Dropshipping is the best way for newcomers to e-commerce to sell their products.
In recent years, dropshipping has emerged as one of the most popular and accessible approaches to e-commerce. As opposed to setting up shop in a physical location, the seller can make a nice profit with very little outlay of capital. eCommerce newcomers may find success with dropshipping because it eliminates the need for them to invest in infrastructure like a warehouse and stockroom.
Why Use AliExpress for Your Dropshipping Business?
The Alibaba Group’s AliExpress is a leading dropshipping marketplace. This is a place to find goods to sell on your website.
AliExpress has, over the years, proven to be a trustworthy marketplace offering a wide selection of goods at competitive prices. AliExpress’s success has spawned a plethora of imitation sites.
Clearly, with its years of online experience and website optimization, AliExpress is superior to Wish in product availability, pricing, credibility, and dropshipping services, as we discussed in our Wish vs AliExpress article.
AliExpress’s only real flaw is that some items may take longer than usual to arrive due to the pandemic.
You, as a dropshipper, should always be prepared for the unexpected. Since there are numerous alternatives to AliExpress, you should exercise extreme caution before deciding to work with a vendor simply because they have a high number of positive feedback ratings and a history of timely order fulfilment.
1.DHgate
A Chinese B2B and B2C cross-border e-commerce platform, DHgate connects manufacturers with local and international retailers.
It is a Chinese online marketplace for international business transactions. The company was founded in Beijing, China, and now has branches all over the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Unlike AliExpress, DHgate has no MOQ, making it ideal for dropshipping novices. If you place a large enough order, you will receive savings.
Dropshipping works well with both AliExpress and DHgate. AliExpress unquestionably comes out on top when deciding between the two platforms when it comes to shipping speed because of the variety of shipping options available.
AliExpress appears to have more benefits. It’s received a lot of positive feedback and is currently enjoying massive international success. However, DHgate is the superior service if you’re looking for substantial wholesale price reductions. Nonetheless, DHgate should be approached with caution due to some unfavourable reviews of its fake or replica products. Thus, this site shouldn’t be considered if you’re only interested in authentic items.
2.BangGood
Online shoppers can find what they need at Banggood, a Chinese global eCommerce website. The core of Banggood’s operations is international business-to-consumer e-commerce, and the company is dedicated to exporting China’s high-quality products, efficient supply chain, and first-rate customer service to the rest of the world.
Unlike AliExpress, Banggood does not impose minimum order quantities, allowing customers and dropshippers to buy as many items as they need. Dropshipping with them requires no upfront costs because membership is free. To get started, simply sign up for the Banggood affiliate programme.
Using Banggood as a dropshipping partner is a fantastic way to manage your business without worrying about stock. Let Banggood handle the logistics while you concentrate on marketing, just like AliExpress does.
Both name-brand and generic products can be found at Banggood. An advantage of selling generics is that you can put your own label on them. “Private brand dropshipping” refers to selling your own labelled product alongside generic alternatives.
It’s a smart move that can boost sales and establish the legitimacy of your product. You can dropship products at lower prices and reasonable shipping charges, so it’s very similar to AliExpress in that respect.
Keep reading to find out what you need to launch a successful white labelling company.
A Complete Guide to Private Label Goods
Do you have questions about private labelling or white labelling? Getting started in the private label industry? Here’s the essential starting guide you need.
3.Alibaba
Chinese wholesalers and manufacturers can connect with small and medium-sized businesses all over the world through Alibaba, the most popular business-to-business (B2B) platform in the world.
Alibaba is a marketplace for businesses to buy and sell in large quantities (unless purchased as samples). Because it is a marketplace for wholesalers rather than a single seller, Alibaba does not keep stock of the products it sells.
Since it is a business-to-business marketplace, the majority of Alibaba’s users are also companies. Business-to-consumer stores, sourcing agencies, wholesalers, manufacturers, and even other B2B vendors are all examples of potential buyers. AliExpress does not have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) policy like Alibaba does, despite the fact that Alibaba’s prices are significantly lower.
Due to their focus on wholesale sales, the vast majority of Alibaba’s vendors don’t support drop shipping. However, if you look through the supplier listings thoroughly, you might find a few that are willing to dropship for you.
4.Lightinthebox
Lightinthebox is a Chinese e-commerce platform that serves both the B2B and B2C markets. Both wholesalers and retailers of all sizes as well as individual shoppers looking for a wide range of goods are in its sights.
Lightinthebox began in 2007, and its website, www.lightinthebox.com, sells a wide range of lifestyle products in three main categories: clothing, accessories and gadgets, and home and garden.
Lightinthebox uses trusted international shipping companies to reach customers all over the world. While most orders are fulfilled within 24 hours, this time frame can vary widely depending on the product and the supplier. If the order is fulfilled by Lightinthebox, delivery time is typically between 15 and 30 days due to the proximity of their warehouses in China.
Lightinthebox is another alternative to AliExpress, but it’s important to remember that all orders placed from outside of China can take up to a month to arrive because the company’s warehouses are based in China. In addition, compared to AliExpress, there are fewer options for suppliers on this marketplace.
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Although it is not yet one of the dropshipping business options naturally integrated with eCommerce platforms this website allows you to get lower prices from wholesale suppliers. This service may not be as user-friendly as AliExpress, but it should be adequate for creating an online shop.
5.Wiio
Wiio was established in July 2015 with a primary focus on dropshipping fulfilment. It’s an integrated dropshipping platform with a unique approach to the market.
What makes them stand out is that in addition to selling a wide variety of goods, they also provide a service for dropshippers by sourcing, purchasing, and stocking goods on their behalf.
Wiio maintains stockrooms in both Shenzhen and Hangzhou, China. Another one, larger than the one in Europe at over 25,000 square feet, is available in the United States for storing all of the orders.
Not only that, but Wiio also creates unique images, labels, and inserts for bulk orders. There is no recurring cost associated with using Wiio; all you have to pay for is the initial purchase price.
Wiio will investigate the most efficient shipping options for international shipments to ensure that customers in every region receive their packages as soon as possible. Although the prices of Wiio’s products may be lower than those on AliExpress, the shipping costs are typically higher than those of competing platforms. This means that the total price you pay on Wiio might be greater than the price you pay on AliExpress.
6.HyperSKU
Dropshippers do not have to pay anything to use the Hypersku Shopify APP and its platform. While it integrates with WooCommerce, the Shopify App offers more flexibility.
Incorporating a supply chain, shipping service, and an online system, HyperSKU is a comprehensive dropshipping solution. Using HyperSKU, dropshippers can source products directly from manufacturers, personalise items and packaging, fulfil orders quickly, and save time and money with automated processes.
The HyperSKU service provides 8-12 day tracked shipping from China to the United States and Europe. There are additional shipping choices available. However, HyperSKU is only appealing for established businesses because it becomes relevant only after a successful product is discovered and sales volumes increase.
Internationally Recognized Brands
Dropshippers can find wholesalers with ease by using Worldwide Brands. You can get access to all the wholesalers who use Worldwide Brands for a one-time fee of $299. It is a deluxe wholesale directory where retailers can locate reliable vendors. Alternative that is of high quality but comes at a high price.
Each product from Worldwide Brands has a different delivery time depending on the wholesaler. The goods will be delivered in about a month if the wholesalers are located in China. Wholesalers in your area can typically ship orders out in a week or less. For seasoned dropshippers interested in testing out new products in the market, Worldwide Brands is an ideal resource. The site’s wholesale focus makes it best suited for seasoned dropshippers who are researching potential new products to sell. Some new sellers may find the setup process and associated costs to be too much to bear.
7.Spocket
Spocket is a dropshipping service that integrates with a wide variety of online marketplaces, including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, and more. Spocket, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, aims to revolutionise the dropshipping industry and assist e-commerce businesses in competing with Amazon by removing the inventory backlog and upfront costs that are typically experienced by these businesses.
When compared to other dropshipping services, Spocket stands out due to its faster shipping times. A three- to four-week lag between the time of order and the customer’s receipt of the product from the supplier is unacceptable.
The norm is to immediately go to AliExpress, place an order, and then wait a month for delivery. Some AliExpress vendors do ship to the United States, but it will take you a little more digging to track them down. The ability to buy domestically made goods is Spocket’s greatest strength. Shipping times can be as short as 2–5 days.
Spocket, in particular, has addressed many of the issues that merchants face when using Shopify for their dropshipping operations.
Spocket’s free tier is accompanied by a $24 monthly starter plan, a $49 monthly professional tier, and a $99 monthly empire tier. However, the free plan’s features are severely restricted, and some products are only available to those who upgrade to a paid subscription. The lack of variety in comparison to AliExpress may be the biggest drawback.
In Closing
There are benefits and drawbacks to using AliExpress and similar marketplace apps, as you can see. I wish there was an easy answer for you, but the truth is that AliExpress has no real competition. It is dependent upon the nature of the product you wish to procure and the most convenient means of payment and shipping for you.
The legitimacy of the seller you’re dealing with is of greater importance. As a result, before making a purchase, it’s important to read the reviews of the product thoroughly. Moreover, delivery is anticipated to be delayed because of the current global situation.
Risks, such as those posed by the pandemic, the shipment delay, and the supplier lead time, are unavoidable regardless of the dropshipping platform selected.
Although there is still no perfect dropshipping platform available, the proliferation of these services is great news for dropshippers because it expands their range of options.
