Wholesale & Retail Basics | Confidence Hub
WHOLESALE VS RETAIL BASICS
Understanding the difference is how you stop underpricing and start protecting your brand.
Wholesale and retail pricing are not interchangeable — and mixing them up is one of the fastest ways makers burn out, lose profit, or feel resentful toward their own business.
This page breaks it down clearly.
A Note from Monica
Wholesale and retail are not milestones you “earn” they’re business models you choose.
This page exists to help you understand the differences clearly, without pressure or comparison. There is no single path you’re supposed to follow, and there is no version of success that requires you to operate the same way as someone else.
Some businesses thrive in retail. Some are built sustainably through wholesale.
Many evolve over time.
What matters most is that your pricing, capacity, and goals are aligned with how you want to build.
Use this page to gain clarity not to force a decision before you’re ready.
Intentional choices build confident businesses. And you’re allowed to make them on your own timeline.
— Monica
WHAT IS RETAIL PRICING?
Retail pricing is what your end customer pays when buying directly from you.
Retail pricing should:
- Cover your product costs
- Pay you for your time and labor
- Include overhead (supplies, packaging, fees, marketing)
- Leave room for profit
Retail is not about being the cheapest. Retail is about being sustainable.
WHAT IS WHOLESALE PRICING?
Wholesale pricing is what another business pays when buying in bulk to resell your product.
Wholesale pricing:
- Is typically 40–50% off retail
- Requires larger order quantities
- Assumes the retailer will set the final customer price
- Only works when your costs are fully understood
Wholesale is optional not required to be successful.
COMMON MISTAKES MAKERS MAKE
- Offering wholesale before understanding costs
- Pricing wholesale too close to retail
- Forgetting to account for labor and packaging
- Feeling pressured to offer wholesale too early
- Saying yes because “everyone else does it”
You are allowed to say not yet.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE READY FOR WHOLESALE
Wholesale makes sense when:
✔️ You know your exact cost per unit
✔️ You can produce at scale without stress
✔️ You still make profit at wholesale pricing
✔️ You have consistent product quality
✔️ Your retail pricing is already confident
If wholesale pricing makes you uncomfortable that’s information, not failure.
RETAIL FIRST IS A POWER MOVE
Many successful brands:
- Start retail only
- Build confidence and cash flow
- Raise retail prices before offering wholesale
- Protect their margins
Wholesale is a strategy not a milestone.
CONFIDENCE CHECK
If you feel unsure about wholesale, ask yourself:
Am I pricing for sustainability or approval? Do I know my real costs?
Am I ready or just feeling pressured?
Confidence comes from clarity, not comparison.
Pricing clarity protects your business.
Wholesale should feel strategic not stressful
Final Reminder
You do not owe wholesale pricing to anyone.
Understanding the difference between wholesale and retail gives you the power to make decisions from clarity not pressure.
Pricing that protects your margins protects your business.
Wholesale should feel strategic, not stressful.