Blind dropshipping is a little-known variant of the dropshipping model that's unknowingly being used by lots of dropshippers.
If you're not familiar with the concept, here's a quick overview:
Blind dropshipping is a form of dropshipping where the supplier does not include any promotional material (flyers, QR codes, stickers) or invoices with the package.
In this article, we'll discuss everything you need to know about blind dropshipping in 2024.
We'll cover what blind dropshipping is, the advantages of blind dropshipping, and how to find a supplier for blind dropshipping.
So if you're thinking about starting a dropshipping business, read on!
What is blind dropshipping?
First, we will give a short introduction to dropshipping for those who don’t know what it is or haven’t started yet.
When dropshipping, you sell products on your online store without keeping them in stock. Once you get an order, you forward it to your dropshipping supplier, who ships the product(s) directly to your customer.
Many people use AliExpress as their dropshipping supplier.
Once they get an order from their dropshipping store, they buy the same product on AliExpress and enter the customer's shipping address at the checkout.
When people hear this for the first time, they often have questions like:
Won't the customers from my dropshipping store see that the package came from AliExpress? Won't the AliExpress seller include an invoice?
These people are worried that the AliExpress seller may put any advertisements or invoices in the package, causing your customer to find out that it came from AliExpress.
This is a valid point, but don’t worry; you can avoid it with blind dropshipping!
Blind dropshipping is a form of dropshipping where the supplier does not include any promotional material (flyers, QR codes, stickers) or invoices with the package.
In other words, there is no way for your customer to see where the package came from.
The funny thing is almost all dropshippers are using blind dropshipping, but not all of them are conscious of it.
Why?
Well, let's learn more about this by studying the benefits of blind dropshipping:
3 Advantages of blind dropshipping
If you want to keep your customers happy and returning to your store in the future, you have almost no choice but to do blind dropshipping.
Let's check out why:
1. Your supplier stays out of the picture for your customers
When you dropship, it is vital that your customers feel like they are dealing directly with you, not with a faceless third party like your supplier.
For example, if your store is called 'Bicycle Booth,' your customers won't expect to receive a package branded with a name like 'Best Bicycle Supplies.'
At first, they may be confused, but soon they will find out that the order they've placed with you was fulfilled by someone else.
While this is disastrous for your long-term relationship with your customers, the next thing could be even worse:
If you don't do blind dropshipping, your supplier may include an invoice in the package, which means your customers will see the actual price of the product they bought.
This means that they almost surely won't order from your store again!
3. Your customers won't be frustrated
The third benefit of blind dropshipping is that your customers won't be frustrated.
Look, most customers will be happy as long as they receive a product that's along the lines of what they expected and arrives within the timeframe that you promised them.
For example, let's say you're selling a mosquito lamp trap for $40 and offering a 10-day delivery time.
When you have a great store design, your visitors should have a good understanding of how your product looks and that they will have to wait up to ten days before it arrives.
If someone decides to buy, they agree to pay $40 for your product and the conditions associated with the sale.
If they receive a blank package after nine days containing the product that looks like the one in your product images, then that's great, right?
But imagine what happens if:
- They see promotional material from your (AliExpress) supplier on the package.
- They see an invoice that says the mosquito lamp trap costs only $8.
In that case, it's a sure thing that your customers will become frustrated, even though the product is exactly the same.
So, long story short, you need blind dropshipping to avoid angry customers, bad reviews, chargebacks, and so on!
How do you ask a supplier if they accept blind dropshipping?
Starting with blind dropshipping is quite simple, even with a supplier like AliExpress.
In fact, if you order something from AliExpress, it will usually be a blank package without an invoice.
However, the best thing to do is to leave a note for the supplier saying that you're dropshipping and don't want any promotional material or invoices in the package.
A note like this will work perfectly:
I’m dropshipping. Please DO NOT put any invoices, QR codes, promotions, or your brand name logo in the shipments. Please ship as soon as possible for repeat business. Thank you!
Tip: If you're wondering what phone number to use when ordering from AliExpress, read this article to find out!
The 3 best suppliers for blind dropshipping
Even though most beginners opt for AliExpress as their first dropshipping supplier, don’t forget that there are many more options out there.
If you are working with a supplier specialized in dropshipping, you won't even have to ask them to do blind dropshipping - they will never include anything that can identify them in the package.
So, here are three of the best suppliers for blind dropshipping (excluding AliExpress)!
1. Spocket
Spocket is a platform dedicated to connecting you with dropshipping suppliers from the United States or Europe.
They also work with suppliers from other countries, but around 80% of suppliers on Spocket are from the US/EU.
Spocket is a genuine general dropshipping supplier, as it offers products in a variety of niches:
Tip: You can find some excellent niche ideas for your dropshipping store here!
Pricing
Spocket's pricing plans are listed below. If you're interested in Spocket but don't want to pay anything yet, you can create a free account to browse through Spocket's catalog.
As a tip, remember that you can get up to eight months off by paying yearly instead of monthly!
Interested? You can read more about Spocket here!
Exclusive Spocket offer: Enter the coupon code: SpocketTrial during checkout, and you'll instantly unlock a FREE 30-day trial. Click here to redeem your free trial now!
2. Syncee
Syncee is a B2B platform offering a directory of US dropshipping suppliers to connect with.
Are you curious now about which US dropshipping suppliers Syncee offers? Click here to view the full US suppliers list.
They offer some nice features to make the search for your winning products simpler, such as unique pricing & filtering rules and the ability to chat with any dropshipping supplier:
Exclusive Syncee Offer for Shopify and Wix users: Use DoDropshipping10 during checkout to enjoy a 10% off on the Pro, Business, Plus Marketplace plans. This offer is valid with your first subscription plan and for a limited time. Don't miss out!
Pricing
Syncee’s pricing plans range from $29 to $99 per month (you need at least the Basic plan to start selling):
However, don't forget you can test any of the plans for 14 days without actual charges. And if you choose to pay annually, you can save up to eight monthly subscription costs!
Interested? If you want to learn more about Syncee, you can check out this article!
3. AppScenic
Next up is a new player on the market; AppScenic.
They aim to create the complete dropshipping toolkit with product syncing, auto-ordering, tracking shipments, and smart payments!
AppScenic was started because the founders didn't find a solution that offered dropshippers the complete range of services needed to automate their online business.
They have verified dropshipping suppliers from the top dropshipping countries, including the US, EU, UK, Canada, and Australia!
AppScenic also integrates with eBay, Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce, with integration for Amazon, Etsy, and Ecwid coming soon!
Pricing
AppScenic has a free 7-day trial available, so you can try out their features before committing to a paid plan.
After the free trial, their plans start at $24/month and go up to $78/month.
AppScenic offers a free plan, but you need the paid plans actually to push and sync products to your Shopify store.
Interested? Check out this article to learn more about AppScenic!
Summary
Before we go to the conclusion, we've created a quick summary of this article for you, so you can easily remember it:
- Blind dropshipping is a form of dropshipping where the supplier does not include any promotional material (flyers, QR codes, stickers) or invoices with the package.
- In other words, there is no way for your customer to see where the package came from.
- If you want to keep your customers happy and returning to your store in the future, you have almost no choice but to do blind dropshipping.
- Some advantages of blind dropshipping are that 1) your supplier stays out of the picture for your customers, 2) the actual cost of the product is hidden, and 3) your customers won’t be frustrated.
- The three best suppliers for blind dropshipping are Spocket, Syncee, and AppScenic.
Conclusion
If you came across the term 'blind dropshipping' and were wondering what it means, we hope this article cleared everything up for you!
To conclude, you are almost obliged to do blind dropshipping to ensure your customers stay happy.
If you have any more questions, feel free to drop a comment below, and if not, have a great rest of your day!
Want to learn more about dropshipping?
Ready to move your dropshipping store to the next level? Check out the articles below:
