to see if they have what you need), and the starter plan at just $24/mo.
There is also a free 14-day trial.
2. Drobbs
Drobbs is a supplier based in Holland. If your business focuses on drop shipping tools, toys, and household items, they may be a good choice for you.
They stock a ton of European brands including Bergner, Renberg, Playmarket, Brüder, Mannesmann, Bort Tools, Defort Tools, Easystrap and Ceruzo.
While most appropriate for eCommerce web stores dedicated to the Dutch market, Drobbs will work with drop shippers targeting other European countries too.
If you can generate annual orders of 5.000 euros or more, you will have access to discounted prices and other benefits.
Drobbs provide a number of methods of integration with your store, including Magento extensions, PrestaShop module, Lightspeed app, and a CCV Shop app.
Automated ordering and product synchronization are easy to set up as a result.
3. Monster group UK ltd.
Monster Group is a UK-based supplier that has been around for over 14 years.
Their product catalog is mostly tools and DIY hardware. You can also drop ship office stationery, industrial catering equipment, and kitchen/homewares via their warehouses.
Dropship distribution is mostly to the UK, German and French markets.
They offer free sign-up with payment based on products sold. Integration with your eCommerce store is more cumbersome, however, due to the lack of dedicated apps or software.
5. BigBuy
BigBuy is a Spanish dropshipping supplier that covers all of Europe with its distribution network.
Whatsmore, you have a choice of over 80.000 products. Categories range from fashion, home and garden, sports, beauty and health, and electronics.
No matter what dropship store you want to manage in Europe, they will have you covered.
Shipment is fast (it comes directly from their own storage facility), and their contracts with UPS, DHL, TNT, FedEx make for reliable delivery.
As a drop ship subscriber with BigBuy you have access to low minimal orders. Opt for the Marketplace package and you begin selling products on eBay and Amazon with just a few clicks of a button.
Outside of the two major eCommerce platforms, BigBuy offers easy integration with the likes of Shopify or Prestashop.
6. DropnShop
DropnShop is a dropshipping app that connects dropshippers to suppliers based in France.
The app sources products from leading French manufacturers and the selection covers all the main retail categories.
International shipping is available and competitively priced so the app is not limited to just French dropshippers.
Because the products are distributed by French manufacturers they abide by the strict criteria under French legislation.
This provides peace of mind in terms of the safety and quality of the products you are dropshipping. Furthermore, you can guarantee that all products are 100% made in France.
DropnShop has a free plan so that you can see what products are in the database.
To begin dropshipping you will need to sign up for the very affordable $14/mo plan. From there you can add products to your eCommerce store using the various integrations available.
7. Clothes2order.com
If you are interested in dropshipping apparel with Europe you may want to check out Clothes2order.com. The company is based in Manchester, UK.
The main catalog here is focused on fashion, clothing, as well as printed promotional items.
If your customer spends more than £100 you can offer free postage on the goods.
You can sign up at the website for free and begin viewing what is on offer. From there, dropshipping accounts are based on a case-by-case process.
And there you have it, several drop shipping platforms and suppliers that cater to the European market.
Browse their sites and see if what they offer suits your needs.
- Related Content: What is Dropshipping Software & How to Choose a Provider
Dropshipping to Europe – Some Helpful Tips
Starting a drop-ship enterprise in Europe can be a very lucrative enterprise.
To ensure that you get off to the best start here are several things you should focus on.
1. Tackle one country at a time
A drop shipping business has to rely on marketing to succeed. SEO and Organic search will get you nowhere, and word of mouth can take a long time to gain momentum.
This means Google PPC, Facebook and Amazon ads, etc will likely be your method of gaining customers.
As we should all know by now, this type of advertising needs to be targeted.
Therefore, you cannot expect to succeed with a sweeping, marketing campaign spread across multiple countries and languages all at the same time, (unless you have a cross-international team and big-budget of course).
The best way to make a commercial impact is to ensure that you appeal to your target customers. This means being tapped into cultural tastes and preferences, history and language.
A common marketing strategy for the whole European Union is not recommended. Concentrate on one country at a time and your chances of success will be far greater.
2. Research the local competition
A good way of beginning to understand your target audience’s tastes is to see what the competition is doing.
If you would like to dropship homewares to the market in France for instance, look what else is selling within the country. What are the retailers stocking? What are the homewares bestsellers?
Can you jump on a trend, or better still, preempt a new one.
If you are used to dropshipping to the US market, remember, a European one can be very different in terms of taste and trends.
It is best not to assume anything. Researching the competition before you begin, will help you move in the right direction.
3. Choose a local domain name extension
Trust signals are a big thing when it comes to selling online.
We have already talked about how you should tackle one country at a time. To portray the image that you are the real deal and are established in your country of choice, purchase a domain name relative to that region.
For example, a website for the UK market would be, “yourname.co.uk”. In France, the end extension would be, “.fr”. In Germany, it’s “.de”.
Choosing a regional extension makes your site look more legitimate.
A country-specific extension may also help you get the domain name you want. The availability of popular “.com” names has dried up in recent years, with many already taken.
A country-specific extension is more likely to be free and should cost less too.
4. Translate your content into the local language
It is not a good idea to assume your audience in Europe will know English.
Unless you are targeting the U.K specifically, you should think about how your content will appear to your chosen market.
True, English is widely spoken; 71% of the population of Sweden speaks English as a second language fluently, (the highest number in Europe). Germany, Italy, and France fare less well.
Because of this, translating your content to the needs of your country of choice is a very wise move indeed.
For websites and Shopify stores, there are some excellent paid plugins that can do this automatically. If you have the budget, (or knowledge) manual translation can be worthwhile too, especially for blog-style content.
The translation goes for your marketing efforts too. Facebook posts and any advertising you do, should be in the mother tongue of your target market.
Don’t forget customer reviews. If you are selling items that have English customer reviews, translate them so they are easy to read and understand by your audience.
Doing so will only help your conversion level, and in the long run, reputation too.
- Related Content: Dropified Review – The Dropship App to Use in 2021?
5. Accept the local currency
Priming your eCommerce store so that it fits your target audience of choice relates to currency too.
Thankfully, most European countries deal with the Euro now. However, the UK, much of the Balkans, as well as countries such as Denmark have their own currency.
Whatever the local currency is, ensure that you accept it automatically.
Currency exchange at checkout is just one more hurdle that could put a potential customer off.
6. Provide customer support in the local language
So you’ve translated all your content, marketing materials, and outreach efforts; you cannot stop there, however.
What happens when a customer has a query or complaint?
You need to be able to answer this fluently. If you can’t, you will need to utilize the services of someone that can.
A google translate effort from your keyboard just won’t cut it.
One aspect of running a dropshipping store is communication with the customer. Get this wrong and your business could fail before it’s out of the starting gates.
If you do not speak the language confidently, employ a freelancer on a platform such as Upwork, Freelancer.com, or Fiverr to help.
7. Use dropshipping suppliers based in Europe
Now we have come full circle. When running a drop-ship store in Europe, you should choose suppliers based in Europe.
We have already covered the benefits and some of the best ways to do this above.
The bottom line is, faster delivery times, and in many cases, better quality products. All of which will lead to more happy customers, and greater success for you and your business.
- Related Content: Top 5 Ways of Finding the Best Products to Dropship in 2021
