Shopify Selling Branded Products Complete Explanation!

Usually, a branded product has an official store and online website to sell the product on its own. Now, you might be thinking about whether or not you can get your Shopify selling branded products? To answer your confusion, we have specifically written this article that hopefully can give you information on what can you sell on Shopify and what items to avoid. So, here is it. Have an enjoyable read!

What Are Branded Products Exactly?

Before we discuss dropship or reselling branded products through your Shopify account, first we will have to understand what exactly a brand is? In business and marketing studies, the term “brand” refers to the name, term, design, symbols, and any other features which will help the public to identify the seller’s goods and services.

A brand is a perception, idea, or concept that makes the public recognize a company, store, or product. It is important to have a strong and recognizable brand image that holds the public trust as it will help the public to differentiate your product from competitors.

The General Regulation of Selling Branded Products Online

Before you ask about how to sell branded products online, it will be best for you to understand the general regulation of selling such items. The owner of a brand will usually like to have control over the distribution of their product and its pricing on the market. 

Hence, the only way to sell branded products online is to be a legitimate reseller. You have to obtain written permission such as a certificate of authorization and/or certificate of authenticity before you are allowed to resell a branded product through the marketplace.

If you are selling a brand of your own, though, things will be easier. You only have to make sure you have already trademarked your brand, register your business according to the law, and get the administration all cleared before you start selling them.

Read Also: How Online Selling Business Works and How to Start Your Own

Can You Sell Branded Products on Shopify, though?

Now to answer the question of “can I sell branded products on my website”, we will have to say that, it depends. If the branded products are registered under your company, then it shouldn’t be a problem as you are the legitimate owner of the brand.

However, if your “branded product” means you want to resell a product from a well-known brand, we have to say, you better not. Why? The reason is that when you are selling a branded product through your website, you might face some problems, for example:

• The copyright issue.
• Warranty issues.
• Sales and taxes issues.
• Payment gateway issues.
• Advertising issues.

Regardless of whether you are legally obtaining the product through their official store or not, reselling a branded product may hurt your business in the long run. If the PR team of the brand which product you sell comes across your Shopify account and acknowledges you resell their product without bagging a legal permit, they can reach out to Shopify legal team and file a case of intellectual property rights infringement.

This, of course, will later lead to your product listing on Shopify getting removed, or worse, your Shopify account will be terminated and banned permanently. So, if you are serious about starting your online business, you better not do this.

Do You Need Permission to Sell Branded Products on Shopify?

Can you sell copyrighted items on Shopify? The answer is yes, you can but only under the condition that you have already been approved by a supplier to do so. You will have to sign a contract agreement that makes you the authorized dealer of certain brands.

The purpose of this contract is to ensure that you can be a suitable partner for their brand where you have to follow certain rules and regulations to help a brand maintain its brand image. Usually, the regulation will include:

• Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) to ensure there’s no price war between you and the other retailers which will lower the value of the brands’ product.
• Excellent customer service to maintain the shopping experience of each customer as well as the image of the brand itself.

However, the official reseller will usually be prohibited by the brand to sell their item through a marketplace like eBay or Amazon since it is believed to lower the brand value. Things might be slightly different if you got the item from an authorized Liquidator.

The liquidator is a supplier type that sells products when the official stores wish to get rid of their old stock and liquidized their assets to either pay a debt or move the business. Some members might reach out to these suppliers so they can obtain a license to resell a branded item legally. 

Read Also: 8 Profitable Ways to Start Online Retail Business Today

Conclusion

What is branded products? A branded product is a good or item with a logo printed, engraved, or embodied on it. According to Shopify, the intellectual property is divided into copyright (which includes logos and slogans) and the trademark which protect unique symbols or words that identify a business or product and distinguish them from other brands/products.

So if you are looking for an answer to “can I resell branded products”, it is honestly a bit tricky to answer. Branded item has always been the grey area in online business hence, it is better to avoid them if you are not 100% sure of their legitimacy.

You have to understand that getting the product legally from the official store doesn’t directly permit you to resell them on Shopify or any other website. For example, you bought a pair of Nike shoes from its official website but your friend also sent you the same pair as a birthday gift. In this situation, your first reaction is to seek an answer of “can I sell Nike on Shopify”?

Your answer will be no unless you have obtained the permission to become an official reseller and have the license to resell the brand officially. 

This is also applied to the case of how can you sell used items on Shopify. While a Shopify system is almost like eBay or Amazon where you are not limited to selling goods either in new or used condition, products with trademarks and copyright have always been an exception.

Instead of putting your online business at stake and risking violating any rules that can negatively affect your business, it is better to establish a brand of your own and start a business safely. 

Join Ginee Philippines!

For the management and exposure, you can entrust it to Ginee. Ginee is an ERP system for both entrepreneurs and online business operators. The Ginee Omnichannel Philippines is determined to help improve business and cost efficiency through its unique feature. All you have to do is focus on your sales and let Ginee do the rest.

Managing products and inventory can never be any easier than using the Stock Management features by Ginee that will keep track of your products on several platforms and give you easy access to update stocks through one dashboard. You can also get a notification when your best-selling product is running low on stock so you can restock them before it sold out.

Don’t worry about branding and boosting sales because Ginee’s Customer Management features will help you understand your customer by viewing their transaction data and shopping behavior. It will also help you plan your marketing strategy so you can target potential customers.

Anything you wish for will easily come true as long as you have Ginee to support you. Be the lead in online business starting alongside Ginee. All you need to do is complete the free registration at the Ginee Philippines site and get the seven days of free trials to experience Ginee’s amazing features yourself and see how the system lifts your business to the top. Selling is easy as long as you have Ginee. Join Ginee for free now!