Today, China is one of the countries in the world that sells more manufactured goods as compared to any other country. Hence, they are rightly called “the World’s Factory.” The whole economy of China is driven by the manufacturing sectors of the country.
The basic reason for the popularity of Chinese products is due to their low cost. Any business company that wants to be more competitive in the market will prefer to directly source from China.
However, language barriers and the different business culture make China product sourcing not easy for many foreign buyers. That is why the importance of sourcing agents arise, who can speak both English as well as the local Chinese language fluently.
One can therefore seek the services of a 1688 sourcing agent and conduct business with Chinese companies.
What is 1688.com?
Actually, 1688 sounds like "yāo liù baba", in a Chinese accent. Also, when the 88 is pronounced in the Chinese language then it sounds like baba in Alibaba.
In 1688, each number signifies something as follows:
Number 1 in Chinese would mean "want"
Number 6 in Chinese would mean successfully and smoothly
Number 8 in Chinese means getting rich
1688.com is another well-known brand of B2B e-commerce that belongs to the Alibaba Group. It is almost like Alibaba.com, from where you can find different products, suppliers, and factories.
However, the complete website of 1688 is written in the Chinese language, and hence this platform can serve China's domestic markets.
So, either you start learning Chinese to understand the content of this website or just click the right button and then choose the option "translate to English." Also, you can use a google chrome extension, where you can type "Google translate extension”.
Get familiar with the 1688 platform
1688.com platform has been actually created mainly for Chinese companies. The basic reason is, often Chinese wholesale suppliers have a certain prejudice against Europeans, Americans, and all other foreigners while offering quotes on Alibaba.
As a matter of fact, often you will find the same suppliers that are available on Alibaba, however, 1688.com will offer different prices for foreign companies. Here you can take the help of a 1688 sourcing agent to get the lowest price.
Therefore, while negotiating prices with any Chinese supplier, you can get the quote from your own email or through the email of your sourcing agent in China.
If you notice that both prices are similar, then it is fine, however, if you find any difference then you have a scope for negotiation.
Pros of 1688:
Full category of Chinese products
The best way of finding real manufacturers in China
The lowest price for your products
Cons of 1688:
Language barrier
Payment security
Difficult to return
How can you buy from 1688 when you wish to perform direct wholesale purchases for delivery to your country? In fact, you can apply for a 1688 sourcing agent service, which will assist you in finding and paying suppliers on 1688 as well as assisting in shipping items via international express service from China to your country.
Finding a 1688 agent is thus your first step to finding the following details:
Product, colour, size, and quantity
The budget pricing
Samples
Quality control details
Payment terms
Commission.
Following that, the agent can assist you in locating and negotiating with the supplier on 1688 to obtain feedback on the goods and supplier so that you can decide to purchase. You can then make payment for the order as well as the cost of shipping.
Although the process is straightforward, it is crucial to ask questions and develop a rapport with the 1688 agent in order to minimise any risks associated with purchasing from 1688.com.
Now, you have got 3 options for buying from 1688.
1. Directly contact the supplier on 1688.com
Pros of this option:
You can bypass any middleman and directly buy from China factories.
Since most sellers here sell only to China domestic buyers hence the price offered will be lower than Alibaba.
Cons of this option:
Most suppliers cannot speak English
Many suppliers in this platform have no PayPal account.
Their bank cards can only accept RMB.
You need to find a certain alternate payment method that is acceptable to your supplier.
2. Buy through a shopping proxy website
Pros of this option:
The procedure is much simple and easy, and the shopping experience is also great.
The whole process is similar to shopping on AliExpress.
They can offer PayPal and credit card payment options.
Cons:
They will not provide product sourcing service.
Will not help you to check your quantity and quality.
You need to find your products and suppliers all by yourself
Their shipping method is meant for small orders only, and will not offer shipping options like air/rail/LCL/ocean for your bulk orders.
3. Hire a 1688 purchasing agent
Pros:
You will get more services such as product sourcing, finding manufacturers, getting samples, quality control, customs clearance, also more shipping methods, etc.
Their service will be one-to-one; hence you can get quick and personalized service.
Many of them are quite fluent in foreign languages, so you can easily communicate with them.
Cons:
They may prefer big customers and big orders.
For small orders, they will charge a relative high commission.
With the development of e-commerce and online trading, Alibaba is working extremely hard to grow its company. For local Chinese manufacturers and businesses, 1688.com is one of the most reputable and well-known B2B e-commerce platforms where you may locate items and suppliers through a trustworthy 1688 sourcing agent.
The majority of the manufacturers and direct suppliers available on 1688.com are similar to Alibaba. 1688 allows you to search for items, factories, and suppliers all in one place. The wholesale and retail pricing offered by these providers is the most reasonable in China.
Alibaba is the first company that comes to mind when business owners consider sourcing from China. The majority of Chinese manufacturers and business owners maintain an active presence on 1688, a comprehensive Chinese website, to provide their goods in large quantities around the globe.
1688.com is a significantly better website for bulk sourcing than Alibaba.com. The reason is that they have trustworthy agents and offer costs that are already reasonable and inexpensive and frequently flexible.
The only issue you occasionally run into during negotiations with clients is a communication gap because the majority of suppliers do not speak English well.
Unlike Alibaba, which was created with a worldwide audience in mind and where nearly all suppliers can speak English, 1688 doesn't. However, this problem can be solved by working with a seasoned 1688 sourcing agent.
What are the services available from sourcing agents of 1688?
Let us discuss in brief the services that are offered by sourcing agents of this 1688 site.
1. Primary service
They assist customers like you in making purchases from 1688.com. Their main priority is providing a good, dependable service at a fair price.
They provide you with a unique service bundle that covers every aspect of your needs, from product inspection to warehouse storage to order consolidation, repackaging, and international shipment. All of these services are provided for a very low price.
2. Company sourcing
When it comes to supply-chain management, businesspeople typically contact many producers of the same product for maintaining their internal quality system.
Three reliable factories in China that are making the mentioned product are offered to you by a 1688 buying agent. They are the best asset for the success of your company because of their unwavering dedication.
3. Sample for goods
When it comes to paying for huge orders, do you have trust issues? By examining their product samples before making a big purchase, you can significantly reduce the risk rate.
The main goal of 1688 agent is to assist customers in obtaining product samples from multiple suppliers, have them transported to their warehouse so you can inspect your samples, and bundle them in one package. They deliver it to your address after that.
4. Factory visit
To help you save your valuable time, travel fees, and other charges, they visit the manufacturer you have selected in China on your behalf for evaluating their products.
To ensure that the products are manufactured in accordance with high standards, they inspect the facility, confirm the licence, and monitor production.
5. Amazon merchant FBA assistance
They will quickly transport your products to your warehouse if you let them know the specifications.
They support Amazon sellers with FBA, which includes:
Product sourcing Service
Prep service
Quality inspection
Brand labelling
Additionally, they provide services for FBA bundle packaging and shipment to FBA warehouses. You will find it simple to buy from 1688.com and sell goods on Amazon.
6. Customized products
They encourage you to accomplish your specialised order successfully. Their team collaborates closely with the manufacturer on this to guarantee that the final product you receive will live up to your expectations.
You can use the sourcing agent service at 1688.com before moving forward with any demand for a certain order. For you, they will obtain samples so you may stay informed about your finished product.
So, if you are interested to be successful in your business, get in touch with any sourcing agents for 1688 and source your products from China.