Jingle bells, Jingle bells Jingle all the way…Another year of Christmas is on the way! This also means that while lots of brands and retailers are busy with Christmas sales, they are also starting to think about their purchasing plans for the next year.
As the promo industry continues to consolidate, the one-stop-shop supplier model appears to be the future. So here’s the question.
How to find a Christmas products wholesale supplier in China?
First of all, we need to understand why I should look for suppliers in China.
China’s economy is in a period of high growth. Compared to elsewhere in the world, manufacturing in China is very low. Many Chinese companies handle the process of manufacturing right from determining requirements from the client for a product to shipping and logistics.
This presents a fantastic opportunity for you as a seller!
By sourcing your merchandise from China directly, you’re able to get extremely low unit prices and turn them around for a high profit in your country.
After understanding the reason for choosing Chinese suppliers, some people may come up with another question, how should I reliable China wholesale suppliers?
Many experienced sellers may tell you that the risk of finding a Chinese supplier or getting stuck with a poor-quality shipment is high. Whether you delve into an online B2B marketplace, an overseas supplier directory, or visit a trade show or wholesale market, you’ll need to watch out for a few bad apples. In the following post, we will discuss sourcing options and recommend the best way to find a dependable supplier for long-term relations. Let’s dive in!
1. Attend Trade Shows/Trade Fairs
This is certainly the first choice for most sellers. Especially as the COVID-19 outbreak begins to be brought under control, more and more of the shows we are familiar with are gradually recovering.
When you attend trade shows, you will be able to talk with potential suppliers face to face, which could help you better know their company values; products; capacity, and quality-control procedures. Direct interactions with potential suppliers will allow you to see their abilities up-close and personal.
The Canton Fair, China’s largest import/export convention is held twice a year and covers virtually every industry that makes physical products. You can attend for free but once you’re in, be prepared for what’s in store.
However, attending trade shows is not the best choice for all buyers. The drawback is you may be limited to a small pool of potential Chinese suppliers. Although many of them will not attend these trade shows, and therefore you may not get the best deal possible. You may be out of luck, too, if the product you’re sourcing is not covered at this domestic trade show.
Don’t worry, there is one you may be able to get to…
The Yiwu Market in Zhejiang is open all year round. It has over 40,000 shops and should bring your attention ONLY IF you want to source bags, shoes, textiles, watches, and accessories at low prices. Yiwu wholesalers work with factories in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. An advantage is that you can buy products off-the-shelf on the spot or have them shipped to your location in bulk.
At the Yiwu Market, you may bump into fake products. Any famous brand you see is likely a knock-off. Not to knock on Yiwu but it should have a place in your sourcing strategy only for equivalent products at low prices.
2. Search Suppliers on Chinese Wholesale Websites
There are two highly popular Chinese marketplaces we’d like to talk about Alibaba and Ali-express.
If you’re a beginner, Alibaba may not be an easy online marketplace to work with. Most of the listings are made by manufacturers, which means they usually have no website and can’t speak good English. In addition, almost all the orders have to be paid with a wire transfer rather than credit cards, and there is no guarantee you’ll get the correct products you want.
To avoid this from happening, we recommend you try AliExpress.On the other hand, it is a sister retail site of Alibaba but allows Chinese “stores” to sell the products to customers all over the world. You can take it as the Chinese version of Amazon, except everything has the lowest wholesale price, and packages take 2-3 weeks to be delivered to your door.
Besides these two popular options, there’s one more Chinese marketplace we’d like to touch base on: Made-in-China.com.
Made-in Chin.com was founded in 1998 and quickly became the leading comprehensive third-party B2B e-commerce platform in China. It’s dedicated to serving the global trade field while providing high-quality products and supplier information for global buyers.
Nowadays, Made-in-China.com is known as a world-leading B2B portal, specializing in bridging the gap between global buyers and quality Chinese suppliers.
3. Outsource to a Sourcing Agency
Sourcing Companies can be a hit or miss.
You could deal with a truly invaluable partner… or, you could deal with a shoddy middleman who only seems to offer higher unit prices.
Not to mention, this is not a regulated industry. Some large brands or retailers will rather set up their own sourcing agency in China. But this will also drive the high cost of purchasing. So more overseas buyers choose to hire third parties as agents.
Union source co.,ltd established in 2005. As one of the biggest general merchandise suppliers from NINGBO China. products Various from Houseware/Kitchenware/Garden items/Outdoor& Camping/Toys/Gifts/Party & Festival/Stationery/Hardware& Tool/Pet items/ DIY & Souvenir etc.
our team
Around 200 professional teamers, including sales department/ buying department/documents department/QC department/ Designer department/ HR department/IT department; More than 50000 direct factory resources, Most of them don’t have the export right and rely on our exporting, some factory we have shareholder, so always we could get competitive price; 11000m2 Showroom Both in NINGBO /YIWU /SHANTOU Operation Center; 50000m² SEPERATE warehouse for goods storage, third party inspection; container loading.
UNION SOURCE—MAKE GLOBAL SOURCING EASIER
4. Choose China Wholesale Suppliers based on your Business
Every business is unique and has individual requirements. Therefore, which kind of supplier is suitable also depends on your unique business models and the scales of each period.
We have divided the importers into the following five categories and will give you practical advice for each type of importer. Analyze your business model in-depth and then read the corresponding instruction:
A.The sellers of eBay, Wish (Multiple SKUs make them profitable)
B.The Amazon Sellers
C.Importers who specialize in importing special products, such as AUTO PARTS
D.Importers who prefer to develop a product based on their own ideas
E.Importers who have or plan on opening local supermarket chains
5. Verify Suppliers from China
This is the “risk” we keep mentioning in the previous points. But don’t feel panic, try using the following methods when you are not sure about a potential supplier’s real situation. You can easily identify something that doesn’t conform to the logic of the market.
Actually, most Chinese suppliers are now doing legitimate business. What you should focus on is whether they’re worth long-term cooperation.
A.Balance between quality and price
B.The expertise of the salesman
C.Efficiency of communication
D.Responsibility
E.Background of the supplier
6. Tactics to Deal with Your Long-term China Wholesale Suppliers
In business, you should always try your best to create favorable conditions for thriving your business. Here, we will share with you some tips drawn from the experience of dealing with suppliers for years.
Ask for better payment terms.No matter whether big or small importers, steady cash flow will definitely help your business grow fast. Especially for online businesses, such as Amazon, and Shopify.
Considering this, you can try to negotiate with your suppliers for longer payment terms, which can improve your cash flow.
It’s challenging to get their support in the beginning since trust has not yet been established between you. However, if you have reordered the same product more than three times, it will be a chance to strive for a longer payment term from your supplier.
Negotiate with the supplier when the exchange rate changes a lot. The exchange rate is dynamic data that changes in real time. Usually, it changes between 5%-10% in half a year or a year. You don’t have to worry if the fluctuations aren’t significant since suppliers do not adjust product prices for slight exchange rate variations.
But if the exchange rate goes down a lot and your goods are of high value, in this case, you can negotiate with the supplier to update the product price.
7. Consider Your Suppliers as Your Business Partners
There’s definitely an ‘art’ to negotiating with Chinese suppliers (and anyone, for that matter).
The key point is Always to be polite and professional and not over-negotiate.
When you looking for suppliers, your ultimate goal is not to find a supplier to do a one-time business with, but one with that you can build a long-lasting relationship.
You want to find a supplier who will go the extra mile for you once you’ve proven yourself to be a good client, but also someone you deem worthy of friendship.
Last but not least, don’t ever underestimate your industry network.
Your business contacts may be able to connect you to Chinese suppliers or know someone who can guide you along the way. Also, check with local trade bodies and Chambers of Commerce. It’s not just what you know, it’s also who you know.
It’s so easy to get started honestly. At least not without the right tools and know-how.
But it is insanely lucrative when you find a great supplier and get high-quality products at dirt cheap prices. Wholesale buying is easy, fun, and convenient. It can also help you grow your business.
Get started with your wholesale order!
