Many of our users had inquired about how to do dropshipping with 1688. After answering and tutoring thousands of times, we realized that it is time to make contributions to dropshippers. So here it is, this guide is the integration of all our experiences. All dropshippers will be able to do dropshipping with 1688 after thoroughly reading this guide.
It has been over 10 years since the dropshipping industry come alive, and with more sellers getting in, retail prices keep going down. This can be great for consumers, while fewer and fewer dropshippers can earn a profit.
Realizing this situation, more dropshippers are trying to get their products from manufacturers instead of middlemen or platforms, to get lower prices.
If you are one of these dropshippers, this guide is just what you need. Make sure to bookmark this page and check up the information from time to time just like using a handbook. We are sure it will help you with finding your dropshipping supplier alternatives.
What Is 1688?
1688 is an e-commerce marketplace owned and run by Alibaba Group of Companies. Under Alibaba group, there are 4 marketplace platforms that is offering service to different customers.
1688.com is the platform for domestic wholesale trading in China, it is only in Chinese language, and all trading mode is designed for B2B business model between Chinese enterprises. Which means factories will pay rent to get an online booth on 1688.com, and retailers visit and buy in large bulk from here.
Alibaba.com is the platform for international wholesale trading, as it is in multiple languages, and most products has a limit on MoQ.
AliExpress may be the most similar site to dropshippers, as most of the dropshippers or ecommerce sellers purchase their products from here. It is in multiple languages and can do retail or dropshipping.
Taobao is the retail platform for Chinese domestic consumers.
As Alibaba.com and AliExpress are designed for international trade, more profit margin is set by suppliers to cover the store rent, store managers and international logistics. What may be even worse is that some of the suppliers on AliExpress may be middlemen, and they will add even more margins on top of the prices from the factory.
Why should I Do Dropshipping with 1688?
Just as previously narrated, ecommerce and dropshipping industry is developing so fast, that competitions are growing fiercely. With too many competitors getting into the market, the profit margins are becoming narrower.
So how to get the lead in the market? One possible way is to find better supplying price. 1688 is a great platform for finding supplying source, as you can directly contact owners of factories in China here, and get their lowest quotes.
You may worry if 1688 allows dropshipping business, but there is no need for that. Generally, 1688 is a platform for large bulk purchasing, however, with dropshipping becoming popular in China, MoQ on 1688 is getting much lower now.
Many dropshippers purchase their products from AliExpress, as it will save their time on order fulfillment. But some dropshippers would rather spend more time to get lower prices. For these sellers who are getting one step ahead of their competitors, 1688 is exactly the dropshipping source they need.
Actually, there are other ways to get the cheap products on 1688, and save time and money at the same time. We will talk about it later, be sure to keep on reading till the end!
How to Do Dropshipping with 1688?
For dropshippers who want to do dropshipping with 1688, the hardest part may be language barrier. But thanks to technology development, it is easy to browse most of the contents with Google translate. Make sure your pages are well translated, and you can understand what the contents are about. Ready? Now let’s get through the process of starting dropshipping on 1688.com step by step.
1. Register an Account on 1688.com
Before you start dropshipping business, registering an account is required to purchase any product on 1688.
Step 1. Click on the register button on the page top
Step 2. Select the Correct Mode
Make sure to switch to the Personal account, as an Enterprise account would require a business license in China.
Then click the agree button in orange color.
Step 3. Fill in the information required
Fill in the account name, password, confirm password, and phone number.
Make sure to select the correct country code of your phone number, the names of nations or regions may not be translated, but numbers are listed and can be recognized easily.
Then slide the confirmation slider and check the box for agreeing on their terms.
Step 4. Fill in the verification code received on your phone
When you fill in the codes, click the submit button in orange color, and it’s done!
Now you could sign in and start sourcing for your products.
Warm Reminder: If you still have confusions about registering on 1688, you can refer to our detailed guide on how to register a 1688 account.
2. Find Your Product on 1688
Now that you have an account, you can sign in and start sourcing your products. There are 2 ways to find the required dropshipping product from 1688:
No. 1 Keyword Searching
Just like searching in any other marketplaces, you may type in your keywords to find the product. 1688 will automatically translate your keywords and show you the results.
No. 2 Image Searching
Translation tools sometimes may get your keyword into incorrect meanings, as differences between languages make it difficult to transfer. If you have the pictures of product needed, it is better to search in 1688 with them.
Click on the camera icon on the searching bar to upload your image. Better choose pictures with no background and can clearly illustrate the product.
3. Import Products from 1688 to Your Store
For some dropshippers, they may prefer copy and pasting product details all by themselves. But most dropshippers would rather use tools and services to help them with importing products from 1688.
There are many tools available, like a Chrome Extension, the Sup Scraper.
Here is a brief tutorial for you to learn how to use it.
There are also other tools and apps to help you with importing products from 1688 to your store, while most of them will download the product data in a CSV file, and you can upload it to your store then.
Another way to get the product details into your store is through working with sourcing agents or platforms. For example, SupDropshipping could directly import 1688 product data to your store by the page link. This require nothing but a click, and greatly saves your time.
4. Purchase Products from 1688
a. Direct Purchase
When you receive an order in your store, you may purchase for your customer directly on 1688.com.
Check for the product imported to your store and purchase according to the specification and quantity.
If you have large bulk of orders in your store, you may go to the bulk purchasing page of 1688. You have to download the order information list from your store, and paste it to the template from 1688 to get the bulk purchasing done.
Make sure you switch it to the 3rd tab, for orders from other e-commerce platforms, and modify your order information list according to the template.
How to Pay For 1688 Orders?
Bear in mind that 1688.com is a wholesale marketplace for domestic B2B trading in China. So all prices and payments should be in CNY, and only payment methods between enterprises are accepted.
There are 2 payment methods available:
1. AliPay
Just as prviously stated, 1688.com is run by Alibaba group, so they would suggest using their own payment tool, Alipay. If you don’t have an AliPay account, you can register with your Visa or MasterCard. Here is a tutorial for how to register an Alipay account.
Once again, your payments have to be in CNY, so if you pay in other currencies, Alipay will exchange automatically for you. Be aware that the exchange rate will be relatively high, and there will be a transfer fee for international payment.
2. Bank Transfer
Bank transfer is another choice, however 1688 only accepts payments in RMB. In case of any accidents or problems, we suggest you use a bank account in China to process the payment.
Public transfer in the screenshot refers to B2B bank transfer in China. This is separated from individual transfering, especially in business process between enterprises. This option would require a registered company and bank account in China.
How SupDropshipping can be Helpful with dropshipping at 1688?
During the process of trying to work with 1688 for dropshipping, you may find many challenges at such circumstances:
Understanding the contents on 1688.com, which is Google translated from Chinese language
Finding a payment method legit with 1688
Communicating with the suppliers, as most of them only know very simple English, or even not knowing at all
Filling in the information each time when placing an order for your customers
Looking for international shipping method from China to the destination
Why not try to find a professional for assistance? SupDropshipping is just what you need to make the whole dropshipping process from 1688 much easier.
It is totally automatic on Supdropshipping to proceed the dropshipping process with 1688, and our experienced agents will also help you to source, import, and shipping your dropshipping products from 1688.com.
SupDropshipping will provide you with the following features and services:
Sourcing winning products for your dropshipping business at competitive prices. All products are from manufacturers or suppliers at 1688.
Connecting your online stores and automatically fulfill your store orders.
In charge of quality inspection on the dropshipping products each time before shipping.
POD service for a wide variety of dropshipping products.
Professional photography and video-making for your products as requested.
Branding and label customization.
Worldwide shipping and oversease warehouses storage.
Hopefully this post could help you find an alternative on dropshipping suppliers, to get rid of relying on individual product sources which may be expensive and slow in shipping.
If you have any other questions regarding the topic, please feel free to leave your comments, and we will be more than happy to respond to them shortly. You may also contact our customer assistants for any questions encountered.
About the Author
Jack Han
Jack is a SEO manager and blog writer at Sup Dropshipping. He holds an MA in Linguistics and Education. He has got over 10 years experience in E-commerce, and 5 years of experience in SEO. Jack is an enthusiast to share his recent knowledge learnt from peer experts in the industry.
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