Buyer's guide
Opening a trade account: what we ask for and why
Two minutes, no documents, usually approved within a working day - and here is exactly what happens in between.
Why prices are behind a login
Trade prices are for trade. Showing them to the public would show them to your customers, and to the brands, who would rather their products weren't advertised at wholesale prices at all. So the catalogue is open — every product, picture and barcode — and the prices appear once we know you're a business. It also keeps the price the same for everyone: there's no quoting one number to one shop and another to the next.
Who can open an account
Any UK business that resells or uses the stock in trade: shops and perfumeries, pharmacies, salons and barbers, market and event traders, gift shops, online sellers with their own site or a marketplace store. Sole traders are welcome — you don't need a limited company or a VAT number, though if you have them they help. What we're checking is simply that you're a business and not a member of the public looking for a discount.
What the form asks for, and why
- Business or trading name, and the type of business — who we're invoicing.
- How you sell — shop, pharmacy, salon, market, online — so we know what you're likely to want and can suggest lines.
- A website or shop link, if you have one. Optional, but it's the quickest way for us to say yes.
- Company and VAT numbers, if you have them. Optional.
- Your name, email and phone. The email becomes your login and is where the order confirmations go.
- Invoice address, and a delivery address if it's different.
- A password, so you can log in straight away.
Nothing to upload, no bank references, no credit check for pay-in-advance accounts.
What happens next
- You get an email confirming we've received it.
- We review it, usually within one working day. If your website or shop link makes it obvious, it's quick; if we can't tell, we may email you a question.
- You get an email saying you're approved. Log in and the trade prices are on every product. If we can't approve an application we'll say so, and you're welcome to reply with more detail.
What you can do with the account
- See trade prices and live stock on every product.
- Add lines to a basket and confirm an order — no minimum.
- See every order you've placed and its status: received, confirmed, dispatched, with the tracking number once it's on its way.
- Reset your own password.
What we do with your details
We use them to run your account and your orders, and for nothing else. No marketing lists, no selling your details on, no cookies beyond the one that keeps you logged in. The full privacy policy is short and says the same thing at more length, and the trade terms set out how a sale works.
Apply
It takes two minutes: the application form is here. If you'd rather talk first, sales@sterlingtradinggroup.com.
Ready to see trade prices?
Apply for a trade account — two minutes, no documents — and every price on the site appears once you're approved, usually within one working day.
Published 24 September 2026. This guide describes how Sterling Trading Group works and our understanding of the UK trade; it is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Other guides
- How fragrance wholesale works for independent UK retailersWho sells fragrance wholesale in the UK, why an independent wholesaler can supply a small shop when the brand won't, what the stock is, and how an order works from application to delivery.
- Minimum orders, trade prices and margins: what to expectWhether there is a minimum order, what a trade price means ex VAT, a worked margin on a bottle, what sells for an independent, and what delivery and payment look like.
- Genuine or grey market? How to check the fragrance you're buyingThe difference between parallel stock, decoded or diverted stock and counterfeits, and four checks - batch code, price, seller, packaging - before you buy fragrance wholesale.