Local wholesale supply round
Stock a van with fast-selling goods and supply local cafes, shops and trades on a regular delivery round.
- A$8k-40k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.
What it is
You buy everyday goods in bulk, such as packaging, cleaning products, snacks or hardware consumables, and deliver them to local businesses on a regular round. You hold stock in a small unit or garage and visit customers weekly or fortnightly.
Your first three steps
- Pick one product category and one or two suburbs, then ask 10 local businesses what they struggle to get supplied
- Set up an ABN, a small storage space and accounts with a couple of bulk suppliers
- Offer trial orders with free delivery to a handful of businesses and agree regular delivery days
Who pays
Cafes, takeaways, corner stores, tradies, offices and other local businesses that prefer a personal supplier to ordering online from a big distributor.
How it makes money
You sell at a markup on bulk cost and build repeat orders on a set route. A tighter round with bigger average orders makes each delivery run more profitable.
Skills that help
- Sales and relationship building
- Route and stock planning
- Driving and lifting
- Invoicing and chasing payments
Watch out for
- Late-paying customers, consider trading terms or pay-on-delivery for new accounts
- Food businesses and food products may need council registration and food safety handling, check with your local council and state food authority
- Public liability, product liability and commercial vehicle insurance
- Storage rules for your unit or home, check zoning and council requirements
- GST registration once turnover reaches the threshold
Deep research report · Australia
Everything you need to start: local wholesale supply round
Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a wholesale delivery round?
Startup costs are typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on the van you use, the amount of stock you buy and whether you rent a storage unit. Treat this as an estimate and price your own range before committing.
How much can a local wholesale supply round earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your product range, how many customers are on your round and how often you visit them. This is revenue, not profit, and late-paying customers can affect cash flow.
What licences and rules apply to a wholesale supply round?
Check whether food products or food businesses need council registration and food safety handling with your local council and state food authority. Also check insurance, storage zoning rules, GST registration, and trading terms for new accounts.
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