Hi, I am looking to buy wholesale camping gear from the North Face brand. Any suggestions where to look for suppliers in the UK?

Before you start hunting down suppliers, you should contact the North Face and ask for a suppliers list.

Phone: 39-0423-683-100
E-mail: Fill out the inquiry form on the contact page.

You can also ask if the North Face sells any of its overstock to wholesalers and ask for information about the locations of those wholesalers. If you do not have a brick and mortar store, the North Face is probably not going to want to release its suppliers list to you; you will have a better chance buying from a North Face overstock wholesaler.

Another suggestion would be to get in touch with retailers or outlet stores who sell the North Face brand to buy overstock or end-of-season gear from them. You must understand, though, that they may only be able to sell you stock from several seasons ago or stock from the opposite season. For example, you could probably get summer stock at the beginning of December.

What are the cons of buying North Face brand items from an outlet store and eBay?

I mentioned a con above about buying from outlets, but there is another one. There is no guarantee an outlet store will be able to sell you items on wholesale; it all depends on how much North Face merchandise they have and what has or has not sold at the outlet.

As far as eBay goes, stay away from all North Face sales on the site. The North Face company only lets wholesalers and retailers who have been authorized by the brand to sell the brand. That would probably not include dealers on eBay. If there are North Face products being sold on eBay, they are probably fakes.

Does the North Face company let a lot of people become dealers, or is the brand picky? It would be great if I could sell the North Face brand at my outlet.

Honestly, I am not sure about the North Face company policy as far as whom it lets become dealers. You are definitely going to have a hard time becoming a North Face dealer if you do not have a legitimate brick and mortar address and credentials to back your business up.

Go to the North Face Dealer Marketing Resource Center to fill out the first form on your way to applying to be a wholesaler for the brand. Give the North Face three days to review your information before expecting a reply.

If you do get approved to become a North Face dealer, I would recommend joining its affiliate program too. You are advertising the brand, which you also sell, and getting a percentage of the revenue from the advertising. A great idea!