For a business, Taobao is a testing tool
Taobao is a retail marketplace. You can buy one unit at a time and the range is enormous, which makes it handy for ordering samples or testing a new item in small quantities. But prices aren't wholesale, and there's little guarantee the same seller will deliver the same quality order after order.
- Samples: buy several candidate products at once and compare build and finish
- Test batches: bring in a few dozen units to see how they sell
- Competitor checks: look at specs and price points for similar products
From sample to bulk order in four steps
Shortlist products
Send Taobao or 1688 links or product photos, plus your target unit price and expected volume.
Buy and compare samples
We buy the samples, collect them in one place and send you photos side by side.
Run a small test order
Import a small quantity of the chosen item and see how your customers respond.
Move to 1688 or a factory
Once demand is proven, we find the 1688 factory seller or partner factory making it, negotiate price and MOQ, inspect and export.
Many Taobao listings are resold stock from 1688 sellers or factories. The bigger your order, the more it pays to buy from the original source, both on price and on consistency.
Common mistakes for business importers
- Approving a bulk order from one sample, then getting production that doesn't match it
- Skipping the product certifications your market requires
- Ignoring volumetric weight until freight costs more than the goods
- Costing the product at retail prices, which throws off the margin math
Put a pre-shipment inspection in front of every bulk order and check import requirements and duties early. The bigger the order, the more money those two steps save you.