This comprehensive guide will explain 1688 dropshipping. This FAQ article will help you understand the best dropshipping alternative to AliExpress.
Dropshippers around the globe will find this guide a relief as the dropshipping market is becoming more competitive.
Dropshipping products directly from 1688.com is a great alternative to traditional methods.
You should read the entire article to ensure you do not miss any crucial information for dropshipping.
Let’s get started. As you continue reading, all details will be provided to help answer any questions that may arise.
What is 1688.com?
1688.com is an online marketplace that is owned and operated by Alibaba Group of Companies. It is the most popular online marketplace for online shopping.
It might be a mystery why another online shopping site is available in addition to AliExpress and Alibaba. Alibaba is actually a parent company that owns several other online shopping websites, including AliExpress 1688 or Taobao.
Alibaba Group owns several online websites that have key differences, including language and business models. Dropshippers who don’t know Chinese at all rely on AliExpress to dropship.
Sites such as Taobao and 1688 are primarily in Chinese. Another reason 1688 is different from AliExpress are the language barriers of Chinese suppliers.
Suppliers who don’t speak English are still available in Taobao 1688 and Taobao 1688. Let’s take a closer look at 1688.
You will see this result if you search Google for “1688”.
Although you might be afraid of the outcome and may consider leaving this site to explore all the options, we recommend that you remain calm and continue reading this article.
1688.com will solve any problem you may face, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article.
It is easy to see that 1688 products are nearly identical to AliExpress’s. 1688’s website theme, options and overall look are more similar to AliExpress and Alibaba.
1688 Dropshipping: What is it?
1688 Dropshipping allows you to source products directly from 1688.com. You would need to change the product sourcing to 1688, just like AliExpress dropships products. This is how 1688 dropshipping works.
Dropshipping is becoming more competitive than ever and margins are being squeezed every day. This makes it imperative to look at other options for dropshipping products.
Dropshipping is possible with the help of a variety of suppliers, factory owners, wholesalers, and distributors at 1688.
Dropshipping with 1688 is possible if you communicate well with the product sourcing representatives listed on this site.
To ensure smooth dropshipping with 1688, you must know how to locate the best product and the best supplier.
Dropshipping with 1688 works almost exactly the same way as AliExpress dropshipping.
Fun Fact: AliExpress is becoming more popular worldwide and it has become harder to sell AliExpress products to people who already know about AliExpress.
You can outperform your competition by sourcing products starting at 1688
As we move to the next sections, these special methods will be discussed.
How do I dropship with 1688
Dropshipping is simple with 1688 Dropshippers won’t have any issues using 1688 as their sourcing site. It may not be easy for everyone but we will help you follow the steps to success.
We’ll walk you step-by-step through dropshipping via 1688. If you carefully read the steps, you’ll be able to get started quickly if you adhere to them.
1. Create an account on 1688.com
Dropshipping with 1688 is possible by registering an account, just as AliExpress.
Do not be afraid to use the Chinese language. Google Translate is a technology that allows you to see what the website is asking you.
We have provided the information you will need to fill out when you apply for an account at 1688. When creating an account at 1688, you will need to enter the following information:
- Username
- Register Password
- Confirmation of Password
- Your phone number
Once you have completed the above information, click the checkbox to confirm, then slide the security confirmation slider towards the right, and finally, click the box at end.
2.Product Research on 1688
Search 1688.com for products that you wish to dropship. You have many options for product research at 1688.
Below are three of the most popular and easiest ways to research products.
- Google Translate allows you to translate keywords into English.
- You can hire a freelancer to conduct product research in Chinese.
- Use image search to locate products you’ve seen elsewhere.
Fun Fact: Dropshippers who are smart and organized have all the products they need. They just search 1688 for a lower price so that their profits and revenues can increase.
3.Add Product Details to Your Store Starting at 1688
Although you can manually add product information to your store, there are smarter ways.
Google extensions can be used to import details about products. 1688 Data Scraper is one such extension.
With the help of extensions such as these, you can import details from selected products into a CSV file.
You can also import product details using apps. Shopify offers an importify app.
This article will discuss the details of using 1688 with Shopify.
4. Adjusting prices with your Margins
Dropshippers can adjust prices and margins easily. You may need to use manual entries, 1688, to adjust prices and margins in AliExpress.
5. Placing an Order at 1688
You can place an order on 1688 directly from product and supplier research. You can place your order for a product directly on 1688, just as other e-commerce sites.
You can communicate easily with suppliers if you’ve already done your product research, supplier selection, and bulk order management.
These are acceptable practices for order placing at 1688.
- Order direct
- CSV file
- Google Sheet
- Excel sheet
This guide will discuss more details regarding placing an order for 1688.
Fun fact: Talk to your suppliers at 1688 to discuss cross-border destinations and shipping methods. A 1688 supplier or agent provides local shipping services in China.
It is important to clearly mention to 1688 that your dropshipper is interested in international shipping.
What products can be purchased starting at 1688.Com
AliExpress 1688 has almost all the items you could need. This website is primarily a supplier/wholesaler site. You can find the most popular and trendy items at lower prices.
The categories can be found on the left side of the website, just as you will find them on AliExpress.
You can buy anything starting at 1688, from fashion and industrial items to the most recent accessories and exciting gadgets.
Fun fact: You shouldn’t buy heavier products starting at 1688, as shipping costs for heavier products will increase your overall product price by a lot.
How do I search for an item at 1688?
It is easy to search for an item at 1688. Search for a product in 1688 using the search bar. You will see tons of results.
Dropshippers and buyers are often afraid of the Chinese language. Google Translate can be used to translate the keywords into English.
Google Chrome automatically converts websites opened in Google Chrome to English in other languages. You can click Translate to English if the website does not speak English.
Try using simpler keywords when searching for an item on this website. Click on the item you are interested in to see more options.
Dropshipping buzzwords can be used to search for different products.
To get a better idea of the products you are interested in dropshipping, you could try typing words like “portable”, solar”, foldable, and “multipurpose” in the search bar.
Be careful when calculating shipping costs at 1688, including international and domestic shipping charges. Remember to add shipping costs to your prices.
How can I find the hot sales at 1688.com
Filters are useful if you only want to see which products are selling well at 1688. Simply type the keyword in the search bar, and sort the results by sales.
The website also offers “Popular recommendations”, which features the most popular and current products.
To explore products in a particular category, you can also select any category from our category list.
A great way to find hot products in your niche at 1688 is to enter the name of the niche in the search bar.
If you’re in an outdoor niche, for example, you can simply type “outdoor” into the search bar. The search results will then be sorted by “sales”. The results will show you the top-selling products in the outdoor niche.
You might not want to search for the most popular items on 1688, but you can search the products on 1688 by importing the products from AliExpress.
It is possible to search for the product using images on AliExpress.
Be careful: Before scaling up your products, make sure to communicate with suppliers. Do not rely solely on product stock information on their websites.
Products sell quickly on 1688, and some products might be out of stock before you even start to prepare orders.
How do I place an order on 1688
It is easy to place an order on 1688. It is easy to place an order at 1688, just as you can on AliExpress.
Before placing an order, it is a good idea to speak with the manufacturers or suppliers at 1688. It is important to compare the total cost of the product and add the shipping fees.
You would be able to easily place an order in this case because you already have a relationship with the manufacturer.
Talk to the suppliers at 1688 about product availability, product quality and shipping times. Also, get information about any shipping delays.
While it is a smart idea to hire a virtual assistant who can communicate in Chinese with your suppliers, it would be costly if you were to place a lot of orders per day.
As we have already mentioned, you can also share your order details with suppliers via 1688 via Google Sheet and Excel sheets.
Fun fact: It is smart to hire NicheDropshipping’s dedicated agents to source products from 1688 sites.
Shopify – How to Dropship Starting at 1688
Dropshipping via Shopify has become a very popular method of e-commerce. There are differences between Dropshipping from AliExpress (1688 on Shopify), but there are also many similarities.
You will need a Shopify website, some helpful applications, and some manual entries to use 1688 as your source site with Shopify.
Dropshipping is possible with AliExpress and Shopify, but it is also possible to use Shopify with 1688.
If you are looking for a full-time service such as NicheDropshipping to source your sourcing agents, then “CJDropshipping”, the Shopify app that will do it best, is the best.
You can also use “Importify”, another Shopify app, to import product details into your Shopify store.
You can reduce your workload with apps like Importify or Easy Boost. These apps offer many benefits, which are listed below.
- Translated details for product import
- Assistance with product customization and tags
- Assistance with product import reviews
- Fulfillment services
Shopify 1688 allows you to make manual entries in addition to using apps.
Dropshippers: Why is sourcing from 1688.Com a good choice?
Dropshippers are a growing industry in e-commerce. This makes it imperative to source from other sites than AliExpress.
1688.com is a great choice for dropshippers. Below are some of these reasons.
- Incredibly lower prices on 1688 than other sites.
- Direct access to factory owners or wholesalers
- AliExpress allows you to know the launch date of your product before it becomes available.
- Because of low awareness and language barriers, there is less competition for 1688.
Fun fact: AliExpress is now the largest ecommerce website in the world. Most shoppers log into AliExpress to verify the price of their favourite items.
Dropshippers sell products at margins that are higher than AliExpress’s prices, so they lose customers.
1688 allows you to offer the same products at lower prices and still maintain your margins. Online earnings would be higher if you have higher margins.
How do you select reliable 1688 suppliers for dropshipping?
It is nearly the same process as on other ecommerce sites to locate reliable 1688 suppliers.
Dropshipping requires that you know a few things about a supplier. Below are the most important.
- Improved communication and collaboration
- Faster response times
- An impressive number of years were served
- Competitive prices
- Bulk Orders Discounts
- Answering your queries
- An impressive number of orders
- Customers give positive feedback
You will only choose the supplier with the highest number of the above criteria.
You may find reliable suppliers by using additional criteria like 1688. These are:
- Low percentage returns are acceptable.
- It is expected that there will be a lot of buyers within the next 90 days.
- It is important to have a detailed cargo description and a prompt shipping response.
How can I find the best 1688 sourcing agents?
You can choose to rely on sourcing agents if you don’t want the hassle of searching for everything yourself with sites like 1688.
A sourcing agent would have to obtain the products you choose from Chinese suppliers at the same price or lower.
This allows you to automate dropshipping with the best product-sourcing services.
You should look for sourcing agents that offer the following.
- You are comfortable communicating in Chinese and your native language.
- You can find products on websites like Taobao and 1688.
- Arrange the same product of equal quality at lower prices.
- You can negotiate with Chinese suppliers to ensure smooth business operations.
Dropshippers are often short on time, so choosing the right agent to source their products would be a great idea to ensure a smooth and enjoyable dropshipping experience.
NicheDropshipping fulfillment services are the best choice in this instance. We will discuss these services separately in this article.
How do I contact 1688 suppliers for dropshipping?
You have many options to reach 1688 suppliers. If you don’t speak Chinese, it is more likely that you will have difficulties communicating with 1688 suppliers.
Dropshipping can be a serious business so it is important to communicate with suppliers.
For better communication with suppliers at 1688, follow the guidelines below.
Keep the conversation simple. Ask the supplier to speak English while you are using the “contact the merchant” option. Google Translate is a good option if they don’t speak English.
Try to keep the conversation short and sweet, even if the supplier speaks English.
Fun fact: Chinese suppliers don’t care if you use wrong grammar when communicating with them.
You can also ask a freelancer to handle the communication or ask a sourcing agency or fulfillment company.
How do I pay 1688 suppliers for dropshipping or wholesale?
The process of paying suppliers at 1688 differs slightly from AliExpress. 1688 offers three payment options to pay wholesale or dropship orders, in addition to AliExpress’s credit card processing.
These are the methods:
1.AliPay
AliPay is the most popular and easiest way to pay suppliers. AliPay allows you to make payments using your credit cards, MasterCards, and other payment methods.
2. Bank Transfer
Bank transfer can be a tricky part. Bank transfer accepts only RMB payments. This option is best for local Chinese shoppers as 1688 is intended primarily for Chinese local shopping.
3.1688 Buy Funds
This option is for 1688 customers. For regular shopping, they can use the 1688 purchase funds.
Fun fact: You have the option to send payments at 1688 to suppliers via WeChat if you have built enough trust with suppliers for bulk orders.
Is it reliable to buy at 1688.com
1688 is a subsidiary company of Alibaba Group. It is one of the most trusted ecommerce sites in China. You can shop at 1688.com with complete confidence.
Alibaba plans to capture the international online shopping market, aiming to surpass ecom giants such as Amazon and eBay. It takes care of its customers, and has established processes to ensure that payments are secure and deliveries are made as promised.
What can I do if I am not in China to buy from 1688.com?
You can only buy from 1688 by contacting 1688 suppliers. Suppliers are willing to ship products internationally for a nominal fee if you speak to them.
Dropshipping from China is mainly done by people outside China, while 1688 is the Chinese ecommerce website for local residents.
It is also fully in Chinese and has very low rates. RMB is the accepted currency. Shipping options are only available to Chinese destinations.
Talking to 1688 suppliers is all it takes to make sure the products are shipped outside China.
What are 1688 Dropshipping Reviews and Why Are They Important?
The number of people who use the product or service is a key factor in determining the quality of reviews. Dropshipping via 1688 remains an unexplored option. Dropshippers who have tried 1688 to source products are very satisfied.
Dropshippers must be profitable if they want to succeed in their business.
Dropshippers love 1688 because it offers high margins. This site is a great place to start your e-commerce empire.
Is AliExpress 1688 cheaper than 1688?
Yes. 1688 is intended to host both wholesalers and direct manufacturers. Factory owners will offer lower rates than distributors and middlemen.
AliExpress has a large number of 3rd-party agents. They source products directly from the manufacturers and then list them on AliExpress, increasing their margins.
This makes the product’s prices more expensive than those offered by 1688.
Are Alibaba and 1688 the same thing?
Alibaba may not be the same as 1688. Alibaba can be referred to as the parent company, and 1688 as its subsidiary. Below are the main differences between Alibaba (1688) and 1688.
- Alibaba is more popular than 1688.
- Alibaba is an international ecommerce platform, while 1688 is primarily an online Chinese marketplace.
- Alibaba can be accessed in many languages, including English. 1688 however is only available in Chinese.
- Alibaba is more of an B2B model. Alibaba requires you to enter a minimum order quantity (MOQ), but this is optional at 1688.
- You can order international shipping starting at 1688 by speaking to the suppliers personally, even though it is already known at Alibaba.
- Alibaba offers multiple payment gateways, while 1688 only offers limited payment options.
Is 1688 the same as Taobao or 1688?
There are a few similarities between Taobao and 1688. These sites are intended for the Chinese market and both are run in Chinese.
Below are the differences between these websites:
- Taobao only accepts Alipay payments, as opposed to the three methods of payment at 1688.
- Taobao is for final customers. 1688 targets smaller and medium-sized businesses as well as wholesalers.
- Taobao is a more popular and well-known platform than 1688.
How can NicheDropshipping be helpful with 1688?
Dropshipping 1688 is easy if you know how to do it quickly. NicheDropshipping can help you avoid all the hassles of sourcing products starting at 1688.
NicheDropshipping makes it easy for dropshippers to use dropshipping agents. This goes far beyond just sourcing products starting at 1688.
Dropshipping in 1688 is a way to get lower prices for the same product with lower shipping costs.
NicheDropshipping is a trusted platform that allows you to trust our agents to find lower-priced products and begin dropshipping right away from China.
All you have to do is provide details about the products that you wish to sell. Our agents will search multiple platforms to find the best products at the lowest prices.
NicheDropshipping offers the following privileges and perks:
- We can source products to support your dropshipping business at affordable prices. We can also be your China 1688 agent.
- We can also act as your China-based full-time agent, contacting Chinese suppliers on your behalf to negotiate and update product status.
- NicheDropshipping has a primary responsibility to inspect your products so that you aren’t worrying about whether customers get the exact products they ordered.
- High quality custom photos and videos of products
- We stock your products and provide order fulfillment services.
- Customized packaging and branding facility.
- Private labeling, including the addition of your company logo and promotional materials to the packages that are delivered on your behalf.
We hope you find this article useful as a dropshipper. It will help you overcome your fears about limiting your options to expensive, but popular websites such as AliExpress.
We tried to answer all your questions about 1688 dropshipping. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the topic.