【E-commerce Sourcing】Popular Product Sources & Channels | Pros & Cons
As an online store entrepreneur, understanding different product sourcing methods is crucial for the success of your business. For novice shop owners, besides seeking low-cost sourcing strategies, it is also important to consider the stability and quality of online shop suppliers. In this blog post, we will provide a highlight to four common E-commerce sourcing channels for starting an online store and analyse their pros and cons.
Product Source for Online Stores 1:
Well-Known E-commerce Platforms
The most common way to source products for online stores is through well-known e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Gmarket, 日本樂天市場, 蝦皮購物, PChome, Aliexpress etc.. If you want to source products from China, you can choose platforms like Taobao or 1688 by including the keywords “wholesale” and “agent” in your search. Once you have selected the desired products, you can search for shipping companies that provide forwarding or consolidation services to transport the goods to Hong Kong.
Product Source for Online Stores 2:
Online Wholesale Websites
In addition to the common e-commerce platforms, if you want to save more on your product costs, you can choose to source from wholesale websites based in Hong Kong or other countries. Examples of such websites include Orange Box、Super Delivery、香港易貿網 (HKTDC) etc.. These are reputable wholesale websites that are widely used by many businesses.
Product Source for Online Stores 3:
Wholesale Market
Many shop owners prefer to personally visit various wholesale markets as part of their sourcing strategies to find reliable product sources. This approach allows them to assess the quality of the products firsthand, reducing the risk of receiving substandard merchandise. Furthermore, the method often leads to the discovery of unique and uncommon products that are not commonly found in the market.
Popular Wholesale Markets in Various Regions:
South Korea：Dongdaemun、APM luxe、DDP fashion mall、Kwanghee Market
Thailand：Big C、Chatuchak Market
Hong Kong: Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan, Lai Chi Kok, Kwun Tong are common wholesale locations
Product Source for Online Stores 4:
Exhibition
One of the common methods of product sourcing for online stores is participating in exhibitions. There are various examples of exhibitions, such as home goods exhibitions, pet supplies exhibitions, baby products exhibitions, toy exhibitions, and more. By participating in exhibitions with different themes, it provides opportunities to connect with multiple suppliers and businesses, gain insights into market trends, and discover potential collaborations and new sources of goods.
Summary: Sourcing for online stores requires
assessing requirements and trying different approaches
We hope that by sharing the various methods of sourcing for online stores, it can provide store owners with more diverse consideration and ideas. In conclusion, each sourcing method for online stores has its pros and cons. As entrepreneurs, it is important to choose the most suitable approach based on one’s financial capacity, product requirements, and marketing positioning. Additionally, it is also worth considering combining different methods to achieve the best procurement results.
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Online Store/ Mobile App/ POS System
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