Yes, anyone can buy from Alibaba.
Alibaba is a B2B( business-to-business) shopping portal that links overseas buyers to Chinese manufacturers, suppliers and sellers. Alibaba operates a number of businesses, and also obtains business ecosystem support from affiliated companies' businesses and services. The business and affiliated company's business includes: Taobao, Tmall, Juhuasuan, Global express, Alibaba International Trading Market ,1688, Ali Mother, Ali Cloud, Ant Financial Services Group, Rookie Network and so on.
Anyone whether an individual or a business, can buy from Alibaba.
Some people have the impression that Alibaba is a platform which is made only for wholesalers and big businesses. They wonder if as individuals, small business and entrepreneurs, whether they will be eligible for buying from Alibaba. In realilty, the good news is that although Alibaba is mainly used for bulk sales of wholesale products, individuals can still buy individual products if the supplier agrees. Most suppliers have Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) that very affordable to the average person, although naturally the larger quantity you buy, the lower the per unit price you will get on Alibaba.
Given the same products, Alibaba is cheaper than most e-commerce platforms.
Alibaba is wholesale oriented whereas most e-commerce platforms are retail oriented. In fact, many e-commerce platforms and B2C sellers obtain their goods wholesale from Alibaba, therefore buying from Alibaba is typically cheaper than other ecommerce platforms. This is why individuals and businesses all over the world source their goods from Alibaba, a gateway to Chinese manufacturers and the 'factory of the world'.
However, what do individuals need to pay attention to when buying from Alibaba?
If you want to buy from Alibaba, just go to the Alibaba website, after logging in, update your personal information and receiving address, select the goods you wish to buy, then wait for the goods after paying for the purchase. Take your time to discuss your purchasing needs with the suppliers you find on Alibaba and negotiate for the best price.
If buying for the first time, you can choose to buy samples first. In fact, many entrepreneurs tend to start off by buying product samples from multiple suppliers on Alibaba, and then having them consolidated and shipping together internationally to them via a China Shipping Agent like CNXtrans. This way, they can evaluate the different sample products from the various suppliers and decide which ones are the best and which ones they wish to purchase wholesale from in future.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of buying from Alibaba:
Advantages:
· Ability to design your own customized products
· Bulk wholesale products can be purchased directly from manufacturers
· Affordable prices
· Ability to customize product packaging
· Reduce manufacturing costs
· Wide range of manufacturers and suppliers to choose from
Disadvantages:
·Higher upfront cost
·The quality of the product may be different from the image displayed on the website
·High order amount may be required for heavily discounted prices
Need a China Shipping Agent to help you consolidate and ship internationally from China?
Comments