CWI Gifts & Crafts is a USA Family-owned business, that has been working as a wholesale distributor of home dcor, seasonal items, floral arrangements, lighting, gifts and decorative products for over 40 years.
The Business
In 1981, the business began as a craft supply store in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. It was in the late 1990s that CWI decided to extend into the wholesale distribution and catalog selling and at the same time it got involved in the gift and home decor markets. Now it works from a 200,000-sq-ft wholesale warehouse based in Groveport, Ohio, and has more than 100 employees along with more than 100 vendors whose products are available for purchase.
The following kinds of goods are distributed by CWI:
* Country primitive and home dcor items
* Decorations for the seasons and for special occasions
* Garlands, wreaths, botanical accents, floral arrangements, and many others
* Candles, lights and related accessories
* Artisan gifts and craft goods
* Bundles and display packs
CWI is primarily directed towards retail stores, boutiques, gift shops and resellers that are in search of a wide variety of products designed for use in seasonal and decorative markets. It is required that each business buyer provide a business license or tax ID number upon registration, similar to any of the many suppliers listed in a wholesale directory USA.
ShopCWI.com
ShopCWI.com is an e-commerce website designed for the B2B market where registered business buyers can:
* Browse a massive online catalog.
* Enjoy wholesale case pricing, in addition to the option of multiple order quantities and prices that get more competitive per piece as the order quantity grows.
* Purchase in small quantities, usually requiring a minimum order of around $100.
* Shop year round for the trending seasonal decorations.
* Use promo codes such as CWI400 in order to claim additional discounts when making large purchases.
The business offers to qualified buyers drop-shipping services as well, which allows them to have goods delivered directly to their customers without having to carry inventory. The dropping shipping program requires the business to be verified and comply with a set of terms.
In addition, CWI also has open houses and trade show booths as well as cash & carry warehouses in order to enable its buyers to shop in person, select the items that they need, see the goods, touch them and so on.
Online Presence and Customer Feedback
Trustworthiness for CWI Gifts & Crafts according to external trust indexes appears to be moderate, as the domain has been around since 2003 but independent online reviews are scarce.
On the other hand, customer feedback is strong for the local part of the business; the average rating for CWI Gifts from dozens of online reviews found on Chamber of Commerce and other similar business directories places them with an average of about 4.4 stars out of 5 for various reasons ranging from customer service and staff assistance to variety and depth of selection in the items available.
These reviews do not focus specifically on e-commerce, though, since independent reviews on wholesale order fulfillment and e-commerce are hard to come by for CWI Gifts & Crafts. Given this limited number of independent reviews on the e-commerce aspect of their business, one must combine these existing signals with other, direct validation.
Customer Reviews: In-Person Purchases
The reviews on in-person purchases, mostly from both longtime customers and from clients buying goods from CWI’s warehouses have expressed the following feedback consistently:
* Vast variety of decorative and gifting items.
* Friendly and helpful staff.
* Deep inventory and competitive prices.
* Well-organized warehouse which is easily navigated by the customer.
This overall positive picture for the product and service experience can be misleading for the business side as independent reviews concerning wholesale order fulfillment and e-commerce are limited for this specific business and ShopCWI.com.
Our Opinion
CWI Gifts & Crafts (ShopCWI.com) is without a doubt a legitimate U.S. Wholesale supplier of decorative goods, artisan items and gifts that has a history in the business of over 40 years. This business clearly has a strong track record in the industry, its presence is physical and the reviews from its local clientele support the validity of its business practices.
Given the scarce amount of independent wholesale e-commerce reviews available, however, one should try to make some more specific inquiries and investigation into these factors in order to feel confident about ordering inventory in bulk from the business:
* Ask how much the minimum quantity required for an order is and learn the price breakdown tiers based on ordering more items.
* Check details about the shipping options offered, the returning policy and delivery timeframes.
* Request sample items so one can personally check the product quality.
* Try to obtain customer references or recommendations if possible from already existing buyers of CWI Gifts & Crafts.
This approach will assist to mitigate certain risks and help ensure a profitable ordering experience, especially if the items being purchased are trending seasonal or fad-driven. These factors often change faster in terms of popularity, than the more traditional and common kinds of products available from larger suppliers such as most Amazon wholesale suppliers.
About Suppliers Central
Suppliers Central is a global wholesale directory which specializes in helping buyers make informed decisions about the suppliers and products they choose. When you combine both the directory search tool with sample selection, along with direct inquiry, it is possible to reach a more objective perspective of how CWI Gifts compares to the other sellers on the market.
Final Thoughts
ShopCWI.com (CWI Gifts & Crafts) is a trusted and veteran U.S. Wholesale supplier, providing various gift and home decorative goods, seasonal items, artisan pieces to retailers and shops of all sizes, including dropshipping and cash & carry options as well as wholesale online purchasing.
While it is not possible to find an abundance of independent wholesale reviews for the online aspect of this business, its long presence on the market, physical establishment and positive local reviews are good indicators that it may be a valuable and reliable wholesale supplier, but still, it is advisable to confirm all terms and conditions prior to making bulk orders.
