How Shoploop Works

Three steps from a keyword to a supplier: find the product, compare the offer, place the order on the supplier’s page. Here is what happens at each step — and what to check before you pay.

Step 1 — Find the product

Use the search box if you already know what you are looking for. Use a tag page if you do not.

Tag pages are the more useful of the two while you are still deciding. A tag like “stainless steel water bottle” puts every listing we have indexed with that attribute side by side, with prices. Ten minutes there tells you the price floor, the common specifications and whether the niche is already crowded. All products is the same idea without the grouping — useful when you want to see what is new rather than what fits a category.

Step 2 — Compare the offer

Open a product and check four things before anything else:

1. Unit price at the MOQ. The headline price is the price at the supplier’s minimum order quantity, not the price for one unit.
2. MOQ. 1–5 units means you can sample cheaply. 50 or more means you are committing to inventory.
3. Photos. Suppliers who photograph the actual product, including packaging, are usually the ones who ship what they show. Three stock renders and no detail shots is a warning sign.
4. Supplier history. Feedback score, years trading, order volume. A brand-new supplier with the lowest price is a risk, not a bargain.

A low unit price at a high MOQ is not cheaper. If you cannot move 200 units, the 200-unit price is fiction.

Step 3 — Order on the supplier’s page

The buttons on a product page open the supplier’s listing in a new tab. Create an account there, choose the quantity and the shipping method, and pay. Shoploop never sees your payment details and never touches the order — the sale is between you and the supplier.

Keep the order number and the tracking number. If something goes wrong, the dispute is opened on the marketplace, inside their deadline, not with us.

What the price on Shoploop actually means

The price shown is the supplier’s unit price at their minimum order quantity. It is not a landed cost. Three things get added before the goods reach you:

• Shipping — economy and postal services typically 10–30 days, express couriers 3–7 days at several times the price.
• Duty and tax — depends on your country and on the declared value.
• Payment fees — card or platform fees, usually a small percentage.

A $3 item commonly lands at $5–6 once shipping and duty are in. Model that before you price it in your own store, otherwise a healthy-looking margin disappears at checkout.

Dropshipping or bulk buying?

Both work, and the difference comes down to one decision: how many units you order on the supplier page.

Dropshipping

• One unit per order, shipped by the supplier straight to your customer.
• Highest unit cost, lowest risk — no inventory, no upfront cash.
• You need a supplier who dispatches on time and gives real tracking, because your customer sees the delay, not them.

Bulk

• 20–500 units shipped to you.
• Lower unit cost, but you carry storage, fulfilment and returns.
• Worth it once a product has proven itself and you can forecast demand.

Most sellers start with a sample order, then move to bulk when a product earns it.

A checklist before your first order

1. Order one sample if the unit price is above $10. Photos lie; samples do not.
2. Confirm processing time, not just shipping time. “3–7 days shipping” often means five days to dispatch plus seven in transit.
3. Ask for packaging dimensions and weight if you are calculating shipping or storage costs.
4. Check the declared value — it drives your duty bill, and it is set by the supplier.
5. Watch for loosely used brand names. “Compatible with” is fine; a logo and a brand name on a counterfeit item is a liability that lands on the importer, which is you.
6. Save the listing URL and a screenshot of the price. Wholesale prices move, and a dispute is easier with evidence.