Have you been seeing price increases from your suppliers/factories? How do you plan to place orders when faced with rising prices? Purchasing in China has faced these challenges in recent years due to COVID-19 and its aftermath: maintaining inventory, global inflation, unstable exchange rates, panic hoarding, etc. State of Flux...
Importers who have gone through the trouble of researching, qualifying, and building a relationship with their Chinese suppliers are sometimes hesitant to change, even when the quality of their services and output begins to decline. This desire to not want to “rock the boat” with suboptimal suppliers is what we...
OverviewIt should be obvious to all comers that designer bags are great for almost every situation – they are the only thing you want to have on your arm if you are the sophisticated type and you've got an avalanche of cash when going on your routine shopping spree. China...
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...
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...
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...
Recently, I read an article on QualityInspection.org, “The Danger of Choosing a ‘Cheap’ Chinese Factory.” The objective of most companies with China sourcing programs is to save money, it stands to reason that many importers are looking for cheap Chinese factories. But what happens when saving money becomes, in effect,...
If you are new to China direct buying or your supply chain management in China is new, it can be easy to overlook US customs. When you have good communication with your manufacturer, unexpected issues—such as your items have been refused entry or the customs tax on this container of...