How to Write a Wholesale Line Sheet: Complete Guide for Brands

A wholesale line sheet is a one or two-page document that showcases your entire product range to retail buyers. It includes product images, descriptions, pricing, minimum order quantities, and your contact information, all designed to make it easy for store owners to understand what you offer and place orders. Without a professional line sheet, you're leaving money on the table and making it harder for retailers to say yes.

If you're serious about getting your candles, jewelry, skincare, home goods, apparel, food, gifts, or other small products into retail stores, a well-crafted line sheet is one of your most important sales tools. Here's how to create one that actually moves inventory off shelves.

Why Retail Buyers Need Your Line Sheet

Retail buyers see dozens of pitch emails, attend trade shows, and receive countless PDFs every month. A line sheet cuts through the noise by giving them exactly what they need to make a decision: a clear, professional overview of your products and terms.

According to a 2023 survey by the Craft & Hobby Association, 78% of independent retailers say they rely on vendor line sheets as their primary tool for evaluating new suppliers. When a buyer is intrigued by your brand, they expect a line sheet. Without one, they assume you're not serious about wholesale.

Beyond evaluation, your line sheet serves as a reference document throughout the entire sales process. Buyers share it with their team, bookmark it for reorder seasons, and use it to brief their staff on new products. A professional line sheet signals that you're a reliable wholesale partner.

What Information to Include in Your Line Sheet

Your line sheet must include certain non-negotiable elements:

Element	Purpose	Example
Product images	Help buyers visualize your products	2 to 3 high-quality photos per product
Product names	Make reordering easy	"Lavender Dreams Candle, 8 oz"
SKU or product code	Track inventory and orders	LAV-8OZ-001
Product description	Explain features and ingredients	"Hand-poured soy candle, cotton wick, phthalate-free fragrance"
Wholesale price per unit	Buyer can calculate their margin	$6.50 per unit
Suggested retail price	Buyer knows what margin they'll make	$16.00
Minimum order quantity (MOQ)	Set your production limits	24 units minimum
Case pack / units per case	Simplifies ordering and shipping	6 units per case
Shipping weight and dimensions	Helps with logistics planning	Weight: 2 lbs, Dimensions: 4" x 4" x 4"
Lead time	Buyer plans their inventory	2 to 3 weeks from order
Payment terms	Clarify when you get paid	Net 30 upon receipt
Your contact information	Make it easy to order	Email, phone, website

Don't bury critical information. Retail buyers are busy. They need to find MOQ, wholesale price, and lead time within seconds.

How to Calculate Wholesale Pricing That Works

Wholesale pricing is the foundation of your line sheet, and it must work for both you and the retailer. The most common formula is the "keystone" model: your wholesale price is half your suggested retail price.

For example, if your candle retails for $16, your wholesale price would be $8. This gives the retailer a 50% margin, which is standard in the home and gift category. However, some product categories expect different margins:

Product Category	Standard Retail Margin	Wholesale Markup Example
Candles, home goods	50% margin (2x cost)	$8 wholesale, $16 retail
Jewelry	50 to 100% margin (2x to 3x cost)	$12 wholesale, $30 retail
Skincare	50 to 65% margin (2x to 3x cost)	$15 wholesale, $40 retail
Apparel	50% margin (2x cost)	$20 wholesale, $40 retail
Food	40 to 50% margin (2x to 2.5x cost)	$3 wholesale, $7 retail
Gifts	50% margin (2x cost)	$5 wholesale, $10 retail

Your wholesale price must cover your cost of goods, production, and overhead while leaving room for profit. If a retailer wants you to go lower, you can offer volume discounts for larger orders rather than cutting your base price.

Step-by-Step Process: Building Your Line Sheet

Step 1: Decide What Products to Feature

Don't include every variation. If you make candles in 12 scents, group them by type (signature collection, seasonal, custom) and show three to five representative products. Retailers want to see your range, but a line sheet that's too long looks cluttered and overwhelming.

Prioritize your bestsellers and highest-margin items. These are the products most likely to catch a buyer's attention.

Step 2: Shoot Professional Product Photography

Your images are your first impression. Invest in clean, consistent photography that shows your products from at least two angles. Use consistent backgrounds, lighting, and styling across all photos.

Retailers sell with their eyes. Blurry or amateur photos signal that your brand isn't polished, and many buyers will pass without reading further. If you can't shoot professional photos yourself, hire a photographer for a few hundred dollars. It's worth the investment.

Step 3: Write Compelling but Honest Product Descriptions

Keep descriptions to one or two sentences. Tell the buyer why someone would buy this product:

• "Hand-poured soy candle with lead-free cotton wick and fragrance oil made from essential oils."
• "Brass wire-wrapped amethyst earrings, hypoallergenic surgical steel posts."
• "Organic oat and honey face mask, preservative-free, shelf-stable for 18 months."

Highlight certifications, ingredient quality, and unique selling points. Buyers share line sheets with their customers, so descriptions should appeal to both the retailer and the end consumer.

Step 4: Set Minimums You Can Actually Fulfill

Your minimum order quantity (MOQ) tells retailers the smallest order they can place. Too high, and they won't order. Too low, and you'll struggle with production costs.

Consider your production capacity and your material supplier's minimums. Many small brands set an MOQ of 12 to 24 units per product, or 48 to 100 units per entire order. Be realistic: if you can't make 24 candles in a week without burning out, set your MOQ at 12.

Step 5: Format for Easy Scanning

Use a simple layout with clear sections. Left column for images, right column for product details and pricing. Use bold text for critical information: wholesale price, MOQ, and lead time.

Keep it to one or two pages maximum. A 10-page line sheet will sit in a folder untouched.

Step 6: Include Terms and Conditions

At the bottom of your line sheet, state your payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, prepayment required, etc.), shipping policy, return policy if you allow returns, and your lead time. This prevents confusion later and shows professionalism.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Line Sheet

Pricing confusion. Don't list prices in ambiguous ways. State clearly: "Wholesale: $8.00 per unit" and "Suggested Retail: $16.00." Avoid percentages or confusing notation.

Poor image quality. One blurry photo will make a buyer doubt your entire brand. Professional photos cost money, but they pay for themselves in wholesale orders.

Missing critical information. If a buyer can't find your MOQ or lead time in under 10 seconds, they'll move on to the next vendor.

Typos and grammar mistakes. Line sheets reflect your professionalism. Proofread twice and have someone else read it before you send it to retailers.

Outdated products. Update your line sheet seasonally. If you've discontinued a product, remove it immediately. Buyers get frustrated when they try to reorder something that's no longer available.

How to Use Your Line Sheet in Your Outreach

Your line sheet is a sales document, but it's not a cold pitch. When you contact a retail buyer, reference your line sheet in your email:

"Hi [Buyer Name], I saw that your store carries home goods similar to my hand-poured soy candles. I've attached our line sheet and would love to chat about stocking your shelves. Let me know if you have any questions."

Then follow up within a week. Many retail buyers receive dozens of line sheets a week; yours might get buried in their inbox.

This is where a tool like BoutiqScout makes a real difference. Instead of manually hunting for retail buyer email addresses and building a prospect list, BoutiqScout helps you identify the right independent stores that fit your brand, get accurate buyer contact details, and track your outreach so you know exactly when and how to follow up. You can personalize each pitch based on what the store actually sells, rather than sending generic emails to dozens of stores at once.

A strong line sheet combined with strategic, personalized outreach is how brands actually land retail accounts. Don't spray and pray; target the stores where your products will sell.

Tracking Sales and Updates

Once retailers start ordering, keep your line sheet current. When a product sells out consistently, that signals it's a winner. When something never sells, discontinue it or redesign it.

Take feedback from your retail partners seriously. If five different buyers mention that your MOQ is too high or your lead time is too long, it's time to adjust.

Templates and Tools to Get Started

You can build a line sheet in Google Docs, Canva, or Adobe InDesign. Use a template as a starting point, then customize it with your branding, colors, and fonts. The goal is a one or two-page document that looks professional but isn't overly designed.

If you're managing multiple products or planning to pitch dozens of retailers, tracking every outreach, follow-up, and response manually becomes overwhelming. BoutiqScout streamlines the entire process: you can build a list of ideal retailers, store your line sheet and sales materials in one place, track which stores you've contacted and when, and get reminders to follow up. This way you're not juggling emails or wondering if you already pitched that store three months ago.

Your line sheet is the foundation, but execution is everything. Once it's ready, the next step is getting it into the hands of the right retail buyers.

Ready to Land Your First Wholesale Account?

A great line sheet opens doors, but finding the right stores and tracking your outreach is the real challenge. Try BoutiqScout free to see how much faster you can build your retail network when you're not doing it all manually.