Step-by-step instructions: How to become an Alibaba.com partner and promote your product

China is rightly called the factory of the world: it is impossible to imagine a product that is not produced by local enterprises and private workshops. Chinese online trading platforms are filled with a wide variety of products - from large technological equipment to small household items. Moreover, their cost in most cases is several times lower than the price of similar models produced in other countries.

Therefore, the most popular products on Aliexpress in 2020 attract the attention of many entrepreneurs who want to build a business on the resale of products made in China. This option uses the simplest scheme - purchasing at a factory price directly from the manufacturer with subsequent profitable sale of products to the end consumer on the domestic market. The advantages of this method of generating income are based primarily on the loyal pricing policy of suppliers: due to the absence of an additional markup for the brand, Chinese products are characterized by the highest level of margin.

The feasibility of working with Aliexpress

According to some reports, the number of popular products from China presented on Aliexpress in 2020 exceeded one hundred million.
This largest trading platform has more than 200 thousand stores and private sellers. Some of them specialize exclusively in certain product groups, while others include products from a wide variety of categories. Therefore, the same product can be found on the site several times, and its cost and delivery conditions will also differ. Placing and receiving an order from Aliexpress is quite simple, which allows many enterprising people to consider the subsequent resale of goods as a business with small investments. The advantages of this way of earning money are obvious:

• The pricing policy of suppliers is distinguished by loyalty, and therefore large capital is not required to make a wholesale purchase;
• There are often sellers on the site with whom you can enter into a partnership agreement in order to take advantage of the benefits of dropshipping;
• An entrepreneur has access to a virtually unlimited selection of best-selling products on the Internet;
• Aliexpress protects the interests of the buyer - if the product is defective, does not correspond to the description, or is not delivered at all, you can always return the money;
• Many new 2020 products for sale are available for literally pennies, which allows you to make a good profit from their sale in the future;
• You can study the product in real photographs, read customer reviews about it and the supplier;
• Sellers are willing to make contact, answer questions and bargain;
• Various delivery options are available to the buyer, including free.

To sell goods ordered on Aliexpress, you do not need your own store with commercial equipment.

It should be noted that the business of reselling Chinese products is characterized not only by advantages, but also by significant disadvantages. So:

• An entrepreneur must constantly monitor what people are looking for on the Internet - statistics for 2020 show a downward trend in demand for some previously popular products;
• This type of activity is characterized by dumping - competitors reduce prices in order to quickly sell their reserves, which ultimately leads to a decrease in profits;
• A businessman must come to terms with the fact that even the most popular product on the Internet in 2020 may turn out to be partially unclaimed and remain in stock.

Determine your trading niche.

Due to numerous requests from users, we are opening a series of articles on the topic “How to become a seller of goods with AliExpress.” One of the pressing questions on our website is: “I want to trade goods purchased on AliExpress on social networks, where should I start? » Of course, you need to start with planning.

First of all, clearly define what kind of product you want to trade.

1) Are you interested? Since you will be distributing the product on social networks, you will most likely have to work closely on promoting the group. This means that you will often publish useful information for people who may be interested in your product. Therefore, the area to which your product belongs should be of interest to you, and it would be better if you were well versed in this area yourself. For example, if you are interested in children, you have a good understanding of their upbringing, are ready to study information about the needs of mothers and their babies, and understand products for this target category, then feel free to take on children's products. Pay attention to this point! Otherwise, you will soon run out of ideas and will not be able to tell future buyers anything. This means that you will have to spend a lot of money on advertising.

2) Study the market, decide on a category. Determine what category of goods is now popular among buyers, what are they more willing to buy on the Internet? To do this, you will have to study sites on the Internet and see what is really in demand at the moment. And determine what problems you may encounter in the process of purchasing a product. Or, conversely, what advantages does the direction you choose have? For example, among products for children, clothing is popular. The quality of the product can be quickly determined upon receipt of a trial batch; the clothing is not damaged during delivery. There will be no big problems with warranty service, etc.

3) Zest. Find a highlight for your products. What will make you different from the rest. From our example, you decide not to sell all children's clothing in a row, but only clothes of a certain design. For example, one that makes you personally very happy. Your taste will shine through in your products. And then you will gather around you people with similar preferences, for whom you have already selected an excellent collection of amazing things. Or, let's say you decide to choose the area of ​​ball gowns and suits for children for proms or holidays. Typically, the cost in retail stores for such goods increases several times relative to their cost, since these are not goods for every day. This is a very tasty morsel to sell online, especially around the holidays. Analyze the competition.

So, when you have decided on the product, have a rough idea of ​​how you will promote your group and understand how you will sell your product in your group, the second important stage begins.

To purchase goods you need to find a supplier.

But how to find a reliable seller?

This question is one of the most important, since for your small business you only need to find one or two reliable suppliers with good, high-quality products. But, unfortunately, there are no lists of reliable suppliers with whom you can cooperate profitably and for a long time. Since finding a good seller is difficult, and no one wants to share ready-made information on suppliers, why breed competitors? Therefore, you will have to personally study hundreds of seller options in order to find your goldmine in the form of a reliable supplier on Aliexpress. Fortunately, there are many positive reviews on social networks from ordinary customers who made one-time purchases on Aliexpress. Therefore, the scheme remains the same as for regular purchases: use standard advice, analyze information about the seller on the Aliexpress website, check whether he is on blacklists, etc. Next, make trial purchases of single products to see how the seller works, what products he supplies, and how responsive he is. If you are satisfied with the trial purchase, then purchase small quantities of goods. Then you can establish close cooperation with him.

We will not consider huge commercial shipments that require customs clearance, since for our version of trading on social networks, this will most likely not be profitable. The cost of the goods will increase sharply due to duties and customs clearance costs and will cost you more than if you purchased it from large suppliers in your region. How to order large quantities of goods without having to deal with customs clearance of goods and without paying duties? To do this, you need to ensure that your product is not recognized as a commercial shipment. You can read more about this here. In this article we will look at how modern sellers in small businesses circumvent customs regulations.

1) Ordering goods to different addresses. You can agree with relatives, friends, and trusted acquaintances so that they receive your parcels in their name. You yourself agree with the supplier so that he forms large orders to different addresses so that they do not look like commercial batches. For example, you can order 20 jackets, 40 hats, 40 sweatshirts, 40 pairs of sneakers, 20 pairs of scarves, etc. And the seller will need to sort them into 20 addresses for 1 jacket, 2 hats, 2 pairs of sneakers, 1 scarf, etc. Such a package looks like a set for one child and will not be recognized as a commercial shipment. Many sellers find up to 50 such auxiliary addresses to which they send parcels. They pay someone a little money for this. As a result, it turns out to be quite legal to redirect fairly large quantities of goods.

2) Many people try to redirect small quantities of goods in one parcel in the hope that their goods will not be checked by customs.

Often this actually happens. And if the goods are stopped as a commercial shipment, then the buyer sends the parcel back to the seller with a request to break it up into several small ones that will no longer arouse suspicion.

3) Sending a large batch of goods in several parcels at different periods of time.

The method is designed so that customs officials do not look at the history of the goods being sent. The main thing is that these parcels are not caught by the same customs officer at the same time.

Get ready for the fact that you will have to become a purchasing professional on Aliexpress, maintain constant correspondence with sellers, track dozens of parcels, and open disputes on AliExpress.
To do this, you may need additional programs that you can. Some programs will need to be installed and configured, but they will make your work easier in the future. And most importantly, learn, ask questions to your colleagues. And do it!! Try it!! Actions are the key to your successful business! Have a question? Write it in the comments or contact the customer support chat.
Go to AliExpress.com

If you did not find the answer to your question in the article, then use the search for articles about Ali Express.

How to organize work?

Income in trading activities depends on the availability of goods with a high level of margin in the assortment: they are purchased inexpensively and quickly sold at a high margin.
When choosing what to buy in order to sell profitably in 2020, you will notice that many Chinese products fully comply with this rule: the difference in the price of any popular product on Aliexpress and in a retail online store sometimes reaches 250–300%. On the other hand, a profitable purchase of a product is only half the battle: finding a sufficient number of buyers is much more difficult. Therefore, at the time of placing an order, you need to clearly understand how and in what volumes sales will be made. An entrepreneur acting as an intermediary can even do without start-up capital: it is enough to use a dropshipping scheme. In this case, the sales process is as follows: the buyer transfers to the businessman an amount equivalent to the declared retail value of the product, after which the latter purchases the product on Aliexpress at a low wholesale price and indicates the buyer’s address as the final delivery point.

Obviously, such a resale business with China without investment is accompanied by minimal expenses, not exceeding the amount of the advertising budget, however, one should not expect a special influx of customers: few people agree to wait for products for two or three months or leave an advance payment to a complete stranger. Thus, it is better to ensure the availability of a certain amount of warehouse balances and replenish them as they are sold.

When selling a product by publishing on forums, social networks, bulletin boards or through an online store, you can avoid such a labor-intensive procedure as certification. Otherwise (in particular, when selling through regular retail outlets), care should be taken to have the appropriate document in advance, since the very first inspection will raise questions about the product’s compliance with quality standards. In addition, to obtain a certificate, you will have to prove the legality of the origin and import into the country of each batch of products by completing a package of customs documentation and paying the appropriate duty.

How to choose a product?

First of all, it is necessary to formulate the basic requirements for the product.
Ideally, it should be light, durable, small in size and have a long shelf life. Compliance with these conditions will not only reduce overhead costs due to free delivery, but also subsequently organize the sale of the product via the Internet throughout Russia with delivery to the buyer by mail. After compiling a preliminary list of suitable categories, you should move on to choosing a specific product that can be sold at the maximum margin. A high margin in this case is necessary in order to compensate for overhead costs (including advertising and promotion costs) and make a profit even with a one-time wholesale order. Such properties are usually possessed by the familiar essential goods of 2020, the list of which includes hygiene items, clothing and footwear, home textiles, dishes, and small household items.

Aspiring entrepreneurs should remember that the basic laws of economics apply equally to both the retail and corporate sectors. This means that almost any product can be found with an alternative with similar or completely identical characteristics. Therefore, after choosing the type of product for sale, it is necessary to spend some time studying analogues, which will allow the businessman not only to get the product at the best price, but also to consider possible backup options in case of a sudden cessation of production and supply of the product by the manufacturer.

Finally, during the selection process you need to find out what is most often searched on the Internet: statistics for 2020 clearly demonstrate the emergence of new global trends and market niches that suddenly become extremely popular. By quickly responding to such changes, you can not only significantly increase your sales volume, but also work for some time in the absence of competition.

How to check the seller?

Among the hundreds of thousands of Aliexpress suppliers offering the most popular products on the Internet in 2020, there are not only responsible contractors, but also real scammers. How to distinguish the former from the latter and check the reputation of the seller using available methods? To do this you should:

• Read the information about the supplier and pay attention to its rating, which is determined by the number of completed successful transactions. It is believed that the acceptable rating level is one thousand or more;
• Be careful when collaborating with newcomers. Their product often does not correspond to the image, is of unsatisfactory quality, and is delivered intermittently;
• Assess the overall ratio of the number of complaints and positive customer reviews about the product. Many responses contain useful information about the seller and the quality of the new product he offers from China in 2020;
• Study the contact information provided by the seller - address, telephone, email. If the mailbox is registered on a free domain and some important information is missing, the buyer should think twice;
• See how many people have added the supplier to their Favorites. A large number of bookmarks indicates that customers regularly return to this store and become regular customers.

Ways to choose a supplier and check its reliability

Before starting cooperation, Chinese suppliers and their goods should be checked for authenticity and reliability. We offer you verification methods for AliExpress (most of them are also suitable for Alibaba, plus at the end we gave two methods specifically for this catalogue).

See ratings and read reviews

The first and foremost thing you need to do is check the reviews of the supplier. It is on the basis of reviews that you need to make a list of suitable suppliers, and then check them in other ways.

Ratings are formed from reviews:

• Feedback Score is the total number of customer reviews about this seller over the entire period of its operation on AliExpress.
• Positive Feed Rate - the percentage of positive reviews (ratings 4 and 5) out of the total.

Choose sellers with a total number of reviews of 2,000 or more and a percentage of positive reviews of 95 or more. Also pay attention to how many years the seller has been trading on AliExpress.

Of course, this does not mean that you should necessarily adhere to this rule and not pay attention to stores with fewer reviews, but take it as a basis. To find sellers with high ratings, enable sorting by seller rating.

Read reviews about the seller and the product (popular sellers usually have many reviews). From them you will learn in detail what the quality of the product itself is, how it was packaged, how quickly it was delivered and how the seller behaved. Study reviews not only in Russian, but also in English.

Compare prices with competitors' prices

A rule that can be safely applied to AliExpress is that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. You'll be surprised to see how cheap some products are on Ali. But, most likely, such prices are offered by sellers who have absolutely no reviews.

Beware of too low prices. Perhaps this is how an honest novice seller wants to attract buyers, but more often than not you will come across a scammer or a low-quality product.

If you see a suspiciously low price, check how many customers bought a product in that price range (this data is on the product category page at the top). If there are very few of them, then it is better not to take risks and not be tempted by a low price.

Check the authenticity of the product

Counterfeit products are the bane of AliExpress. And it’s not always easy to understand: it’s a fake or an original. For example, you asked “Xiaomi TV” in the search and received about 1000 results with the same pictures. Reviews will again help you recognize fakes. In addition, review the following information:

• Products of the same brand, which are presented by the seller
  Let's say you found a Xiaomi phone from a seller. See if there are any other products from this particular brand. A seller who has a lot of products from one brand is more reliable than one who sells everything under the sun and from different manufacturers.

  You can view product categories in the left sidebar.

• Warranties and prices
  If the price is significantly lower than that of competitors, you should be wary. Carefully read the “Seller Guarantees” on the product page. If you think that everything is in order with the product and the seller, first order not a batch, but a unit of product to check the quality.

Check the supplier in search engines

Reviews can be found on third-party sites and forums using a regular search. To check, choose Google, it indexes foreign sites better.

Examples of requests in Russian:

• [vendor name];
• [vendor name] deception;
• [“vendor name] scam.

In English (there will most likely be more information here):

• ["vendor name] scam;
• [vendor name] fraud.

Contact the seller

Be sure to communicate with the seller to dispel your doubts: ask about delivery details, ask questions about the products, you can even agree on some special conditions. The seller's contact information is located in the left sidebar.

It's best to write by email. Since the seller will likely translate your letter using Google Translate, keep it brief, in simple phrases and short sentences.

This will help the seller understand you better, and you will receive an adequate and comprehensive answer.

Here is an example letter template in Russian:

Hello!

My name is [your name]. I was interested in this product - [name of product, link to it]. I have a few questions:

• How much does the product cost?
• What is your MOQ (minimum quantity)?
• What is the delivery time?

I would like to order a sample of the product before ordering a batch. How much will it cost, including delivery to Russia?

I look forward to a long-term relationship. Thank you.

[Name] [Company Name] [Address] [E-mail]

Letter template in English:

Hi, My name is [your name]. I am interested in your [product name, link to it].

I have several questions:

• What is the price per unit?
• What is your Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)?
• What is your expected delivery time, including customs?

I would like to place an order for a sample before placing full order. Can you please send over the sample cost including shipping to Russia?

I look forward to building a great business relationship with you. Thank you.

[Name] [Company Name] [Address] [E-mail]

It is better to send a letter in two languages.

Likewise, you can ask for a test sample from your Alibaba supplier.

Read the product description carefully

It is not always possible to form a comprehensive opinion about a product from a picture. It is best to read on the English version of the site, since the Russian translation on AliExpress is practically of no use, you still will not understand what kind of product it is and what it is made of.

Agree on a wholesale price

Usually sellers on Ali immediately indicate the retail price and the wholesale price when purchasing a certain quantity of goods. However, you can negotiate an additional discount for a large batch. Always check the terms and conditions before paying for the goods.

Pay attention to the seller's response speed

How quickly the seller answers your questions shows the level of his responsibility. The supplier is your business partner, and it is important that he does not let you down when you begin to cooperate. Don't forget about the time difference with China: +5 hours to Moscow.

Find out what customs duties you will have to pay

When you order small items from China, you usually don’t worry about customs duties, but wholesale purchases mean different prices and a different cargo volume. Read more about the rules for importing goods on the website tks.ru.

See if the supplier has his own website

You can see this in the supplier’s contacts. The presence of a separate English-language website indicates the seriousness of the supplier. Just remember to check that the links you found are working and the site really exists.

Having a supplier from Alibaba with a store on AliExpress will be useful because there you can read a lot of reviews from end customers and order a unit of product to try.

Choose a supplier with Gold Supplier status (for Alibaba)

For Chinese suppliers, this is a paid status that they only receive after undergoing several checks and inspections.

The supplier's page displays how many years he has already been a Gold Supplier. In the screenshot below - 6 years.

Choose suppliers who have maintained Gold Supplier status for at least 2-3 years. When searching for a product, immediately check the box to view only “golden” suppliers.

When working with such suppliers, you reduce the risk of running into scammers, but you shouldn’t trust them blindly.

Check supplier on Global Sources (for Alibaba)

Global Sources is a large international site for searching for suppliers of various goods. Global Sources verifies its suppliers and assigns them "Verified" status. Moreover, the verification is more serious and in-depth than that of Alibaba. If you find a supplier, for example, in the Top China Suppliers list, this removes almost all suspicions from him.

What do you buy on AliExpress?

When Aliexpress and other international trading platforms organized the acceptance of payments and delivery to Russia, domestic consumers of various categories gained access to branded goods produced by world-famous companies in 2020. Of course, wholesale intermediaries existed before, but they imported into the country mainly cheap Chinese consumer goods with fake nameplates and tags. Today, clients and entrepreneurs have a real opportunity to purchase high-quality products directly, without the frankly inflated markups of shopping centers and boutiques.

Women's clothing

On Aliexpress you can find an incredible selection of women's clothing - dresses, blouses, skirts, trousers, coats, underwear. Hundreds of thousands of everyday and holiday models are presented here in a wide variety of styles and colors. However, more expensive things are also bought on the site - for example, fur coats made from natural mink, fox, and sable fur. The best way to trade retail in 2020:

• Jackets and down jackets. When choosing a product, you should pay attention to the percentage of down and feathers: for warm winter clothes, the amount of natural down should exceed 70–80%;
• Scarves and shawls. Such products do not have a size range, and therefore the entrepreneur risks virtually nothing when purchasing them. Given the huge number of collections, you can always find the latest fashion trends on sale.

Men's clothing

Buyers have access to 24 categories containing more than 1.2 million items. The most common items purchased are T-shirts, jeans, shirts, jackets and sweatshirts. The most popular products from China for sale in 2020:

• T-shirts with brand logos. Of course, we are most often talking about replicas, but these products are of decent quality combined with an affordable price;
• Timberland boots. The original products of this company are highly expensive, while on Aliexpress you can buy an excellent copy two to three times cheaper than in the official store - for only 7,000 rubles.

Phones and accessories

Serious Chinese manufacturers have long abandoned counterfeits of well-known brands and have begun actively promoting their own brands - ZTE, Meizu, Xiaomi or OnePlus. It is enough to read expert reviews to make sure that products from this category attract no less attention than the next Apple gadget. Moreover, many of the presented models are not available in Russian stores at all, or are available at an inadequate markup. What is profitable to sell online in 2020:

• Safety glasses. In retail stores, this product is sold at five to six times more expensive than on Aliexpress. For example, glass costing 450 rubles can be found here for only 60–70 rubles;
• Phone cases. On the website, such products cost pennies: the price of a book case for iPhone in China is only 250 rubles. On sale there are not only leather, but also plastic, silicone and even wooden models for men and women.

Car accessories

The site presents not only spare parts (lamps, spark plugs, assembled optics, wheels and tires), but also popular accessories - pillows, mats and covers, as well as navigators, recorders and radar detectors. Today, many car enthusiasts are interested in a mobile, small-sized power source that allows them to start their car in winter with a discharged battery. What is profitable to trade in 2020:

• FullHD DVRs. Some products from unknown Chinese manufacturers are in no way inferior in quality to products from famous brands;
• Transmitters. Devices that transmit a signal from a telephone on a radio frequency. Thanks to this, you can listen to music directly through the car's audio system - just tune the radio to the desired range.

Jewelry and watches

Aliexpress offers jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, as well as spare parts and accessories for every taste. In the “Jewelry” category you can find almost 1 million models not only made from precious, but also from ordinary materials. What new products from China in 2020 are selling favorably in Russia:

• Watch. Products in various price categories are presented in the amount of 240,000 items. There are not only products from unknown manufacturers, but also quite high-quality copies of branded Swiss watches;
• Bijouterie. When choosing what you can sell in a small town, you should definitely study this section. They sell inexpensive jewelry suitable for everyday wear, weddings, and festive evenings.

Computers and components

Considering that all well-known component manufacturers have long since moved their factories to China, you should not be afraid to buy computer equipment here. The site sells not only products from popular brands, but also its own locally assembled models. The most popular products on the Russian market in 2020:

• 3D printers. Such devices can be used not only in everyday life, but also for organizing a profitable business. Printers allow you to print any useful little things, mechanism parts, toys, action figures, phone cases;
• Farms for mining. China has consistently maintained its leadership not only in cryptocurrency mining, but also in the production of mining equipment. To create your own farm, you can purchase on Aliexpress both the latest video cards and special devices on microcontrollers - for example, the latest model ASIC Antminer S9 at 15 TH/s costs 200 thousand rubles.

Bags and backpacks

This section of Aliexpress presents more than 30,000 types of bags, 55,000 types of clutches, 87,000 models of men's and women's backpacks. Prices are distinguished by loyalty - for example, the cost of a clutch is only 800 rubles, bags made of genuine leather with short handles - 2500 rubles. Of course, on the site there are also more expensive products made from real crocodile skin for 300–500 thousand rubles, but they are hardly worth calling the most purchased goods in Russia in 2020 and considered as a product that can be quickly and profitably sold.

When choosing inexpensive bags, you should carefully study the information about the seller, his reputation, reviews and photographs of the product: very often the declared genuine leather actually turns out to be pressed cardboard or PVC.

Household products

Lovers of home comfort will find on the trading platform many useful, inexpensive items that perform not only practical, but also decorative functions: this category includes curtains, bed linen, bathroom and bedroom products. In addition, there is a wide range of kitchen utensils on sale - cutlery, knives, pots, cutting boards, bar accessories. Also worthy of attention is such a scarce product in Russia in 2020 as a melamine sponge: domestic entrepreneurs very rarely bring and sell this tool quite expensively for quickly and efficiently cleaning surfaces from any contaminants.

Electronics

Many interesting and useful electronic devices made in China are already in great demand among domestic consumers. This category includes cameras and video cameras, players, video game consoles, stereo systems, headphones, virtual reality devices and action cameras. Products gaining popularity in Russia in 2020 are:

• Headphones. Aliexpress sells a wide variety of headphones - with any connectors, with or without wires, in any shapes and colors. Consumers leading an active lifestyle may like wireless Bluetooth models: unlike classic ones, they do not hinder movement or interfere with sports activities;
• Useful gadgets. Chinese manufacturers offer a variety of not only fun, but also useful devices - for example, calorie counters or bracelets that project an image from a phone screen onto the wall;
• VR glasses. The fashion for virtual reality glasses also affects the Aliexpress assortment. Here you can find both inexpensive devices that work using a smartphone, and gadgets that create a complete presence effect;
• Vapes. The number of presented electronic cigarettes, accessories and liquids exceeds 42,000 items. Considering the popularity of these devices among young people, we can expect a large demand for Chinese products.

Sports and entertainment

Fans of extreme sports and an active lifestyle will be able to appreciate the range of products available on the site designed for hunting, fishing, swimming, tourism, music or fitness. On Aliexpress you can find everything from chess to a speargun. What people buy most online in 2020:

• Xiaomi Mi Band. Equipped with an alarm and clock, this smart bracelet counts steps, calories burned, heart rate and physical activity;
• LED lights. The price of devices assembled with high-brightness diodes in domestic online stores is frankly overpriced: with a supplier price of 200–300 rubles, a retail buyer is forced to pay 1500–2500 rubles for them.

Toys and hobbies

Theoretically, toys should be presented in the “Everything for Children” section, but due to the huge assortment, they were separated into a separate category, which also includes drones and radio-controlled models. Of course, buying spinners already available at any stall on Aliexpress is already pointless, so you should pay attention to other new products for 2020:

• Non-standard Rubik's cube. Unusual Chinese-made models are made in the form of triangular pyramids, 12-sided cubes, cubes with different cells: it is almost impossible to assemble them according to the standard scheme;
• LEGO constructors. There are a wide variety of figures, models of equipment, cars and spaceships on sale, costing from 200 to 2000 rubles;
• Begleri. Despite its primitive design, this new toy may soon surpass spinners in popularity. It consists of two weights connected to each other by a short rigid cord 10–12 cm long.

Weddings and celebrations

With the help of Aliexpress, you can save a lot of money on preparing for a wedding or other special event. The site sells wedding suits for grooms and dresses for brides, as well as various decorative elements, signs, invitations, and elements of the festive table. Prices for excellent quality outfits start from 4–5 thousand rubles, and at the customer’s request, Chinese seamstresses can completely copy the design of any brand. What is profitable to sell during the crisis of 2020: wedding, evening, ball and prom dresses, dresses for a wedding party, accessories, dresses in the “star” style.

What should you not buy on AliExpress?

On Chinese trading platforms you can find almost everything that ordinary people most often buy on the Internet.
However, an entrepreneur planning to build a business on this should know that there are several groups of goods that are prohibited from being imported and sold in Russia. Some restrictions do not seem obvious to uninitiated consumers, which does not prevent well-known authorities from subsequently bringing violators to administrative or criminal liability. Video on the topic

What is not recommended to purchase in China:

1. Counterfeits of famous brands. International convention prohibits sending counterfeit products by mail. An item bearing a slightly modified but still recognizable logo of a well-known manufacturer will be confiscated. On the other hand, even a complete copy of a product without the corresponding symbols will be delivered without problems;
2. Devices for collecting information. We are talking about devices whose appearance in no way hints at the possibility of recording sound or image. Flash drives with microphones, pens and lighters with video cameras, collars and key fobs with GPS sensors are considered illegal;
3. Devices not certified in Russia. According to the law, any signal-encrypting products - phones, tablets, wireless modems and even Wi-Fi routers - are subject to mandatory certification by the relevant authorities. Aliexpress sells a huge number of innovative products of 2020 that do not have such certificates: it is not worth importing them into the country privately;
4. Chemicals and poisons. Obviously, you cannot order psychotropic substances, poisons, drugs, smoking mixtures, anabolic steroids and medications. In addition, there is a special list of potentially dangerous chemicals: when purchasing any reagent, you should make sure in advance that it is not on this list;
5. Flammable and explosive substances. This category includes fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers, fireworks, lighters and aerosol deodorants, as well as flammable liquids - alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, solvents;
6. Weapons and ammunition. Weapons in any form can be imported into the territory of the Russian Federation only by companies or individuals with the appropriate permit after completing a lengthy certification procedure. Not only guns are prohibited, but also bows, crossbows, gas pistols, knives, ammunition and their components;
7. Alcohol and products. You cannot buy alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, ethyl alcohol, beer, energy drinks, or perishable food products abroad or deliver by mail. The ban due to quarantine restrictions also applies to seeds, plants and their seedlings.

AliExpress or Alibaba

AliExpress is more popular in Russia. Even those who have never bought anything on the Internet have probably heard about it. Alibaba is not such a popular platform because it is focused only on wholesale buyers. Manufacturers and large wholesalers act as sellers here, so there is not even the usual basket. To buy a product, you must contact the seller.

Prices for goods on Alibaba are lower than on AliExpress, but the minimum purchase quantity can be very large.

That is why Alibaba is worth working with for those who want to order the production of goods or are ready to buy a large batch at the lowest price. This option is rarely suitable for starting a business.

AliExpress is more focused on retail buyers, because there are few manufacturers here, mostly retailers. And although the prices here are slightly higher than on Alibaba, they are still affordable, and you can even order a single item. You can add items to your cart and don’t necessarily need to communicate with the seller if you don’t have such a desire or need.

Choose AliExpress if you are just starting your business and want to try selling different versions of goods , or if you do not have your own warehouse and have nowhere to store large quantities of goods.