Sourcing products to sell on Amazon is the hardest part of anyone’s online business journey. Just selecting a niche and coming up with a unique product concept can take time and, sometimes, money if you prefer sampling the market and experimenting with various sales methods first. It becomes even harder if the product you want isn’t found in your backyard.
If you want quick turnovers and guaranteed profits, Alibaba is where you should go. Like Amazon, it’s a global marketplace, but it mainly serves entrepreneurs flipping or buying products in bulk to sell elsewhere for profit. And among the thousands of suppliers on the platform, Alibaba Chinese manufacturers are your best option.
Why Chinese manufacturers?
There’s a misconception going around about Chinese manufacturers selling substandard products. While a few bad apples tarnish China’s reputation, the majority of Chinese manufacturers are legitimate companies and capable of turning just about any product concept into reality.
In fact, many of the everyday products you may have in your home are partially or fully made in China, but you don’t recognize them because they are as durable as other items made elsewhere. In addition, here are some other reasons why sourcing from Alibaba Chinese manufacturers makes sense.
- More for less: Buying in bulk saves you enough money to cover the shipping costs and turn significant profits. Additionally, manufacturers source their materials for less, so the products they manufacture are also intrinsically cheaper.
- Mass production: China has some of the largest manufacturing facilities on the planet. Most of them have the capacity to cater to entire nations and continents.
- Everyone is doing it: Many Amazon sellers, including wholesalers, private labels, and white labels, source their products from China. Why shouldn’t you?
- Vast product selection: China specializes in manufacturing for all markets, offering a wide range of products. By being discerning, you may discover affordable hidden treasures that match your preferences.
Why go to Alibaba instead of contacting a manufacturer directly?
Three reasons—
- Almost all Chinese manufacturers are in Alibaba.
- Creating a shipping plan from China to an Amazon fulfillment center is easier if the supplier has a verified account on Alibaba.
- Alibaba vets its suppliers, and when problems occur, Alibaba can help you fix them or recover your losses through Trade Assurance.
How to Send Products from Alibaba to Amazon FBA Fulfillment Center
Here comes the tricky part—SHIPPING!
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is an excellent option for entrepreneurs selling imported products on Amazon. It allows them to store their supplies in an Amazon warehouse until orders come in, saving them a lot of money on shipment. If you’re importing or exporting your products from China to an Amazon fulfillment center, here are the steps you need to take.
Step 1: Ask questions—the right ones.
You’re dealing with a company located thousands of miles away. You have every right to be inquisitive, and you can bet your arse they want that energy from you. But it’s best to only throw questions that you need answers for. Here are some examples.
- Where are you shipping your products from? (Ask for a complete address)
- What type of paper do you use for the box ID label? (Give them the choices available on Amazon’s shipping plan)
- What shipping carrier or freight method do you use? (This is either by air or by sea)
- How many units are there per case and how many cases? (This is important for storage and tracking)
- Will everything be shipped in one box or in multiple boxes?
- How big and heavy is the box? (Ask for the exact measurements)
- When will you ship the product? (Ask for an exact shipping date)
Why ask these questions? —because you’ll need these pieces of information for the shipping plan.
Step 2: Create a shipping plan.
Go to your Amazon Seller account and open “Manage Inventory.” If the product you’re importing from China doesn’t exist on Amazon yet, list it first. Look for it on your product listings and click the “Edit” button on the right side to reveal the drop-down menu. Then, select “Send/Replenish Inventory. This will take you to the Shipping Plan creation page.
You can create a shipment plan in three steps.
Choose an inventory.
Since you already know what product you are shipping, proceed to enter the “ship from” address you’ve collected from your supplier from China earlier. You can update the existing one in your account by clicking the “ship from a different address.” Once the address has been added, select it.
Next, choose a marketplace destination. From the choices provided by Amazon, choose your country if you want the package to be delivered to your address. If you want it sent to a third-party service provider from a different country, choose their address.
Then, you need to input the SKU and packing details. SKU stands for “stock-keeping units” and is essential for product tracking. You need to provide the number of units per box and the box’s dimensions and weight. You’ve also obtained this information from your supplier already.
Based on the information you’ve provided, Amazon will determine if your package requires labeling and special preparation. If indeed you need to label each unit or the box or if the product needs to be prepped differently, just follow Amazon’s instructions to avoid shipment delays or returns. Then, click “Confirm and continue.”
Confirm shipping details.
Enter the shipping date your supplier provided. Then, choose a shipping mode—Will it be a small parcel delivery (SPD) or less than a truckload (LTL)? Choose SPD if you’re sending just one box and LTL if you’re sending multiple boxes that need to be put in crates.
Important: Based on your shipment plan and the availability of warehouse space, Amazon will tell you if your package needs to be shipped in more than one location. You can reconfigure the logistics for a fee.
Choose a shipping carrier.
It is unlikely that your manufacturer will use an Amazon-partnered carrier. Select the carrier your supplier prefers from the list of non-Amazon-partnered carriers. If it’s not on the list provided by Amazon, click “Others” and type in the name of the carrier and other necessary information.
Step 3: Print the box label.
This is the label your supplier must put on the box. As with the other details you used earlier, your supplier has already provided you with the information you need to include in this label, such as their address and product details.
Click “Print,” confirm the information on the label, and click “Save” to download the label to your desktop. Then, send it to your supplier in .pdf format. Let them know that it’s the Amazon FBA box label, and it’s important that it’s on the box for the package to be accepted in the warehouse. Finally, click “Proceed” to show the tracking details. All you have to do after this is wait for your products to be shipped.
How to Safeguard Yourself from Rip-offs
Even though Alibaba vets most of its suppliers, they don’t really get rid of unverified accounts unless rules are breached. They only give verified sellers badges and ratings to set them apart from the rest. In short, almost everybody can register and get paid on the platform, which makes it hard to determine who to trust. Here’s how you can protect yourself against bad deals or scams.
- Ask for recent photos of the product you want from them. Don’t accept digitally edited photos. Consider it a red flag if the supplier refuses to send photos of their products. Either they are ripping you off, or they’re not really a supplier but a middleman.
- Set up a video call with the manufacturer and ask them to give you a tour of their facility during operating hours. You can also refer to their 3D showroom, a feature on Alibaba that requires manufacturers to take ultra-wide angle photographs of their facility as part of verification.
- Only choose a supplier enrolled in Trade Assurance. If there’s any inconsistency in the production or if delays in shipping, this feature allows you to work with Alibaba to either get a refund or get your order right.
- All communication must take place on Alibaba. Avoid side emails or text messages because if something goes wrong, you can’t use those exchanges as proof for your case. This will ensure that Trade Assurance is on your side when handling disputes.
- Cross your T’s and dot your I’s. Describe what you want in detail. For instance, don’t just say you want a certain product in blue or red. Instead, specify what type of blue or red you want and if it’s glossy or matte.
Send Products from Alibaba to Amazon with Ease Now!
Dealing with a manufacturer from overseas can be risky. With proper guidance and thorough research, you can allay these risks and find a supplier that you can partner with for the long term. Hopefully, this article has provided you with sufficient information to get your first shipments from an Alibaba Chinese manufacturer in order.