Line sheet: what to put on a wholesale line sheet, with a template

What is a line sheet?

A line sheet is a short wholesale catalog. It lists the products a brand sells to retailers, with the details a store buyer needs to decide and to order: what each item is, its code, what the store pays, and what the store should charge its own customers.

A line sheet differs from a lookbook. A lookbook sells the mood of a collection with styled photos. A line sheet is a working document: plain product photos, prices and terms. Buyers keep it open while they fill in an order, so clarity matters more than design.

In fashion, an apparel line sheet lists the sizes and colors for every style in a season. The same format works for any product sold wholesale: candles, skincare, ceramics, stationery, food. Some brands send it as a PDF, some as a spreadsheet, and some publish it on a wholesale marketplace where the product listings do the same job.

What goes on a wholesale line sheet

Every product line sheet needs the same core fields. The table lists each one and why a buyer looks for it.

Put the order terms on the first or last page, once, rather than on every row. Those are the order minimum, payment terms, shipping, lead time, returns and how to order.

SKUs and barcodes on a line sheet

A SKU is a code you make up yourself to track your own stock. Give every variant its own SKU: a candle in two sizes and three scents is six SKUs, not one. Keep the codes short and built from the same parts in the same order, for example product, then scent, then size.

A UPC is different. It is a GS1 barcode number, and GS1 US says each variation of each product you sell requires a unique barcode. Ask the stores you sell to whether they need barcodes, and if you have them, list them next to the SKU. GS1 US sells a single GTIN for $30, with no annual renewal fee.

Wholesale price and MSRP

The two prices on a line sheet are the wholesale price, which the store pays you, and the MSRP, the manufacturer's suggested retail price that the store charges shoppers. The gap between them is the store's margin, and the gap between the wholesale price and your cost is yours. Work back from your own costs before you settle on either price.

Example, with assumed numbers: a candle costs $6 to make. With an MSRP of $28 and a wholesale price of $14 (half the MSRP, an assumption for this example), you make $8 a unit and the store makes $14 a unit. If the wholesale price does not leave you a margin after packing and shipping, raise the MSRP or lower your costs. Cutting the store's share makes the line hard to sell.

Keep your prices consistent across every place you sell. If you are a US or Canada brand on Faire, its pricing policy says wholesale and MSRP pricing must be the same or lower on Faire as on other places you sell your products.

Order minimums and wholesale terms

Two kinds of minimum appear on a wholesale line sheet. An opening order minimum is a dollar amount for the whole order, which Faire describes as the smallest order a retailer can place. A minimum quantity is set per product: Faire defines it as the lowest number of a specific product that your retailer needs to add to their cart.

Both are your choice. On Faire, Order minimums aren’t required and minimum quantities are optional. A reorder minimum, for stores that have bought from you before, is usually lower than the first-order minimum. Set minimums high enough that an order covers your packing and shipping time, and low enough that a small shop can try the line.

Packs of several units need care on wholesale marketplaces. Faire lets brands sell by the case, but says items packaged together and billed as one unit are not permitted on Faire. On a line sheet, state a case pack as a number of single units, each with its own SKU and price.

• Opening order minimum: the smallest first order, in dollars.
• Reorder minimum: the smallest repeat order, often lower.
• Payment terms: paid up front, or within a set number of days after the invoice.
• Shipping: who pays, how it is charged, and any free-shipping threshold.
• Lead time: how many days from order to ship.
• Returns and damages: what you replace and how a store reports it.
• How to order: email, a form, a marketplace link, or a phone number.

Line sheet template you can copy

Copy this layout into a spreadsheet or a document. Fill in one row per variant. The rows are a labelled example for an imaginary candle brand, not real products or prices.

Under the table, add a terms block: opening order minimum, reorder minimum, payment terms, shipping, lead time, returns, and your contact details. Put the brand name, the season or date of the sheet, and a version number at the top, so a buyer knows which prices are current.

How to make a line sheet for wholesale

Have your product photos and cost per unit ready before you start.

1. Pick the products

   Choose the items you can make or restock in volume. A short line sheet of products that reliably ship is easier for a buyer than a long one with gaps.

2. Shoot plain photos

   Use one consistent photo per product on a plain background. Add a second photo only if a variant looks different.

3. Assign SKUs

   Give each variant its own code, built from the same parts in the same order. Add barcodes if you have them.

4. Set wholesale price and MSRP

   Work out your cost per unit, then set an MSRP and a wholesale price that leave you and the store a margin. Match the prices you use on every other channel.

5. Write the terms

   State the opening and reorder minimums, payment terms, shipping, lead time and returns in one block.

6. Turn it into an order form

   Add a blank quantity column and a line total, so a buyer can fill the sheet in and send it back as a wholesale order form.

7. Date it and send it

   Export a PDF for email and keep the spreadsheet as the master copy. Update the date and version every time prices change.

Line sheet as a wholesale order form

You can use the line sheet itself as the wholesale order form. Add three columns to the right of the template: quantity, line total, and notes. At the bottom, add the order total and fields for the store name, billing and shipping address, contact, and requested ship date.

A spreadsheet works best for this, because the line totals add up on their own and the buyer can check the order against your minimum before sending it. A wholesale price list template is the same table without photos or the order columns, which keeps a reorder short.

Line sheets and wholesale marketplaces

On a wholesale marketplace such as Faire, your product listings carry the same fields as a line sheet: photos, wholesale price, MSRP and minimums. For US and Canada brands, Faire charges 15% commission on marketplace orders, calculated on the order subtotal, plus a payment processing fee. Orders from stores you bring yourself through Faire Direct pay 0% commission.

You can keep a PDF line sheet as well, for stores that order by email and for trade shows. Use the same SKUs and prices in both, so an order is easy to match whichever way it comes in.

Where Nation fits

Questions about line sheets