A practical worksheet for comparing wholesale quotes

Match the product and the buying unit

Put the SKU, material, dimensions, variant and packaging in the first columns of the comparison. A similar photo is not evidence of an identical product. Ask whether the price is per piece, set, inner box or carton, and record the number of sellable units.

Normalize currencies using one dated exchange-rate assumption. Keep supplier currency and original amounts as separate fields so a later exchange-rate movement is visible rather than hidden in the comparison.

Give every offer the same delivery endpoint

Record the Incoterm, named place, transport mode and destination. An origin-only price and a delivered price cover different work. Ask who pays for export clearance, main freight, insurance, destination handling, import clearance and final delivery.

Do not fill an omitted charge with zero. Add an owner and a confirmation request for each unknown. Tax treatment depends on the transaction and destination; use a qualified local adviser for classification and import tax questions.

Compare the cash and timing commitments

Include MOQ, permitted increment, deposit, balance milestone, quote expiry and estimated dispatch date. Separate dispatch from arrival. A supplier's estimate does not by itself include transport, customs or receiving delays.

For illustration, 200 sellable units with $400 goods value and $120 confirmed additional costs have an allocated cost of $2.60 each before any excluded taxes or charges. If an offer contains missing destination fees, the same calculation is incomplete and should be marked provisional.

Use the worksheet to ask better follow-up questions

Keep a notes column for differences in inspection, replacement terms, labeling and documentation. The cheapest completed column may still carry a stock, quality or timing risk that matters to your store.

Save the accepted quote version with its written clarifications. If quantity, specification or route changes, ask for a revised version before accepting it; do not silently carry assumptions from an earlier offer.

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