How to Find China Wholesale Suppliers for Esty?
Any experienced Esty seller will acknowledge that the risk of encountering dishonest Chinese suppliers or receiving low-quality shipments is significant.
Whether you explore online B2B marketplaces, supplier directories, or attend trade shows or wholesale markets, it’s crucial to be cautious of unreliable suppliers.
In this post, we discuss various sourcing options and recommend the most reliable approach to find China wholesale suppliers for long-term business relationships.
How can I Find an Etsy Store Supplier?
For Etsy store owners, one of the most essential and foundational tasks is finding suitable suppliers. In the age of the Internet, with an overwhelming amount of information, buyers often face too many choices and may feel uncertain about how to select the right one.
So, how can buyers quickly and accurately find suitable suppliers? Based on our many years of practical experience, we recommend the following effective methods:
1. Ask Colleagues
For general materials, seeking recommendations from colleagues can be very effective. These colleagues can be from the same industry or even different industries, as there is usually no direct competition involved. Engaging with the community and using social media to ask for help can also be very productive. The requirements for these materials are often straightforward, making it easier to get clear and precise recommendations, sometimes even down to the specific product code.
2. Supplier’s Supplier
When dealing with specific requirements, starting with direct suppliers can feel overwhelming, like searching for a needle in a haystack. There might be numerous suppliers in the industry, but only a few can meet your specific needs.
In such cases, contacting each supplier individually can be time-consuming, and the information provided over the phone might not always be reliable. Verbal assurances may not hold up upon further scrutiny. When procurement teams visit the site for a review, they may find the reality does not match the claims, which can lead to doubts about their professional competence from other departments and even higher management.
Therefore, it is often more efficient to ask your current suppliers for recommendations of their suppliers. This approach can streamline the process and connect you with more reliable and specialized sources.
Where to Find China Wholesale Suppliers for Your Esty Stores?
1. The Canton Fair
China hosts the largest import/export convention twice a year, covering a wide range of industries that produce physical products.
The fair is divided into three phases:
- Phase 1: Electronics, machinery, building materials, and chemical products.
- Phase 2: Consumer goods, home decor, and gifts.
- Phase 3: Textiles, recreational products, office supplies, shoes, medical devices, and health products.
Although entry is free, once inside, you need to be prepared for what lies ahead. Here are some important points to consider:
- – Sales representatives at the fair usually have basic business English skills, and some may be temporary hires and not official company employees. Thus, you might only get limited information about minimum order quantities (MOQs) and product details.
- – Interpreters are available for hire at the fair, typically costing around 400-500 RMB or $60-$75 per day. Fees may be higher for less common languages.
- – Suppliers showcase product samples at the fair, allowing you to assess the quality through hands-on inspection.
- – Be aware that lower prices often come with lower product quality. Unless you are willing to pay more than the advertised price, you might not get the desired level of quality.
- – After speaking with suppliers, they may ask for your business card to follow up after the fair. Some sellers are cautious about sharing their business cards with every vendor, as they fear their information could be sold to others. As a result, they may hand out fake cards to everyone except the suppliers they are genuinely interested in.
The Canton Fair is enormous, and you can find a list of exhibitors and booth locations on the trade show’s website beforehand to save time and energy.
Keep in mind that the same suppliers often participate each year, leading to a lack of novelty.
Moreover, don’t expect to see much innovation, as companies with newer designs or products might only be seeking distributors and not interested in OEM or private label manufacturing.
2. Yiwu Market
Please note that Yiwu wholesalers are trading companies, not manufacturers.
The Yiwu Market in Zhejiang operates year-round, boasting 40,000 shops, primarily catering to buyers from India, Africa, and the Middle East. The products found here might not adhere to regulations and safety standards required in the EU or USA.
If you are looking for bags, shoes, textiles, watches, and accessories at low prices, this market might be suitable for you.
However, for toys, cosmetics, or medical devices, you’ll need to explore other options.
In Yiwu Market, prices can vary widely, and the quality often correlates with the price. If your target market is diverse, and you sell through multiple channels or to other sellers, Yiwu Market could be considered as an option. Some sellers use it as a complementary supplier to fill their stores when needed.
Yiwu wholesalers work with factories in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. They offer off-the-shelf products for immediate purchase or can arrange bulk shipments to your location.
If the goods you require are not readily available, make sure to communicate your quality requirements clearly so that your supplier can place the order with a matching factory. Negotiating solely on price may lead the factory to use cheaper materials, resulting in compromised quality.
To simplify sourcing, you can hire a purchase manager. Yiwu agent services typically include picking you up from your hotel, taking you to meet wholesalers, negotiating prices and order terms, and coordinating procurement, including consolidating different orders for shipment.
However, agents are usually not responsible for reviewing quality control at factories.
Keep in mind that you may come across fake products in the market, particularly famous brands, which are likely knock-offs. While Yiwu can be part of your sourcing strategy for equivalent products at low prices, be cautious about counterfeit items.
3. B2B Marketplaces
You can initiate your search for Chinese suppliers online through popular B2B marketplaces such as Alibaba, Made in China, and Global Sources.
However, be cautious to avoid scams and unreliable suppliers:
– Some resellers may falsely advertise as manufacturers, which might not be an issue if you’re sourcing toys, clothing, accessories, or inexpensive electronics.
However, for products requiring specific technical requirements, you’ll need a genuine manufacturer. These websites rate their suppliers, but transparency isn’t always guaranteed.
For example, suppliers can become premium members on Alibaba by paying an annual fee, which grants them gold supplier status, increasing visibility on the site. However, this status doesn’t necessarily indicate ethical behavior or quality standards, so thorough vetting is still necessary.
– The process of contacting a supplier, requesting samples, and placing an order can be time-consuming, taking weeks rather than days to complete.
– Communication with suppliers on major B2B sites can be challenging due to language barriers, especially when explaining precise requirements via email or live chat.
– These marketplaces are heavily saturated, and many quality vendors may opt out due to the abundance of suppliers.
Other China supplier directories include DHGate, suitable for bulk purchases, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which lists fewer companies compared to other directories.
A Reminder:
– Trading companies may pose as suppliers on online directories, ranking higher in search results due to fees, regardless of buyer feedback and ratings.
– Finding reliable suppliers on B2B marketplaces can be daunting. Each supplier needs to be individually screened, ideally involving a factory visit.
– Beware of excessively low prices or MOQs, as they might indicate compromised product quality. Costs can change during production, so the initially massive price advantage is not guaranteed. If a supplier has never produced the advertised product, the quality might suffer.
– Compare the offer price to the market price or price floor of the product-offers 20%-30% below this price should raise concerns.
4. Sourcing Agents
A China sourcing agent is invaluable when you need products manufactured to precise technical specifications. Agents based in China can closely inspect quality controls at factories. After approving mass production, they can re-visit the factory to inspect raw materials and the initial product batches for quality.
Agents fluent in Mandarin can overcome communication barriers and ensure clear communication of your requirements to Chinese suppliers. Since Chinese suppliers are often cautious about sharing certain information, having a sourcing agent can ensure that both parties are on the same page before production begins.
When partnering with a sourcing agent, you gain comprehensive support throughout the sourcing process. If you aim to get things right from the start and establish long-term relationships with suppliers, engaging a sourcing agent is the recommended approach.
5. Google
Conducting a Google search for Chinese suppliers might seem like a logical first step for new Amazon sellers. Many Chinese suppliers have business websites and a presence on social media, often with generic names like “China Direct Supplier” or “China Wholesale Market.” Some of these suppliers may act as agents offering assistance in finding other suppliers.
As mentioned earlier, many of the English websites are of trading companies, not manufacturers. If you find a genuine manufacturer’s site, feel free to make inquiries. You might receive quick quotes, obtain samples without much delay, and even plan a visit to China for a factory tour.
Using specific keywords for products or locations (e.g., “Langfang furniture suppliers” or “Shenzhen electronics products”) can yield relevant supplier pages on directories and B2B websites.
6. Your Industry Network
Leveraging your business contacts may lead you to Chinese suppliers or individuals who can provide guidance along the way.
Additionally, check with local trade bodies and Chambers of Commerce. Networking can be just as crucial as knowledge in your search for suppliers.
7. Customs Data
Finding competing suppliers using customs data can be a valuable strategy to gain insights into the market and identify potential competitors.
some tools you can use:
- Panjiva
- ImportGenius
- Trade Data Monitor
- WorldTradeAnalyzer
- Global Trade Manager
Top 20+ Best China Wholesale Website List to Buy Wholesale From China
Esty Agent in China Conclusion:
Building a strong relationship with your supplier is essential for the success of your business. Overcoming language and culture barriers is easier when you have a sourcing agent.
However, you can also manage on your own if you are willing to travel to China occasionally and invest in the relationship.
Supplyia sourcing is a team of expert China Esty products sourcing agents that has been assisting Western customers in manufacturing and find China hand made wholesale suppliers from low-cost regions since 2013.
