Sourcing suppliers in China to outsource production requires a few precautions to ensure you receive high-quality items while meeting deadlines. Discover our tips for sourcing your fashion products in China.
Preparations before sourcing
Sourcing in China requires advance preparation in order to find suppliers and communicate with them easily.
First and foremost, it is essential to have a good understanding of Chinese business culture. China is home to some very talented businesspeople, but they do not work in the same way as we do. Once you understand how they work, you will find it easier to build a relationship of trust with your suppliers. This will result in better quality fashion products and improved production timing.
Language is very important when communicating with future suppliers. While proficiency in English is a big plus, the ideal would be to have an excellent grasp of Mandarin, which demonstrates your commitment to the collaboration. Chinese suppliers appreciate this linguistic effort, which facilitates communication.
Remember that you are sourcing products to be manufactured for customers, so it is essential to put yourself in the shoes of future buyers. You need to identify the key factors that customers consider before ordering fashion products. This will enable you to highlight certain important features of your products and build good relationships with your suppliers.
How to source reliable suppliers?
If you want to outsource your production to China, you need to find suppliers who can produce high-quality fashion products.
You can find suppliers on websites such as Alibaba (look for the «Gold» logo), Made-In-China, Globalsources, and HKTDC, where you can contact and compare different suppliers. Social media is also an excellent way to get in touch with Chinese suppliers: on Facebook, groups such as China Sourcing and China Export & Import exist for engaging in discussions and identifying potential suppliers.
If you have the opportunity to visit China (which is highly recommended), you can attend trade fairs, particularly the one in Guangzhou, which provide opportunities to meet people in person.
If you are not sufficiently comfortable with Mandarin, you can have a local representative in the area where you are sourcing. Their presence in China and ability to communicate in Mandarin will make it easier for you to find reliable suppliers. This could be an employee, a partner, an expatriate, etc.
Ideally, it is best to use a sourcing company, which will be able to handle any issues that may arise. It will be more convenient for you to start a fashion product manufacturing business with a company that has contacts in the industry and is familiar with Chinese and French regulations.
Sourcing suppliers is an important step in manufacturing high-quality fashion products. But once suppliers have been found, the work is not over: regular checks must be carried out to ensure product quality over time.
The fashion market in China continues to grow, and products are improving in quality thanks to the emergence of talented designers. If you want to work with China, ISAL Paris offers training courses to help you develop your business internationally..
