C8 Wholesale Guide
Wholesale, made simple.
What wholesale actually means, whether it applies to you, and how to stock up without overbuying. Written for salon owners, techs, students and resellers.
What wholesale actually means
Wholesale is a supplier selling in bulk to another business, which then resells to consumers or to other businesses. The word gets used loosely, so here is the line that actually matters.
Retail
Most C8 customers
- Buying for your own salon, your clients, or yourself
- No cosmetology license, no permit, no paperwork
- No minimum order
- Standard per unit pricing
- Open to everyone
Wholesale
Businesses buying to resell
- Buying in quantity with intent to resell
- Requires a valid seller's permit from your state
- And a resale certificate on file with your supplier
- Lower cost per unit, quoted on your list
- Case, pallet and truckload quantities
The permit and the certificate are two different things, and people mix them up constantly. The permit is your registration with the state, and it has a number. The certificate is the document you hand your supplier, quoting that number and declaring what you are buying for resale. You need the permit first, then you furnish a certificate to each supplier you buy from tax free.
Wholesale buying also runs on a different clock than retail. Each order is the result of inventory cycles, budget approval and seasonal forecasting, which is why it is quoted rather than added to a cart.
Who qualifies for wholesale pricing
Three things, all of them required
- A seller's permit issued by your state
- Genuine intent to resell the products, as a supply distributor, a nail school store or a retail shop
- Capacity to order in bulk, by the case, pallet or large quantity
Buying for your own salon
Retail is open to everyone, so there is nothing to apply for. No permit, no license, no paperwork. Walk in and buy at shelf price like anyone else.
How sales tax applies to supplies you use on clients is a separate question from buying for resale, and the answer turns on details worth getting right rather than guessing at. Call 714-868-7088 and ask for a manager.
Buying to resell to others
That is wholesale, and a seller's permit is required. In California the permit comes from the CDTFA and there is no charge to register for one.
Once you have the number, send us your resale certificate and we take it from there.
A note on where the permit comes from. California seller's permits are issued by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the CDTFA, and you can register online at no cost. If you are outside California, your state's revenue or taxation department issues the equivalent. Once you have the number, you can send us your resale certificate directly from the wholesale page, or upload a completed CDTFA-230 there instead.
Send the certificate before you order, not after. Sales tax comes off only when a valid certificate is already on file, and tax charged on a completed order cannot be removed afterwards. It is the single most common thing people get backwards.
What we sell in bulk
Bulk and pallet deals are built for salons that go through high volumes of consumables. Everything below is available by the case or the pallet.
Buying well, from people who watch it every day
Stock the staples in bulk
Base coats, top coats, files and pedicure kits move every week and never go out of style. Cases save money and stop you running out mid-client.
Buy trends in smaller runs
Seasonal shades are better bought in amounts you can rotate as the trend shifts, rather than a wall you are still working through in March.
Order busy seasons three weeks early
Valentine's pinks, summer brights, holiday reds. The gap between wanting them and having them is where the stockout happens.
Think in matching systems
Complete systems, DND duos, iGel trios, Kiara Sky sets, give you cohesive looks on the shelf and a natural upsell at the table.
Build the supplier relationship
Consistent stock, fast shipping and someone who knows the products. Call and ask. That is what the team is there for.
The brands salons ask for
Shipping is $8 from $150 and free over $200. The team speaks English, Tiếng Việt and Español, so you can order in the language you actually do business in.
Ready to stock your salon?
Browse the catalog and the pallet deals with no license required. For wholesale pricing, or to send us your resale certificate, start on the wholesale page.
714-868-7088Call and a person answers. Open 7 days, 9:00am to 7:00pm, excluding holidays.