Direct answer

How do I distribute product data to wholesale buyers?

Keep one master product sheet that holds the fields buyers ask for: SKU, barcode (GTIN) where the retailer scans, wholesale and suggested retail price, case pack, minimum order, lead time, dimensions, images and any category compliance details. Send a new buyer a line sheet and an order form or spreadsheet. Give repeat buyers a wholesale catalog with their own prices and quantity rules. Larger retailers may require their own item-setup process, so ask before you send anything. Date every version and send every update from the same master.

Start from the fields a buyer actually uses

Leave out any field you cannot keep accurate. A wrong lead time or price costs more trust than a blank one, because the buyer may already have planned shelf space or a reorder around it.

  • Identification: one SKU per variant, plus a barcode if the retailer scans at receiving or checkout. GS1 US describes a GTIN as a globally unique number that identifies a trade item; ask the buyer whether they require one before you buy barcodes.
  • Commercial terms: wholesale price, suggested retail price, currency, case pack, minimum order quantity and the payment terms you actually offer.
  • Logistics: lead time, unit and case dimensions and weight, ship-from location and country of origin.
  • Product content: title, short description, materials or ingredients, care or usage notes, and images the retailer is allowed to reuse, both plain-background and in use.
  • Compliance: the labelling, safety or certification details your category requires. Check the rules that apply to your product instead of copying another seller's sheet.

Match the format to how the buyer orders

  • Line sheet (PDF): for first contact, trade shows and evaluation. Shopify's wholesale guide describes the line sheet as the information packet for your products, with photos, descriptions, pricing and policies, sent alongside an order form.
  • Spreadsheet or CSV: for buyers who key items into their own point-of-sale or inventory system. Shopify can export products to a CSV file, but that file is shaped for Shopify import and can carry internal columns such as cost per item. Build a buyer-facing sheet from it rather than forwarding the raw export.
  • Online wholesale catalog: for repeat buyers who reorder. On Shopify plans that support B2B, catalogs set company-specific prices, quantity rules set minimums, maximums and order increments, and volume pricing sets price breaks.
  • The retailer's own item setup: larger retailers often have a vendor portal, a required template or a data standard. Ask the buyer for their item-setup requirements and fill in their format, not yours.

Keep one source of truth and version every send

Keep a single master sheet and produce the line sheet, the buyer spreadsheet and any catalog from it. Put the date in the file name and in the document itself, for example "Prices valid from October 6, 2026". Record which version each buyer received.

When a price, pack size or availability changes, send a short change note listing only what changed, and only to buyers who received the earlier version and have not asked you to stop. Resending the whole pack without saying what is new forces the buyer to compare files line by line. Keep cost, margin and supplier columns out of every external file.

A fictional product row, field by field

Illustrative only, not a real product or price: "A5 cedar notebook, SKU CN-A5-01, barcode [your GTIN], wholesale 6.00 USD, suggested retail 12.00 USD, case pack 12, minimum order 2 cases, lead time 10 business days, unit 21 x 15 x 1.5 cm, 0.25 kg, made in [country]." Replace every value with your verified records before sending.

Each field answers a question the buyer would otherwise email back about: what to scan, what margin they keep at your suggested retail price, how many units arrive in a case, the smallest order you accept, and when it will land. Fewer back-and-forth questions usually mean a faster decision, though no data sheet guarantees an order.

Where CarryLeads fits, and where it does not

CarryLeads helps you find and shortlist potential retailers, stockists and other businesses by type and location, and prepares editable outreach copy. It does not host catalogs, sync product data or send files. Use it to decide which businesses are worth sending your line sheet to; distribute the data itself from your own store, spreadsheet or B2B catalog.

Before you contact anyone, check that the business is a real fit and that your message follows the rules for your channel and location. A product sheet is not permission to start an unsolicited sequence.

Sources and definitions

Related resources

Frequently asked questions

Should I send a PDF line sheet or a spreadsheet?

They do different jobs. A PDF line sheet helps a buyer evaluate the range; a spreadsheet helps them set items up in their own system. Send the line sheet first and ask whether they need a spreadsheet or their own template for item setup.

Do I need barcodes before selling wholesale?

It depends on the retailer. Stores that scan at receiving or checkout often ask for a GTIN on each item; many small shops do not. Ask the buyer, and if barcodes are required, get them through your local GS1 organization.

Can I send my Shopify product export as it is?

Avoid it. The export follows Shopify's import format, shows retail rather than wholesale pricing and can include internal fields such as cost per item. Copy the fields a buyer needs into a separate, dated buyer sheet.

Does CarryLeads send my line sheet to buyers?

No. CarryLeads helps find and shortlist potential buyers and drafts editable outreach copy. It does not send messages or files, host product data or guarantee replies or orders.

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