Summary of this article：When starting a business importing from China, it is crucial to understand the characteristics of Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba, Taobao, and Tmall. Furthermore, by understanding OEM and ODM production, how Chinese import agencies operate, and the world’s largest wholesale market, Yiwu, you can efficiently plan your product sourcing and sales strategies. In this article, we’ll start with the basics of importing from China and provide clear explanations on topics such as the differences between Alibaba and Taobao, the Chinese OEM and ODM production process, the characteristics of the Yiwu Market and how to access it, and on-site buying services. We hope this article will be helpful to those considering starting to import from China, or those interested in sourcing or OEM production in China.
Basics | Sourcing from Alibaba and Taobao
The main supplier for Japanese importers and retailers is
the world’s largest online shopping mall, operated by China’s Alibaba Group.
On November 11, 2017, Singles’ Day (Note 1),
this site—a true behemoth—recorded sales of approximately 2.8594 trillion yen in a single day.
The Alibaba Group operates three main types of online shopping malls under its umbrella.
Alibaba (B2B: Business-to-Business) → Quality must be checked (paid inspection recommended) → Ideal for OEM and ODM → All sales channels accepted
Tmall (B2C: Business-to-Consumer) → Higher quality → Sales channels must be selected based on the product
Taobao (C2C: Consumer-to-Consumer) → Quality must be checked (paid inspection recommended) → Ideal for flea market sales
To import from Alibaba, Tmall, and Taobao,
you must obtain a Taobao ID, create and verify an Alipay account,
open a Chinese bank account, and possess strong language skills for communicating in Chinese,
and handling issues such as defective products.
For Japanese importers, doing this on your own presents a significant hurdle.
Hubbuyer, a Chinese import agency, is here to solve these problems.
Singles’ Day (Note 1)… November 11 in China is called “Guanggun Jie” (Singles’ Day),
and because the date features a row of “1”s—which evoke the image of being single—the term has come to generally signify “Singles’ Day.”
In Chinese, “光棍” means “single.”
About OEM and ODM
First, please provide hubbuyer with the product you wish to create or a sample of the product.
For the image, anything is acceptable, such as a product sample, product photo, proposal, or product URL.
Please prepare whatever you can.
A product URL from Alibaba, Taobao, or Tmall is sufficient.
After that, please let us know the product dimensions (if you wish to change them),
the areas to be modified, the logo to be used, and the production lot size, and hubbuyer will handle the rest of the process.
A dedicated HubBuyer staff member will discuss the details with the manufacturer,
and will keep you updated on sample production costs (if required), unit prices, minimum order quantities, and other details as they arise.
We can also produce materials such as Japanese product tags (hang tags) and custom boxes, so please let us know if you need these.
To summarize:
To utilize our China OEM and ODM services, please provide us with a sample or a product URL,
and then hubbuyer will work with you to
to turn that product into your own original product.
China & Yiwu
In recent years, China has achieved remarkable economic growth and is transitioning from the "world’s factory" to the "world’s market."
Due to the massive influx of high-quality foreign goods, Chinese-made products have been forced to improve their quality.
It has now shed its old image of “cheap and shoddy” and is transforming into “cheap and good.”
Against the backdrop of these major societal changes, the model of “manufactured in China, sold in Japan” is reaching its peak.
It can truly be called the golden age of import sales.
Yiwu has a population of approximately 2 million people
and is located in Zhejiang Province, about an hour and a half from Shanghai by bullet train.
It takes about four hours by express bus.
The indigenous people of Yiwu have long held a strong belief in the value of peddling,
and it is the birthplace of the proverb “Exchanging a chicken feather for sugar” (Note 2).
Since around the year 2000, it has experienced rapid development and has now become a world-renowned wholesale market unlike any other.
There is even a saying in China that “if you go to Yiwu, you can buy anything except missiles,”
which speaks to the sheer variety of goods available.
In addition to the Yiwu International Trade City (Futian Market), which boasts an area equivalent to 70 Tokyo Domes,
as well as countless specialty shopping districts,
making the entire city a wholesale district.
Buyers from all over the world, not just Japan, visit the city.
The most convenient route to Yiwu is via Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
A free shuttle bus runs from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Hongqiao Station, the high-speed rail terminal.
The trip takes about 10 minutes.
High-speed trains bound for Yiwu depart from Hongqiao Station approximately once an hour.
The fare is 123 yuan (about 2,200 yen), and the trip takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
If you are flying in or out of Shanghai Pudong Airport, taking a taxi to Hongqiao Station is the most comfortable option.
The fare is about 200 yuan (approx. 3,500 yen), and the trip takes about an hour.
If taking the subway, take Line 2 from Pudong Airport.
You’ll need to transfer once at the “Guanglan Road” station, but since you simply get off and board the train on the opposite side, it’s very straightforward and easy to navigate.
From there, you can continue straight to Hongqiao Station.
The trip takes about an hour. Incidentally, the station just before Hongqiao Station is Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2.
If you have some extra time, you can get off at the intermediate stations "Lujiazui" or "People's Square" for a quick sightseeing stop.
You can visit the famous Oriental Pearl Tower or the Bund.
There’s also a route that combines the maglev train and the subway.
If you want to experience speeds of 410 km/h, take the Maglev from Pudong Airport.
The cars on the expressway running right next to it in the same direction look like they’re standing still.
The most spectacular sight is when two maglev trains pass each other.
It’s definitely worth experiencing at least once.
Get off at the final stop, "Longyang Road," and take Metro Line 2.
This route takes about 40 to 50 minutes.
Exchanging Chicken Feathers for Sugar (Note 2)... In the past, when the people of Yiwu relied primarily on bamboo and sugarcane cultivation for their income,
to make a living, they traded the harvested sugar—or candy made from sugar—for chicken feathers,
to make brooms, and those brooms were in turn exchanged for other goods.
By extension, the phrase refers to the spirit of turning chicken feathers exchanged for sugar into valuable goods
and selling them—this spirit of entrepreneurship.
Today, this proverb has become a symbol of Yiwu.
About Our Escort Services in China and Yiwu
To help more people learn about China and Yiwu,
offers low-cost local guided tours.
Without a thorough understanding of Yiwu,
finding the products you're looking for in the vast wholesale market is a daunting task.
Guided tours in Yiwu are free for hubbuyer monthly members.
(Round-trip airfare, transportation costs, and hotel expenses are the responsibility of the member.)
If you request an escort to other regions, you will be responsible only for the actual expenses of the escort staff, such as transportation costs.
For non-monthly members, this service is available for a fee.
For more details, please contact hubbuyer, your partner for sourcing in China.
We can provide directions to hubbuyer (free of charge) or pick you up at the airport (for a fee).
If you are coming to Yiwu, we recommend that you prepare thoroughly in advance.
By researching a list of your target products and gathering images in advance,
the hubbuyer staff can determine the best order to visit the wholesale markets.
If you don’t do this preparation thoroughly, you’ll find yourself suddenly lost in a vast jungle,
which is highly inefficient.
Once we find a product, we’ll ask detailed questions about the price, colors, sizes, lot sizes, delivery times, OEM/ODM availability, and defect prevention measures,
and make detailed notes.
Be sure to get the representative’s business card, and take photos of both the product and the store.
Having this information on hand will allow you to communicate smoothly with HubBuyer staff when seeking their guidance later.
The joy of a Yiwu buying trip is seeing so many products,
and discovering new opportunities through conversations with many people.
Beyond that, another highlight is reflecting on the day over local cuisine and fine drinks,
and sharing our impressions and new discoveries with one another is truly the highlight of the experience. It’s always a pleasure to uncover information I might have missed on my own or to make unexpected discoveries.
We’ll also be planning the next day’s schedule during that time,
so please be sure to share all of your thoughts and ideas with the hubbuyer staff.
hubbuyer’s experienced staff can provide guidance on suitable stores and routes, as well as offer helpful advice.
