Why is it so important to have a great China sourcing agency? Because great sourcing is all about details. And details have a lot to do with culture and local knowledge. Your China team can help ensure that everyone in your Western office is on the same wavelength as your...
Many new importers find that they only have a very vague idea of how long it really takes to receive their product when purchasing in China. This is because many of them have experience buying from distributors or wholesalers here in the US, so the timeline is rarely clear. In...
We are the age of information. All of it is readily available at your fingertips. And for many, the problem is no longer finding suppliers, but rather, qualifying suppliers. We previously wrote about how to verify factories (see China sourcing: How to verify factories). Since this blog, new importers continue to ask...
For years, many retail companies have been moving towards online stores and shopping, and the pandemic served to accelerate this trend. Being the end user, this meant new choices and new experiences, real multiple channels to buy merchandise. For businesses supplying these end users, omnichannel retail has become a hot...
Buying from China is exciting, but it is also complicated. This is why most importers have trusted agents in China for sourcing. The role and benefit of sourcing agents is a topic that often comes up and we have covered it in a previous blog, (See Are You Leaving Money...
We have been helping importers manage their China direct buying for 45+ years now and many that come to us for help share a common concern – pricing. However, one of the very first questions we ask new clients is – what is your target pricing? Many of them...
In this highly competitive world, there are many possible Chinese suppliers and manufacturers for your goods. It can be difficult to identify the “best fit” to meet specific needs and requirements when you buy direct from China. In an April 2019 blog, we addressed a similar issue: How-to Qualifying Suppliers...
Welcome to CPG's Q2 Newsletter! Our newsletters summarize recent events and cover China supply chain trends. This quarter, we discuss the Canton Fair, China's economy, the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident, and what forwarders are expecting for sea freight costs in Q2. As always, we welcome your feedback –...