As a business consultant who has helped dozens of entrepreneurs get started reselling liquidated merchandise, I’m often asked – where is the best place to source inventory pallets?
In this guide, I’ll draw from my experience to provide detailed profiles on the top 10 liquidation companies I recommend for buying quality pallets at the best prices.
An Introduction to Liquidation Pallets
For small businesses and ecommerce sellers, liquidation pallets provide an affordable way to acquire inventory in bulk at deep discounts. These wholesale pallets contain overstock merchandise, customer returns, and write-offs from major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.
The benefits of sourcing inventory this way include:
- Cost savings – Products are sold at up to 90% off retail price.
- Product variety – Pallets contain a diverse mix of new items across categories.
- Convenience – Products come pre-sorted onto ready-to-sell pallets.
However, finding a reliable supplier is key to getting the best deals on liquidation pallets. Here are the top 10 companies I recommend based on product quality, pricing, and supplier reliability.
1. BULQ
BULQ is one of the leading business-to-business (B2B) liquidators with over 12,000 clients. They source pallets directly from major retailers and brands like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Lowe‘s, Best Buy, and more.
Product Categories
BULQ carries a huge variety of consumer goods across all categories, including:
- Electronics – Computers, tablets, accessories
- Home & Kitchen – Furniture, appliances, kitchenware
- Toys – Video games, outdoor toys, baby products
- Clothing – Apparel for men, women, children
- Beauty – Skincare, cosmetics, hair and bath products
Pallet Types
Their pallet inventory includes:
- Customer returns – Items returned/opened but never used
- Shelf pulls – Unsold clearance goods
- Overstock – Excess inventory
I‘ve found their returned and overstock pallets to offer the most new/unused products if you choose wisely.
Pricing
BULQ pallets start at around $200-$300 for smaller sizes up to $1000+ for full truckloads. Their pricing model is straightforward with consistent pallet prices week-to-week.
Customer Service
In my experience, BULQ provides exceptional customer service and inventory transparency. Their manifests provide detailed product breakdowns prior to purchasing.
2. Direct Liquidation
With over 20 years in business, Direct Liquidation has built trusted relationships with major big box retailers. They offer customer returns and overstock across all product categories.
Brands
Some of the brand names found on their pallets include:
- Amazon private label brands like AmazonBasics
- Walmart private label brands like Equate and Parent‘s Choice
- Name brands like Apple, Samsung, Nike, Callaway Golf, P&G, Hasbro, Lego
Pallet Selection
Direct Liquidation offers both mixed category and single-category pallets. The key is reading manifests closely to understand contents before buying.
Pricing and Shipping
Pallets start around $300. Shipping costs are reasonable and pallets ship within 2-3 days.
I‘ve purchased over 50 pallets from Direct Liquidation with minimal issues – their inspection policies are seller-friendly for any damages.
3. Liquidity Services
As one of the largest liquidators, Liquidity Services works directly with major retailers and manufacturers to acquire inventory pallets. They operate the liquidation sites Liquidation.com, Secondipity.com, and GoWholesale.com.
Key Brands
Some of the top brands on their pallets include:
- Home Depot
- Lowe‘s
- Walgreens
- Pier 1 Imports
- Best Buy
- Target
Across their sites, you can find pallets in almost every consumer product category. Their GoWholesale site focuses specifically on wholesale mixed lots.
Pricing and Inventory
Pricing varies greatly based on the pallet contents but can be as low as $100-$200. Their marketplace model allows you to bid on pallets, adding an extra dimension of negotiating prices lower.
One tip I recommend when buying from Liquidity Services is to filter for lots with manifest available. This ensures you know exactly what you‘re bidding on.
4. Genco Marketplace
Genco specializes in liquidating excess inventory for major retailers and manufacturers. They carry high volumes of new, overstock consumer goods across all categories.
Pallet Contents
Here are some examples of the brand name contents I’ve received on Genco pallets:
- Electronics – Sony, HP, Acer, Canon Printers
- Home Goods – Pyrex, Corningware, Mikasa, Shark Vacuums
- Toys – Nerf, Playmobil, Funko Pop Figurines
- Beauty – Olay, Dove, Aussie, Secret Deodorant
Pricing and Delivery
Genco pallets range from $200 to $1000+ depending on size and contents. Shipping is affordable, averaging $100-$150 for full truckload pallets delivered nationwide.
One advantage is Genco provides temperature-controlled trucking for food and beauty products at no extra charge.
Customer Service
Genco consistently delivers on time. I recommend calling their customer service line before purchasing for help selecting the right pallets. Their team is extremely knowledgeable.
5. Liquidation.com
Owned by Liquidity Services, Liquidation.com has been a leader in the liquidation industry for over 20 years. Their experts source from retailers, manufactures, and distributors.
Product Selection
They carry consumer goods across all categories, from small appliances and housewares to toys, clothing, and electronics. With daily inventory updates, selection is always changing.
Lot Types
You can find surplus, overstock, salvage, shelf pulls, returns, and closeouts. I recommend sorting by lots with manifest available.
Bidding and Pricing
As a marketplace model, pricing depends on bidding competition. However, I regularly win lots for 50-80% off retail pricing. Their buy-it-now function allows grabbing pallets quickly.
One tip – watch for less popular categories like books or home decor to get the best deals. Avoid bidding wars on hot categories like electronics.
6. Truckload Sales
Truckload Sales sources inventory from big box retailers, Amazon freight damage, salvage companies, and flea markets. They carry new closeouts and customer returns.
Pallet Selection Tips
Focus on mixed retail return pallets for the best variety. Avoid freight damage loads which can have more unusable inventory.
Brands
Past pallets have contained products from Target, Kohl‘s, Lowe‘s, Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon. Brands range from no-name generics to top brands like Dyson, KitchenAid, and Nike.
Pricing and Shipping
Full truckloads start around $3000 while smaller pallets are $500+. Shipping costs are reasonable, but inspect loads upon delivery and report issues immediately.
7. Seller Hub
Seller Hub prides themselves on providing transparency into pallet contents. They focus on liquidating Amazon return pallets.
Pallet Contents
Each pallet contains returns from Amazon Fulfillment Centers, with brand new items, customer returns, and warehouse damaged goods. Pallets are general merchandise or category-specific.
Product Categories
Top categories include:
- Home, Kitchen, Home Improvement
- Toys and Games
- Lawn & Garden (seasonal)
- Sports and Outdoors
- Automotive Accessories
Pricing
Pallets range from $200 to $800+ depending on size and contents. Expect to pay around $300 for a standard 45-55 box pallet.
Seller Hub provides decent photo previews and manifests to understand what you‘re getting. In my experience, pallets have aligned closely with descriptions and contained few unsellable items.
8. Asset Recovery Specialists
Specializing in retailer overstock and returns, Asset Recovery Specialists carries new, unused merchandise across all categories. Their experts source inventory pallets locally and nationwide.
Brands
Past pallets have featured products from:
- Amazon – private label and name brands
- Target and Walmart – overstock and returns
- Costco – bulk sized items
- Best Buy – electronics
Pallet Types
You can select from mystery pallets, retail return pallets, or category-specific pallets to best match your niche.
Pricing
Pallets range from around $500 – $3000+ depending on size and type. Shipping costs are reasonable starting at a few hundred dollars.
I suggest starting with a small mixed return pallet to evaluate a supplier like Asset Recovery Specialists before purchasing larger loads.
9. Direct Surplus
Direct Surplus sources liquidated new, overstock, and returned merchandise from major US retailers and manufacturers. They offer wholesale pricing with bulk purchasing options.
Pallet Highlights
- Broad assortment across all retail categories
- Major brands: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy
- High percentage of new/unused items
Pricing
Standard pallets start at around $300. Full truckloads go for $3000 – $6000. Shipping costs are fair and orders ship within 24 hours.
Direct Surplus provides manifest summaries and product verification before purchasing. I recommend selecting detailed manifest options for full transparency.
10. Liquidation Bidz
Liquidation Bidz sources large volumes of new customer returns and overstock goods weekly. Their experts cherry pick top liquidation deals nationwide.
Product Categories
Strong categories include:
- Toys and games
- Beauty and health
- Clothing and shoes
- Consumer electronics
- Discount grocery items
- Furniture and home goods
Bidding Process
As a marketplace, winning bids vary but often fall 60% or more off retail pricing.
Tips for Success
I recommend browsing the weekly inventory previews to identify valuable pallets before bidding. Sorting by categories in your niche speeds research.
Key Tips for Finding the Best Pallets
When evaluating liquidation companies, keep these factors in mind:
- Diversity of inventory – Look for wide product selection across many categories and brands.
- Pallet size options – Test with small pallets before investing in full truckloads.
- Transparent manifests – Detailed descriptions and product lists minimize surprises.
- Fair return policies – Ensure the supplier inspects and credits for unusable/damaged goods.
- Affordable shipping – Reasonable shipping costs and fast delivery times.
- Sourcing relationships – Suppliers with direct partnerships with major retailers offer better pricing and brand diversity.
Getting Started Buying Your First Pallets
If you‘re looking to get started with liquidation pallets, I recommend following these steps:
- Set a starter budget for your first pallets – $1000 can go a long way!
- Research suppliers and browse available inventory until you identify options matching your goals.
- Select 1-2 pallets in your product niche to pilot test the process.
- Thoroughly check all products upon delivery and process contents.
- Develop a pricing plan based on researching current resale prices.
- List pallets across multiple sales channels – ecommerce, flea markets, etc.
With the right process, liquidation pallets can offer an extremely lucrative, scalable business model. Use the recommendations in this guide to source top-quality pallets and maximize profits!
