Dear readers, I’m a “veteran buyer” with over a decade of experience in China’s wholesale markets. I’m very familiar with these markets.
The real treasures are often found in the most unassuming specialty markets deep within the industrial belts. Next, I will take you to uncover the secrets of China’s wholesale markets.
1. Alibaba Top Certified Suppliers
As the world’s leading B2B market, you can find various suppliers here. It covers numerous industries and product categories, from electronics and clothing to home goods and food.
Filtering criteria:Only select suppliers marked as “Certified Factory” with historical order records. These suppliers have been verified by the platform and have a certain level of strength and credibility, ensuring product quality and supply stability.
Checking historical order records helps you understand a supplier’s transaction history and customer evaluations, better judging their reliability.
Pitfalls to avoid: Reject suppliers with blurry product images or no English reviews. Blurry product images may indicate a lack of attention to product presentation or potential issues with the product itself.
Suppliers without English reviews may have lower international market recognition, and their product quality and after-sales service may not be guaranteed.
2. 1688. com (Essential for Small Orders)
1688 is Alibaba Group’s leading global B2B e-commerce platform, covering 16 major industries such as raw materials, industrial products, and clothing.
It has over 1 million source factory resources and provides one-stop procurement services from wholesale to dropshipping, with an annual transaction volume of 800 billion yuan.
This platform is ideal for small-batch procurement buyers.
Search tip: For example, enter “USB cable wholesale” and filter for (supports orders starting from 1 piece). This precise search can quickly find suppliers that meet your needs, especially beneficial for startups or buyers with smaller order volumes, effectively reducing procurement thresholds and risks.
Revealing the truth:Many sellers are second-tier distributors—insist on getting the factory contact information. While there are many source factories on 1688, there are also second-tier distributors who purchase products from other factories for resale. To obtain more stable and favorable prices, it’s best to insist on getting the factory contact information and connect directly with the factory.
Language tools: You can use Google Translate to communicate with sellers. By using tools such as Google Translate, you can effectively overcome the difficulty of language barriers, achieve smooth communication with manufacturers, and better understand product information, negotiate prices, and purchase details.
3. DHgate. com (Suitable for Dropshipping)
Founded in 2004, DHgate. com is China’s first cross-border export B2B e-commerce platform, connecting global buyers with Chinese suppliers and providing one-stop wholesale services.
This platform is highly suitable for buyers looking to conduct dropshipping business without inventory risks.
Advantage: Direct shipping to customers, zero inventory risk. For buyers with limited startup capital or those wishing to minimize inventory pressure, this model significantly reduces operational costs and risks.
You don’t need to stock inventory yourself; simply forward customer orders to the supplier, who then ships the product directly to the customer.
Case study: iPhone charging cables wholesale at $4 – 6, retail at $10 – 15. This price differential allows you to achieve considerable profit margins.
Warning: Avoid sellers with no reviews or low ratings. When selecting suppliers, pay close attention to seller review and rating situations. Sellers with no reviews or low ratings may have issues with product quality, shipping speed, customer service, etc. Choosing such sellers might lead to lower customer satisfaction and damage to your business reputation.
4. Yiwu International Trade Mart Fair
The Yiwu International Trade Mart Fair, known as the “heart” of the global supply chain, gathers over 75,000 merchants and 2. 1 million product resources.
Through an “exhibition-trade linkage” model, it enables products to reach global shelves directly from exhibition stands.
In 2025: The Daily Necessities Innovation Expo attracted nearly 300 source factories, over 10,000 buyers, and generated hundreds of millions of yuan in transactions in just three days, becoming a golden gateway for global buyers to seize “smart manufacturing” and consumer upgrade trends.
Best time: The Canton Fair (China Import and Export Commodities Fair) held every October. The Canton Fair is China’s largest and most comprehensive international trade fair, attracting buyers and suppliers from around the world.
Here, you can connect with more high-quality factories and discover innovative products, expanding opportunities for your procurement business.
Secret: Bringing physical samples is more effective than viewing pictures for assessing quality. When procuring, physical samples allow you to intuitively feel the product’s texture, craftsmanship, and details, better judging whether the product quality meets your requirements.
Relying solely on pictures may lead to misjudgments about product quality due to factors like lighting and angles.
Hidden gem: You can attend free training sessions organized by Alibaba.
5. Local Procurement Agents (Your Secret Weapon)
Optimizing supply chain costs: They know which factories are reliable and can leverage local supplier bulk purchasing advantages for price discounts.
Local procurement agents are well-versed in the local market environment and factory conditions. They know which factories offer good product quality, reasonable prices, and timely shipping, helping you quickly find suitable suppliers and achieve price advantages through bulk purchasing.
Enhancing response flexibility: Local agent procurement is more sensitive to market dynamics, able to quickly adjust supply strategies, shorten delivery cycles, and adapt to changes in demand.
Ensuring procurement quality: The agent’s professional team screens suppliers, strictly controls product quality, and provides real-time communication support, reducing procurement errors caused by information asymmetry.
They have a robust supplier screening and quality control system to ensure your procured products meet quality standards.
They also offer real-time communication support to promptly resolve issues arising during procurement, avoiding mistakes due to information asymmetry.
1. Smartphone Accessories
Why they’re hot: China manufactures 80% of the world’s phone cases, chargers, and headphones, with a mature and transparent supply chain.
A Shenzhen Huaqiangbei manufacturer made millions of dollars last year selling wireless charging cases, the secret being labeling the product as “smart IoT accessories” for a 300% premium in the US and European markets.
Procurement location: Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Electronic Market. There are tens of thousands of stalls here, offering everything from low-end accessories to high-end customized equipment. Novices suggest starting with small items (such as 100 pieces) to avoid the risk of overstocking.
2. Fast Fashion Basics
Trend: Sneaker culture and K-pop fandoms are driving demand for limited-edition collaboration items. A stall owner at Guangzhou BaiMa Clothing Market revealed that T-shirt orders with “K-pop collaboration” logos have quintupled this year.
A cartoon-print hoodie from a Yiwu factory sells for $30 – 50 on Amazon, with a 60% profit margin. Fast fashion basics have a stable market demand, and limited-edition collaboration items, fueled by sneaker culture and K-pop fandoms, have become market hotspots.
Hotspot market: Guangzhou Guangzhou Baima Clothing Market (be sure to check buyer reviews). There are over 2000 clothing factories gathered here, specializing in mid to high end women’s clothing, but there are also cost-effective fast fashion stalls on the second and third floors that you can take a look at.
3. Home Decor Gadgets
Demand point: Millennials’ love for taking ins-style photos has led to frequent emergence of internet celebrity products.A Yiwu International Trade Mart stall owner made $20,000 a month selling “ins-style small night lights.
” His secret was updating 10 designs weekly and showcasing products via short video live streams. With people’s increasing attention to living standards and home environments, creative and visually appealing home decor items have become market darlings.
Secret: Find factories that support private customization. For example, searching for “custom logo lighting” on 1688 can lead you to factories that support orders starting from 1 piece. Through customization, you can design unique products based on customer demands and market trends, enhancing product competitiveness and value.
4. Health and Wellness Tech
Growth driver: Post-pandemic craze for immunity and fitness. A $15 “far-infrared heating pad” was marketed as a “medical-grade therapy device” on the US Amazon, soaring to $75. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased people’s focus on health and wellness, leading to a surge in demand for related products.
Recommended channel: Alibaba Top Certified Suppliers (filter for factories with FDA certification). These factories typically have laboratory qualifications and can provide test reports, suitable for the high-end market.
Selecting factories with FDA certification ensures product quality and safety meet international standards, providing a strong guarantee for product entry into the high-end market.
5. Pet Economy Products
Trend: China exports 60% of the world’s pet toys, but 90% of orders come from small and medium sellers.
Why can a rubber duck costing 50 cents sell for $15 when labeled as a “virus toy”? The key is showcasing “pets playing with ducks” on TikTok videos to resonate with buyers. The pet economy has surged with increasing living standards and people’s growing affection for pets.
Fair: Hangzhou China International Pet Products Expo (September October). Here, you can directly connect with the factory and also see the latest trends (such as this year’s popular “pet smart water dispenser”).
6. Food and Beverage Trends
Bestsellers: Zero-sugar snacks (like seaweed crisps) and plant-based beverages (oat milk).
With growing health consciousness among consumers, healthy food and beverages like zero-sugar snacks and plant-based drinks have become market favorites.
Pitfall avoidance guide: Require small-batch trial production before cooperating with small factories.
For example, find a factory doing contract manufacturing on 1688, first order 100 boxes to test the waters, and then place larger orders after confirming the taste and packaging.
Cooperating with small factories carries certain risks, and small-batch trial production can help you inspect product taste, quality, and packaging, avoiding potential losses from large-scale procurement.
Recommended platform: 1688 Food and Beverage Special Zone. Searching for “internet celebrity snack customization” here can lead you to factories skilled in OEM.
This special zone offers a wide range of food and beverage suppliers with rich production experience and professional contract manufacturing capabilities, capable of meeting your customization needs.
7. Smart Home Kits
Reason: Leading AI voice control, security systems, and surging family demand for convenience and safety.
Procurement locations: Guangdong (Shenzhen, Foshan), Zhejiang (Hangzhou), procured through cross-border e-commerce (e.g., Amazon, independent sites) or offline fairs (e.g., CES). These regions boast strong R&D capabilities and manufacturing foundations, producing high-quality smart home kits.
Procuring through cross-border e-commerce or offline fairs allows you to widely connect with suppliers, understand the latest product technologies and market trends.
Keywords: Promote the “energy-saving” or “environmental protection” concepts, aligning with EU and US policy subsidy directions.
In the EU and US markets, energy-saving and environmental protection are key policy subsidy directions. Highlighting these concepts in smart home kits can better meet market demands, enhance product competitiveness, and increase sales opportunities.
8. Cultural and Creative Merchandise
Profit potential: Hand-painted ceramic cups, calligraphy sets can be priced 5 – 10 times higher.
A set of replica “coins” sold out on DHgate in 3 days, manufactured by a Jingdezhen individual artisan who accepts small custom orders starting from 20 pieces.
Cultural and creative merchandise, infused with cultural connotations and creative designs, possesses unique charm and can attract many consumers, especially those with a deep interest in culture.
Sources: Jingdezhen Ceramics Market (with video footage). This market includes both large factories and family workshops. It is recommended to negotiate directly with artisans for lower prices.
Jingdezhen, China’s famous porcelain capital, offers abundant ceramic resources and exquisite craftsmanship. Direct negotiation with artisans can yield more competitive prices and deeper understanding of product processes and cultural backgrounds, adding more value to product sales.
9. Auto Parts
Blue ocean market: Electric vehicle batteries, car-mounted brackets. You can target Southeast Asian buyers via Lazada. Indonesian motorcycle users have a strong demand for waterproof batteries, but local import prices are triple those of China.
The auto parts market has new opportunities with the development of the automotive industry, especially the rise of electric vehicles.
Negotiation tip: Reduce the minimum order quantity to 100 pieces. When negotiating with suppliers, using effective negotiation skills can lower the minimum order quantity, reducing initial procurement costs and inventory pressure, and improving capital turnover rates, which is especially important for novice buyers.
10. Creative Stationery
Why it works: Colored notebooks, zodiac stamps are sought after by stationery enthusiasts.
A dragon-patterned notebook sells for $12 – 15 on Notion, manufactured by a Yiwu couple’s stall using Douyin live streams to showcase notebook design, attracting foreign handmade enthusiasts. Creative stationery, with unique designs and practical functions, appeals to stationery lovers and holds great market potential.
Suitable model: Shopify no-inventory dropshipping. No need to stock inventory; simply place orders on 1688 and ship directly after labeling. This model is a lower-risk choice for buyers looking to start a stationery e-commerce business.
Opening a store on Shopify and using the no-inventory dropshipping model saves on inventory costs and warehouse space, allowing quicker business launches.
Even with the right products and channels, you might still encounter issues. Remember these tips:
1. Verify Factory Qualifications
Ask sellers for business licenses, product certifications (e.g., CE/FCC), and factory videos. Use Google Maps Street View to confirm the address exists.
A buyer once found a “paper company” with the address leading to a residential building, so it’s crucial to verify! Verifying factory qualifications is essential for procurement safety.
Checking relevant documents and conducting on-site inspections (via street view) helps avoid cooperation with unreliable “paper companies,” safeguarding your procurement rights and product quality.
2. Avoid Full Payment Upfront
Unless confirming long-term cooperation, pay no more than 50% as an advance. For long-term factories, you may relax payment terms appropriately, but sign a contract specifying liability for breach of contract.
Reasonable payment methods and ratios in procurement can effectively reduce risks. A 50% advance payment shows your cooperation sincerity while retaining funds as security. For long-term factories, although payment terms can be relaxed, signing a detailed contract specifying rights and obligations, especially breach of contract liability, is essential.
3. Learn a Few Useful Chinese Phrases
Practical sentences: “What’s the minimum order quantity for mixed batches?” (这款混批最少多少件起订？) “Can I get a sample?” (可以寄样品吗？)
Tool recommendation: Pleco translation app (supports offline use). Download the “常用采购用语” (common procurement phrases) dictionary for one-click access.
Learning some common Chinese phrases facilitates smoother and more efficient communication with suppliers, avoiding misunderstandings and delays due to language barriers. Pleco translation app is a practical tool supporting offline use, providing accurate translation assistance even without internet access.
4. Free Tool Recommendations
Price comparison: Use Google Shopping or AliExpress to check prices. Enter keywords like “bluetooth headset wholesale” to compare quotes across 10 platforms and find the optimal channel.
Comparing prices across multiple platforms ensures you find the most cost-effective procurement channel, reducing procurement costs.
Logistics tracking: Use 17Track to avoid shipping delays. It synchronizes tracking for sea, air, and rail transport, alerting you to potential package loss risks in advance.
Logistics tracking is crucial for buyers, allowing real-time monitoring of shipment status, timely issue resolution, and ensuring goods arrive on time and safely at their destination.
Conclusion
China’s wholesale markets are not difficult to navigate. The key is to identify trending products and efficient channels. I hope the above content helps you. If you have any questions or wish to share your thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment.