Forget Alibaba || Best Alternative Wholesale Suppliers

In this article you'll learn how to find wholesale suppliers without Alibaba. Alibaba is not the only game in town, and there are much better alternatives out there.

What is Alibaba?

Now, Alibaba is super convenient for finding factories and suppliers in China, but it's not the only game in town. In fact, many Chinese suppliers cannot be found on Alibaba, and your severely limiting your options by relying on Alibaba for all of your product sourcing needs. For example, every wholesale supplier that we use for our seven figure online handkerchief store is not on Alibaba. Now, the main benefit of Alibaba is that you can quickly access thousands of suppliers and products with a simple search. And the interface is intuitive, easy to use, and you can get full audit reports on any factory on the platform.

Disadvantages of Alibaba 

But the main disadvantage of Alibaba is that everyone buys from Alibaba. The best suppliers are often not on Alibaba because they already have an established customer base and don't want to deal with random inquiries. In addition, Alibaba is flooded with middlemen and trading companies, so you have to sort through a sea of suppliers before you find a good one. Now, to expand your wholesale supplier search, here are my favorite Alibaba alternatives that are as good or better. Alibaba.

Alternate Wholesale Suppliers 

1.Global Sources 

Alternative number one is global sources. Global Sources is a leading online Chinese supplier directory that connects buyers with suppliers all over the world. With over 1.5 million suppliers, global Sources is considered one of Alibaba's main competitors that specializes in electronics and accessories. Now overall, the suppliers on Global Sources tend to be more established in higher quality than Alibaba, and as a result, the minimum order quantities will often be higher. Now, in addition to their supplier directory, global Sources also offers a wide range of value added services such as product sourcing, market research and logistics to help buyers get the most out of their sourcing experience.

And twice a year, they also run the Global Sources Summit, which is one of the best sourcing trade shows in the world, next to the Canton Fair. So here are the pros of Global Sources. They're the second largest supplier directory next to Alibaba. It's quick and easy to find suppliers online, they have higher quality suppliers compared to Alibaba, and they have better suppliers for electronics than Alibaba. They also hold their own supplier trade show in Hong Kong twice a year.

Downside of Global Sources 

 The minimum order quantities tend to be higher than Alibaba on average, and Global Sources is smaller than Alibaba in terms of the number of suppliers. 

2.Canton Fair

Alibaba alternative number two is going to the Canton Fair. The Canton Fair, held in Guangzhou, China, is one of the largest trade shows in the world for businesses looking to source products from China.

And the fair is split into three phases, with each phase featuring a different range of products. Phase one is electronics and machinery. Phase two is Building Materials and Home Furnishings. And phase three is gifts and toys. Now, going to the Canton Fair is my favorite way to find China wholesale suppliers.

Because you can touch and see actual product samples. You can meet the factories face to face. You can find factories not on Alibaba and you will be working with real factories and not middlemen. Now, the Canton fair attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world, and it's a great opportunity to see the latest products and trends from China. It's also an excellent way to meet potential suppliers and manufacturers directly and negotiate deals right on the spot.

Here are the pros. You can meet hundreds of factories in the span of just a week. You can see and touch actual product samples. You can find factories not in Alibaba and you can negotiate and close deals on the spot. 

Downsides of Canton Fair

You got to travel to China and hotel and airfare can be expensive. 

3. Import Database

Alternative number three is to use an import database. Now every sea shipment into the United States is documented on the US. Import records.

And you can browse these records to find out the exact factories that any company uses. Now, the Jungle Scout supplier database is a tool that allows you to search this import record to see what any company is importing the US. And in what quantities. The exact factories that are being used. How often any company imports by sea.

And here's a demo over here on j show notes below, there's actually a coupon where you can save 30% on the tool. Now, here are the pros of using the import database. It's very easy to find who your competitors are using as a factory. You can approximate the sales volume for any company.

You can get product ideas by seeing what other companies are importing as well. Here are the downsides. The tools to access the database cost money. These factories might be large and not be willing to work with you. And then companies can also hide their information from the public record.

4. China Sourcing Agent 

Alibaba  Alternative number four is to use a China Sourcing agent. A china sourcing agent is a consultant that connects you with factories in china to produce your products. And they typically live in China and help you locate manufacturers that cannot be found on Alibaba. Now, a good China sourcing agent will have a strong network of trusted factories, freight forwarders and inspection companies to make your sourcing experience simple and easy.

So, for example, they will prescreen factories for quality. They will negotiate on your behalf. They will communicate with factories in fluent Chinese. They help with quality control and they will find you low cost freight forwarders to deliver your products. Now, depending on the agent or service, a China sourcing agent typically charges 5% of your cost of goods.

Here are the pros to using an agent. You find pre vetted companies without doing any work? You can find factories. Not in Alibaba. You can negotiate better pricing, and you have a trusted person on the ground in China.

Downside of Using Chinese Agent

Here are the downsides, though. It costs money. And you cannot bypass the agent and work with the factory directly. And sometimes there are possible backdoor deals between the agent and the factory. Alibaba.

5.Made in China

Alternative number five is made in China. Made in China.com is an online directory that connects Chinese manufacturers and suppliers with international buyers. Now, the Made in China site offers a wide range of products, from electronics and machinery to clothing and home decor. Buyers can browse through a huge catalog of over 40 million products, request quotes and place orders directly with suppliers. Made in China also offers a number of value added services such as quality control and logistics.

And compared to Alibaba and global sources Made in China is the third largest BDB platform in China. However, they offer more industrial and construction based products than any other supplier directory. Now, all the suppliers are made in China, are verified for quality, and you can view a full supplier audit report to get more information about every vendor. Here are the pros are made in China.

They are the third largest supplier directory next to Alibaba. It's a quick and easy way to find suppliers online. They have the largest directory of industrial and construction based suppliers in China.

Downsides of Made in China

Here are the downsides. Though made in China, is smaller than alibaba and global sources made in China, suppliers tend to be more expensive than alibaba.

6. Thomas Net

Alibaba Alternate number six is Thomas Net. Thomas Net is an online resource for finding and connecting with manufacturers and suppliers in the United States. Their website includes a search engine that allows users to search for specific products and services, as well as a directory of manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. They also have a forum where users can ask questions and share information about their experiences with various suppliers.

Now to find suppliers on Thomas Net, all you got to do is enter your product into the search bar. You can search by keyword product type or company name. And you can narrow down your results by location, industry or certifications. So, overall, Thomas Net is a great way to find factories in the United States. Here are the pros.

It's easy to find factories in the US. You can interact with other sellers on the forum. There's a fast turnaround time because you're dealing with us. Suppliers and there's no language barrier .

Downsides of Thoams Net

The prices are more expensive than China, and ThomasNet is significantly smaller than Alibaba.

7. DHgate

 The next alibaba alternative is DHgate. DHgate is an online marketplace that connects Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers with buyers from all over the world. They offer a wide range of products, including electronics, clothing, shoes and more. Now, unlike Alibaba, the majority of sellers on DHgate are individual businesses and not factories.

As a result, DHgate is not good for finding private label suppliers. However, it's a great place to source a variety of products at low minimum order quantities to test the market. Here are the pros of DHgate low minimum order quantities on products. You have a buyer protection program which ensures all purchases. There's end to end tracking, and there's a large variety of products.

Downsides of Dhgate

Here's the downside though quality control is poor and the merchandise tends to be cheap. 

8. Trade Key

The next alibaba alternative is trade key. Now, Trade Key is a business business marketplace that connects Chinese companies with international buyers and suppliers. Founded in 2006, they have over 9.6 million members from over 225 countries. And they offer a suite of tools and services to help businesses find and connect with international buyers and suppliers, including product and company directories, trade leads and a secure messaging system.

They also offer a range of value added services such as market research, trade show promotion, and web design and development. Here are the pros of trade key. It's a quick and easy way to find suppliers online, and they have a large directory of Chinese sellers. 

Downsides of Trade Key

But the downside is Trade Key is significantly smaller than Alibaba. And to be honest ,their website looks like it was designed in the 90s but it gets the job done.

9. EC 21

 Next alibaba alternative is EC 21. Now, EC 21 is a leading global BDB marketplace, connecting buyers with suppliers all over the world. With over 2.5 million registered users from over 190 countries, they offer a wide range of product categories, including chemicals, electronics, food and beverages, health and beauty, minerals and packaging and paper. Now, on the EC 21 website, you can post trade leads, buying requests and view supplier company profiles.

Buyers can find products by just using the search bar, browsing through product categories or by creating a buyer request. You can also find suppliers by searching through the supplier directory or attending one of EC 20 one's many tradeshows. Now, EC 21 is open to all companies and the website is free to use. 

In short, Alibaba has its advantages and disadvantages.But the alternatives of Alibaba also have their own pros and cons. Some of the alternatives may be feasible for many people and not so much for others.

So go through the listed Wholesale Suppliers and choose the one that best suits you.