Wholesale Line Sheets: Guide for Farms

Selling wholesale is essential for farms, food hubs, and agricultural businesses aiming to scale. Connecting with restaurants, grocery stores, and other large-volume buyers creates significant opportunities for increased revenue. However, presenting your products, pricing, and terms to potential buyers requires the right tools. That's where the wholesale line sheet, or a sell sheet, comes in–a straightforward document that simplifies your wholesale operations.

A clear, professional, and informative line sheet (or its digital equivalent) makes all the difference in effectively communicating with wholesale buyers. It acts as a practical sales tool, clearly showcasing your products and making it easy for busy chefs and retail buyers to understand your offerings and place orders quickly.

This guide covers everything you need to know to create wholesale line sheets for your farm.

Key takeaways

• A wholesale line sheet is a concise document detailing products, pricing, and terms for wholesale buyers.
• Essential components include business details, comprehensive product information (descriptions, SKUs, pricing, images), and wholesale terms.
• Line sheets differ from sell sheets (more visual, highlighting bestsellers) and catalogs (more comprehensive, often for retail).
• Modern platforms like Local Line offer dynamic, digital alternatives to static line sheets, integrating e-commerce and real-time inventory.
• Tailoring your line sheet or price list to specific market segments (restaurants vs. retail) improves effectiveness.

What is a wholesale line sheet?

A wholesale line sheet is a concise, visually appealing document that presents your products and business information to potential wholesale buyers. It is both a sales tool and a reference guide that buyers can use when making purchasing decisions.

What are the benefits of line sheets?

Line sheets offer several key benefits:

• Professionalism that distinguishes your business from competitors
• Clear communication of product offerings and wholesale terms
• Simplified ordering process for buyers
• Consistent brand presentation across different markets

The difference between line sheets, sell sheets, and catalogs

Line sheets, sell sheets, and product catalogs serve different purposes when selling wholesale business. While sometimes used interchangeably, these terms have distinct meanings:

Line sheets

These are essential tools for wholesale buyers. They include precise product details, wholesale prices, retail prices, minimum order quantity, and sales terms. They may also list payment methods and terms. Line sheets are often simple documents that feature high-quality product images and names.

Sell sheets

These sheets focus on a single product. They highlight key features and benefits. They aim to grab the attention of potential buyers and retail customers. Sell sheets serve more as a marketing tool.

Product catalogs

Catalogs provide a comprehensive overview of all wholesale products. They include detailed product descriptions and professional product images, covering a broad range of product types. Both wholesale and retail customers can use catalogs.

What to include in your wholesale line sheet

A comprehensive wholesale line sheet leaves no room for guesswork. Here’s what to include:

1. Business details

• Brand logo and company name: Prominently display your farm logo and farm name.
• "About your company": A brief description of your farm or food business, highlighting your mission, growing practices, or unique selling points.
• Contact information: Name, phone number, email address, website, physical address (if relevant).
• Ordering process: How do buyers place orders? (Email, phone, e-commerce store). Specify deadlines.
• Delivery schedule and geographic reach: When and where do you deliver? Mention delivery fees or minimums for free delivery.
• Payment terms: Acceptable payment methods, credit terms (if offered), and payment due dates.

2. Product information

• High-quality images: Clear photos of your farm products. Consistency is key.
• Product names: Clear and descriptive.
• Detailed descriptions: Include variety, size, weight, relevant certifications (e.g., organic), growing practices, or unique attributes. Check out these product description examples.
• SKU numbers (Stock Keeping Units): Unique identifiers for each product variation (e.g., Organic Carrots - 5lb Bag vs. Organic Carrots - 1lb Bunch). Essential for accurate ordering and inventory management.
• Wholesale pricing: Price per unit (e.g., per pound, per case, per bunch). Ensure this is distinct from any retail pricing. Need help with pricing? Check out how to price your farm products for wholesale.
• Unit/Case pack information: Specify how items are sold (e.g., "Case of 12 x 1lb bags," "Sold by the pound," "Each"). Clearly note if products are sold by catch weight or fixed weight.

3. Order form or price list

• Traditionally, line sheets included a physical order form section. However, this can be cumbersome and prone to errors.
• Alternative approach: Instead of a static form, direct buyers to your online ordering system. Platforms like Local Line allow you to create dynamic price lists and integrate them directly into your farm e-commerce storefront, enabling buyers to view real-time availability and place orders online easily. This eliminates manual data entry and reduces errors.

4. Wholesale terms and conditions

• Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): Specify the minimum order value or volume required for wholesale pricing or delivery. For help setting an effective MOQ, use our free minimum order value calculator.
• Lead time: How much notice do you need for orders?
• Return/credit policy: Outline your return policy for damaged or unsatisfactory products.

Examples of wholesale line sheets for food businesses and farms

Here is a real-world example of a wholesale line sheet for a farm selling produce online:

Sunset Acres Farm Wholesale Line Sheet

Farm Name
Sunset Acres Farm

Contact Information
Phone 555-123-4567
Email wholesale@localline.co
Website localline.co

Order Information

• Minimum order: $100
• Orders accepted by email or through our online portal
• Orders placed by Monday 5:00 PM delivered Thursday morning
• Free delivery within 50 km radius for orders over $200
• Payment Terms: Net 15 days from delivery date

Fresh Vegetables & Herbs

Seasonal Fruits

Additional Information

• All produce is organically grown, pesticide-free, and harvested fresh to order.
• Pricing is subject to change based on seasonal availability.
• Custom or bulk orders are available upon request. Please inquire about pricing and availability.

Ready to order or have questions?
Contact us at wholesale@localline.co or visit localline.co.

What to include in your line sheet for different markets

Not all wholesale buyers are the same. Consider customizing your wholesale line sheet template to suit each of the various target markets and potential customers you're targeting. For example:

• Restaurants and chefs: Often need smaller quantities, specific varieties, and frequent deliveries. Highlight unique ingredients, seasonal specials, and flexible pack sizes. Emphasize freshness and delivery schedule reliability. Read more about how to sell to restaurants.
• Grocery stores, supermarkets and retailers: Require consistent supply, standard case packs, potentially UPCs, and information relevant to retail margins. Focus on volume availability, shelf life, and clear SKUs. Read more about how to sell to grocery stores.
• Food Hubs and distributors: Need clear logistics information, volume breaks, potentially pallet information, and data compatible with their systems. Read more about how to sell to food hubs.
• Schools and educational institutions: Typically require bulk volumes, cost-effective options, consistent nutritional information, and compliance details (such as allergen labels or certifications). Clearly highlight product availability, ordering schedules, and delivery terms. Read more about how to sell food to schools.

Design tips for your wholesale line sheet

Whether creating a PDF or optimizing your online presence, consider these visual design tips for your line sheets:

• Layout and hierarchy: Use clear headings, logical flow, and ample white space. Make it easy to scan and find information quickly.
• Readability: Choose clean, legible fonts. Use font sizes and styles consistently.
• Branding: Incorporate your logo and brand colors tastefully, but prioritize clarity over excessive design.
• Images: Use high-resolution, well-lit photos that accurately represent your products. Keep image file sizes reasonable for PDFs.

Tools to use to create line sheets:

• Spreadsheet software: Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel can be used to organize data and pricing for line sheets, though this is less visually appealing for a final document.
• Graphic design software: Design tools like Canva, Adobe InDesign, or Adobe Photoshop can create visually appealing line sheets you can print and share.
• Digital line sheets: Use Local Line to create dynamic, integrated online price lists and ordering systems – the modern alternative to line sheets.

How to create a compelling wholesale presence with Local Line

Static PDF line sheets can quickly become outdated as prices fluctuate and availability changes with the seasons. Local Line offers a dynamic, integrated solution streamlining your wholesale process.

👉 Read more about how Ela Family Farms boosts wholesale efficiency for their fruit business with Local Line.

• Dynamic price lists: Create multiple price lists tailored to different customer types (e.g., restaurants, retailers, distributors) directly within Local Line. Update prices and availability in one place, and it reflects instantly for buyers accessing that list.
• Integrated e-commerce: Turn your price lists into an online ordering portal. Buyers can log in, see their specific pricing and current availability, and place orders 24/7 through your branded farm e-commerce storefront. This significantly reduces administrative work.
• Real-time inventory: Connect your inventory across multiple sales channels, including wholesale and direct-to-consumer. When an item sells through one channel, inventory automatically updates across all others, preventing overselling.
• Streamlined order management: Orders placed online generate automated confirmations and pick and pack lists, simplifying fulfillment.
• Discover: Local Line Discover allows you to seamlessly share inventory availability between other local suppliers, food hubs, and buyers, simplifying sourcing and selling aggregated products.
• Sourcing Networks: Local Line helps farms connect with larger buyers through sourcing networks, potentially opening doors to significant wholesale contracts (like connections facilitated with major buyers such as Chipotle).

Instead of emailing static PDFs, you can direct wholesale buyers to your Local Line storefront, where they always have access to the most current product information and pricing, and can place orders instantly.

Distribution strategies for your line sheet

Get your line sheet (or link to your online catalog) into the right hands:

• Online distribution:
  
  • Email potential and existing buyers directly (attach PDF or link to your Local Line store).
  • Make it downloadable from your farm website.
  • Leverage your Local Line storefront as the primary source of truth.
  • Promote your wholesale program through email marketing and social media (directing interested parties to sign up or request access).
• Offline distribution:
  
  • Bring printed copies (or have easy digital access on a tablet) to trade shows.
  • Share with potential buyers at farmers' markets.
  • Include in introductory packages for new wholesale inquiries.
  • Quick tip: add a QR code to your online storefront so buyers can browse and instantly order!

Creating wholesale line sheets is easy with Local Line

A well-crafted wholesale line sheet–or a dynamic online price list and ordering system–is indispensable for any farm or food business serious about wholesale growth. It professionalizes your interactions, clarifies your offerings, and streamlines the ordering process, saving time and reducing errors for you and your buyers.

Ready to ditch the hassle of constantly updating static PDFs and embrace a more efficient wholesale process? Local Line offers an all-in-one farm sales platform designed specifically for farmers. Build dynamic price lists, launch your branded private e-commerce storefront, manage inventory in real-time, and simplify order fulfillment.

Learn more about how Local Line can revolutionize wholesale operations for your farm