Why did Oberlo shut down and which provider should dropshippers use instead?

Shopify's dropshipping order-fulfilment app, Oberlo, is due to cease operation on 15 June 2022. This comes as big news to dropshippers as it was one of the most well-known apps for connecting AliExpress as a supplier to a Shopify store.

Oberlo was delisted from the Shopify App Store on 12 May and dropshippers with an account have been asked to find an alternative.

Why did Oberlo shut down?

In Shopify's own words, their top priority is "doing what is in the best interest of merchants" and that they are "transitioned how we enable dropshipping to a more optimal solution." Oberlo has decided to focus solely on its dropshipping store-building platform and move away from providing an order fulfilment service.

Oberlo 'wasn't the most popular app'

Although Oberlo was the biggest name associated with Shopify plugins, it is said it wasn't the most popular. In the Shopify community, members mentioned other apps that had superior performance and features.

The main driver behind "sunsetting" Oberlo was likely due to the decreasing number of dropshippers using it. Shopify can now invest its resources in its main service offering rather than competing with advanced order fulfilment apps and providers.

dropshippingXL as an alternative

Now that Oberlo is disappearing for good, the question is which competitor to turn to. For a European-based reputable supplier with warehouses in four continents, dropshippingXL is a worthy contender.

dropshippingXL is a dropshipping programme from the Dutch home and garden retail giant, vidaXL. Dropshippers pay a monthly subscription to have access to over 90,000 products within various categories: home and garden furniture, pet care products, sporting goods, baby accessories, children's toys, and DIY and industrial supplies.

A platform to integrate with your ecommerce store

dropshippingXL offers integration plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, Lightspeed, and soon for Shopify. This means dropshippers can automatically import products from vidaXL to their ecommerce store, as well as real-time stock levels and price changes.

Short delivery times

A disadvantage of many dropshipping suppliers is the long wait for customers to receive their orders. Popular and overcrowded suppliers such as AliExpress and Alibaba are based in China, meaning customers buying from outside of East Asia often wait weeks for their products to arrive.

These long delivery times for customers can be a huge dealbreaker. Now that online shoppers are used to ultra-fast delivery from the likes of Amazon, waiting weeks for a product doesn't cut it anymore.

dropshippingXL has warehouses in the Netherlands, Poland, Australia, the US, and the UAE, so your customers receive their items with less fuss. Customer returns are also handled by dropshippingXL.

Quality products for better sales

The secret to successful dropshipping is to find a supplier with well-made and unique products that online customers won't be able to find easily elsewhere.

This can be challenging with the most popular dropshipping suppliers as they have intense competition for the same range of lower-quality products. By partnering with dropshippingXL however, dropshippers can access an ample selection of quality goods that are in demand and with fewer dropshipping competitors.

Customers purchasing vidaXL items can find stylish sofas, home decor, garden sets, toys, and sports equipment based on the latest trends.

How to join dropshippingXL

To access an intuitive dropshipping portal, APIs for store integration, easy order management, and an impressive product catalogue, dropshippingXL is a worthy choice.

Signing up is simple and doesn't require any prerequisites. Dropshippers can become part of the dropshippingXL programme for only €30 per month, which includes business and technical support 24/7, marketing resources, and a choice of selling in one of 30+ countries around the world.