As a clothing retailer, you want a supplier that offers various trendy items, affordable prices, and exceptional customer service.
One of the top contenders in the US B2B fashion market is OrangeShine.
In this article, we'll review OrangeShine as a wholesale fashion marketplace to help you decide if they are the right fit for your business.
Let's go!
| OrangeShine Overview | |
| Trustpilot Rating | 3.8 out of 5.0 (42+ reviews) |
| Pros | - Wholesale prices - Wide variety of styles - User-friendly platform |
| Cons | - Reliance on a platform - No live chat support - Recurring customer dissatisfaction on Sitejabber - No integration with ecommerce platforms - Minimum order quantity |
| MOQ | $100 (Source) |
| Shipping location | United States |
| Shipping time | Shipping times vary by vendor. Click on the vendor's reviews to find the average shipping time. |
| Free trial? | Create your free account here. |
What is OrangeShine?
OrangeShine is a B2B fashion wholesale marketplace where retail buyers can find brands and manufacturers at competitive prices for their fashion businesses.
OrangeShine aims to be a one-stop destination for fashion retailers, with a wide range of clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories.
Keep in mind that OrangeShine is a marketplace, so you'll find multiple different fashion suppliers on the platform.
How does OrangeShine work?
OrangeShine is a platform that connects buyers and sellers.
Sellers (suppliers) can create product listings with detailed descriptions, images, and pricing details.
On the other hand, buyers (retailers) can browse products, compare prices, read reviews, and make purchases.
What's cool about OrangeShine is their 'Shine Rewards program' that allows retailers to earn reward points for making purchases, attending events, and connecting on social media:
These points can then be redeemed for various benefits, such as flat-rate shipping or discounts on future orders.
Is OrangeShine legit?
OrangeShine is a legitimate wholesale fashion marketplace, but it has mixed reviews from customers.
Many buyers appreciate the platform for its wide range of products, competitive prices, and reliable shipping.
They have shared positive experiences with the quality of the products and the customer service, which they describe as top-notch and responsive.
However, there are a few complaints about the company, primarily concerning issues with orders, poor customer service, and unresponsiveness to negative feedback.
Furthermore, employee reviews on Glassdoor hint at internal issues within the company, which may contribute to the inconsistent customer experiences reported.
The pros and cons of OrangeShine
Like any platform, OrangeShine has its strengths and weaknesses.
The pros
- Wholesale prices. OrangeShine provides competitive wholesale pricing, which can help maximize your profit margins. Buying in bulk allows you to benefit from lower per-unit costs.
- Wide variety of styles. With options from over 700 vendors, OrangeShine provides a diverse selection of apparel, accessories, footwear, and beauty products, all on a single platform.
- User-friendly platform. The OrangeShine platform is designed to be easy to use, allowing you to navigate, browse products, and place orders with ease.
The cons
- Reliance on platform. As a third-party marketplace, you are subject to OrangeShine's policies and rules, which could change over time.
- No live chat support. The absence of a live chat support widget can lead to delays in receiving immediate assistance and resolving issues quickly.
- Recurring customer dissatisfaction on Sitejabber. Common complaints include issues with order fulfillment, delayed shipping times, poor customer service response, and difficulty in processing returns or refunds.
- No integration with ecommerce platforms. OrangeShine operates as a standalone marketplace, lacking integration capabilities with popular ecommerce platforms (like Shopify) used by sellers.
- Minimum order quantity. The $100 minimum order quantity makes dropshipping difficult and limits usage to retailers.
OrangeShine pricing
OrangeShine operates on a commission-based model, charging sellers a percentage of each sale made on the platform.
The exact commission rates vary based on the product category and seller performance, but they are generally competitive compared to other marketplaces.
One great feature of OrangeShine is that buyers don't have to pay any monthly fee to use the platform!
Plus, retailers can enjoy a shipping fee of only $19 when their orders reach a certain threshold.
How do you get started with OrangeShine?
Here is how you would use OrangeShine as a buyer:
1. Sign up for the platform
The first step to getting started with OrangeShine is to sign up for the platform.
Click on the 'Register' button, and you'll be redirected to the registration page:
Once you've done that, fill out the registration form. If you're a retailer, make sure to choose the 'Retail Buyers' option:
One important detail you should have is the business license, which is the EIN.
If by any means you don't have an EIN yet, check the official US IRS website to learn how to apply for one.
Once you've registered, check out the dashboard, which is on the right-hand side of your screen.
Here, you can view order details such as order history, store credit history, and return history:
Then, check your account settings to manage your shipping address and credit card information and change your password if necessary.
2. Shop on OrangeShine
Once your account is set up, you can start shopping on OrangeShine.
Browse through their extensive catalog of fashion items and filter your search by categories such as women's clothing, men's clothing, accessories, and more:
The platform offers multiple sorting options, such as price, popularity, and new arrivals.
OrangeShine is known for its competitive pricing, so you can be sure to find quality products at wholesale rates.
3. OrangeShine shipping
OrangeShine makes shipping easy for you with various options.
They use a flat-rate shipping model based on your total order amount.
This means you'll pay a fixed shipping fee based on the total value of your order, regardless of the number of items or their weight.
OrangeShine offers two main fulfillment options:
- OrangeShine consolidated fulfillment. In this option, OrangeShine receives products from various vendors at its fulfillment center, consolidates them, and applies a flat rate or free shipping rate to shipments. The minimum order amount for this option is $100.
- Vendor self-fulfillment. Here, vendors directly ship products to customers using the flat-rate or free shipping options provided by OrangeShine.
The flat-rate shipping fees are as follows:
- For orders between $1 and $99.99, the best price applies (subject to change).
- For orders between $100 and $199.99, the shipping fee is $19.
- For orders between $200 and $399.99, the shipping fee is $24.
- For orders between $400 and $599.99, the shipping fee is $29.
- For orders between $600 and $999.99, the shipping fee is $39.
- For orders between $1,000 and $1,499.99, the shipping fee is $49.
- For orders between $1,500 and $1,999.99, the shipping fee is $59.
- For orders between $2,000 and $2,999.99, the shipping fee is $69.
- For orders between $3,000 and $3,999.99, the shipping fee is $79.
- For orders between $4,000 and $4,999.99, the shipping fee is $89.
- For orders above $5,000, shipping is free.
These rates apply only to UPS (or FedEx) Ground and to the 48 contiguous USA states and may change based on the business situation.
For pre-orders, there is no pre-authorization at the time of order submission.
When the item becomes available for processing, your credit card will be pre-authorized for the order amount plus shipping, based on the order amount.
OrangeShine also offers a Flat-Rate Cashback Reward Event for new buyers making their first purchase on the platform.
This event grants a flat-rate cashback, equal to a few percent of your purchase amount, as Shine Reward points.
OrangeShine works with various carriers to ensure you have a range of shipping methods available, including UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
4. Store products at your own warehouse or 3PL
After receiving your items from OrangeShine, you can choose to store them at your own warehouse or use a third-party logistics (3PL) service:
What is OrangeShine's return policy?
The return policy is probably one of the most important considerations when purchasing on OrangeShine's platform.
Since OrangeShine hosts multiple vendors on its platform, each has its own return and exchange policy, which can be found on the respective vendor's page.
That said, you can generally request returns for damaged, incorrect, or missing items within 15 days from the ship-out date.
To initiate a return or exchange, follow these steps:
- Visit the 'My Account' section.
- Go to 'My Order History.'
- Request a return on the original order.
You'll need to provide close-up and full-frame images of the items in question and wait for the vendor's approval, which may take three to five business days.
Also, be aware that the approval of a return request is not guaranteed and is subject to the vendor's discretion.
If the return request is accepted, the vendor will provide a return label via email or message.
Then you must ship the merchandise back to the vendor in its original condition and packaging before the vendor approves the refund or store credit.
For exchanges, if the item is unavailable at the time of the request, the vendor may issue a store credit instead.
Refunds and store credits are not guaranteed and are determined based on each vendor's individual policy.
Some vendors may only accept returns for damaged or defective products, while others may offer exchanges for items sent incorrectly.
What do other users say about OrangeShine?
When it comes to opinions about OrangeShine, the reviews and ratings seem to vary.
On Trustpilot, OrangeShine generally receives positive feedback. The platform has a score of 3.8 out of 5 from 42 reviews, with the majority being positive.
Many users appreciate how OrangeShine connects retail buyers with various brands, manufacturers, and importers:
Only three reviews are negative, which suggests a high level of satisfaction among users.
On the other hand, Sitejabber presents a different picture. The platform has a mixed rating of 2.9 stars out of 5.
One review specifically mentions concerns about the clothing material and quality relative to the price, advising against using OrangeShine due to the perceived high cost for the quality received:
That said, most positive reviews on Sitejabber outnumber the negative ones.
In fact, the Sitejabber rating system favors platforms with more reviews, meaning the more people rate them, the higher their rating will be.
Since they have fewer reviews, their overall rating is only 2.9 out of 5.
If you look at the reviews individually, most users appreciate OrangeShine for the quality of goods and fast shipping.
OrangeShine alternatives
While OrangeShine is a popular platform for wholesale fashion suppliers, you can explore other options:
- FashionGo. Another wholesale marketplace. It offers a wide range of trendy clothing at competitive prices, making it an excellent alternative to OrangeShine.
- BrandsGateway. A designer fashion supplier specializing in women's and men's clothing. They offer luxury brands, making them an ideal choice if you want to add premium items to your inventory.
- LAShowroom. A Los Angeles-based wholesale fashion marketplace. They offer a curated selection of contemporary clothing, accessories, and footwear for women, men, and children.
- Alibaba. Alibaba is a global wholesale marketplace that connects suppliers and retailers. As a massive platform, they offer a wide variety of clothing and accessories at competitive prices.
Taking action
Reading and absorbing information and knowledge is great (definitely if it’s free!), but do you know what’s even better?
Taking action!
So, to help you with taking action with what you have learned in this article, take a look at the bullet points:
- Register on OrangeShine. Create an account to access manufacturers offering fashion items at competitive prices.
- Analyze market trends. OrangeShine offers a Top 10 Wholesale Apparel section showing the most popular items in various categories. Use these insights to plan your inventories according to the latest trends.
- Analyze seller reviews. To ensure that your purchases meet the desired quality, it's essential to read vendor reviews provided by other customers.
- Use the discount options. OrangeShine offers bulk order discounts and flat-rate shipping. To maximize your savings, be on the lookout for these deals.
Conclusion
The OrangeShine platform is undoubtedly worth considering for fashion ecommerce store owners looking for a robust product sourcing solution.
However, numerous compelling alternatives are available, so we advise you to explore those options before fully committing to their service.
Good luck!
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