Questions

I've been using Alibaba.com to find ceramic cup manufactures in China and other parts of Asia. The problem is, (as great of an invention as Alibaba is): A.) most of the manufacturers I've spoken to require an absurd order quantity (10,000+ units), B.) And worse, many of the companies I've dealt with on Alibaba say they have a product that meets my requirements, send me a sample (that I pay for) only for me to figure out that the product does NOT meet my requirements. This has cost me a lot of money and time. I'd really appreciate any advice. I am always willing to pay for someones time if they have a lot of good information on this topic. Note: I am looking for espresso cups coated with polymer for sublimation purposes.

Many of the large established maunfactures attend trade shows, such as the Canton Import and Export Fair. The key is to look for manufactures that already supplies to established brands. Once the manufacture meets the QA standards of the large brands, their quality remains consistent regardless of the company they produce for. Most of the time the minimum order quantity they request are up for negotiation. Same for the sampling cost. Most manufactures are willing to wave the sampling cost if a production order is placed at a later time.

Sourcing at the end of the day requires a lot of ground work. It takes time and effort to locate the right suppliers, visit and audit their facilities, and prices negotiate. However, this really saves money in the long term because you will have solid supply chains you can count on and trust. One way to approach this is to consolidate. Consolidate the number of suppliers, and make each sourcing trip count by finding multiple suppliers at once.

Best of luck in finding the right suppliers for your products!


Answered 10 years ago

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