How can Drop Shipping be better than Importing?

53 replies
  • ECOMMERCE
  • |
Hi,
I want to share my own experience and ideas, with anyone who interested to learn more about Drop Shipping and e-commerce.

About 6 years ago i moved to Shenzhen, china (Electronics Manufacturers Center). After short time i established my e-commerce company and my main activity was to help eBay sellers to find good products and handle the logistics for them.

The reason i decided to move to Shenzhen, was that i had a business and i was selling on ebay but i wasn't able to find reliable partner in China who capable to find solutions to answer my online business's needs. I realized that there might be many sellers like me who are facing the same problem and i decided to do something about it and develop a solution ( wasn't the first or only one).

So how can Drop Shipping be better than Importing?

Well it all depends on your business model and strategy. And before you decide which is the best for you you have to ask yourself the following questions:
Where is your targeted markets ?
Do you have storage space ?
Are you ready to handle Packing and Shipments ?

Drop Shipping disadvantages are well known:
Lack of control on product pricing
high Competition
Lack in control of availability
Lack in control of Product Quality
Lack in control of packing quality and shipping time

Importing the goods to your location can solve these issues, with importing you can get better prices by barging with the manufacturer for the conditions of the transaction, you can lower the item cost by buying in bulk or make some changes in the item or in the packing etc..
you can also deal with competition by having your own items, with unique item logo, brand etc..
You will always stay in control and know how many pcs left in your stock.
You can determine by yourself if the item's quality stands your standards.
You can also control the shipping time and the quality of package.

So how come Drop Shipping is a preferred business model by thousands ?

First of all it's important to know that most of the drop shipping problems mentioned earlier can be solved! There are many solutions and it's important to know that it's a matter of investment.

The basic answer is that if you want to have a successful Drop Shipping based business you must find a RELIABLE DROP SHIPPING PARTNER !. Relying on wholesale websites like Aliexpress.com or any other wholesale website is a mistake THEY ARE NOT DROP SHIPPERS! If your customers can use the same source you are using to buy a product, it's a matter of time until he realized that and leave you.

What Drop Shipping partner can do for you?

He can source for products for you, following your requirements!
He can purchase, test and store the goods under his roof.
He can Ship the goods directly to your customers and stand your standards!
He can send you unique photos, Add Marketing material like catalogs, coupons etc.. in the parcels.
He can Combine shipments of different items to the same buyer!

If you are seriously thinking about selling internationally DROP SHIPPING PARTNER is the best option for you!

Importing goods will always cost you double shipping costs (from factory to you, and from you to the buyer)
If you are selling to local market it's ok, but if you want to get more sales and sell internationally you have to pay a lot of money for international shipping fees.
For example:
USPS from United states to United kingdom 1 pound is 16.75$
China Post from China to United Kingdom 1 pound is 5.41$

So if you want to expand your business, be able to offer and sell more items and stay in control you should consider working with Drop Shipping Partner.
Find someone who can fit you, answer your needs, build relations with him, create a unique business agreement and save plenty of energy that can be used for marketing and customer service.

GOOD LUCK!
#drop #drop shipping #importing #shipping
  • Profile picture of the author Importexport
    Originally Posted by Matteoss View Post

    Hi,
    So how can Drop Shipping be better than Importing?.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..................
    GOOD LUCK!
    It can't. Want me to prove it?

    If readers do decide to try dropshipping, then the closing comment of the OP is very appropriate: GOOD LUCK!
    Signature
    Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464110].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author alksense
    I'll bite and explain why drop shipping is better than importing (for me).

    As a back story;
    • I started importing in 2007
    • I brought in over 20 40' containers from Shenzen to the US
    • I used a fulfillment center in California to warehouse and manage my inventory
    • In 2009 I started selling for brands that offer drop shipping programs while still importing
    • Over the next couple of years I completely stopped importing and only sold for brands that offer drop shipping
    • I now only sell for brands that offer drop shipping

    So why is drop shipping better for me:
    • I don't have to lay out cash for inventory (I was spending between $15k - $70k/month)
    • I don't have to worry about returns showing up at my warehouse
    • My insurance dropped from over $2k/MONTH to just over $1k/YEAR
    • I can enter new niches easily without having to layout cash for inventory
    • It is MUCH easier to automate because my sales reps at each of my suppliers do most of the work for me

    Were my margins higher when importing? Definitely.

    Am I making more money now by drop shipping while working less and having A LOT less stress in my life? Absolutely.

    To me that means drop shipping is MUCH better than importing but it also doesn't mean that importing is by any means a bad thing. I have a lot of friends who are importing and making a killing but for me personally the larger margins are not worth the stress and headaches that come along with doing big business and moving lots of inventory.

    - Anton
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464184].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
      Originally Posted by alksense View Post

      I'll bite and explain why drop shipping is better than importing (for me).

      As a back story;
      • I started importing in 2007
      • I brought in over 20 40' containers from Shenzen to the US
      • I used a fulfillment center in California to warehouse and manage my inventory
      • In 2009 I started selling for brands that offer drop shipping programs while still importing
      • Over the next couple of years I completely stopped importing and only sold for brands that offer drop shipping
      • I now only sell for brands that offer drop shipping

      So why is drop shipping better for me:
      • I don't have to lay out cash for inventory (I was spending between $15k - $70k/month)
      • I don't have to worry about returns showing up at my warehouse
      • My insurance dropped from over $2k/MONTH to just over $1k/YEAR
      • I can enter new niches easily without having to layout cash for inventory
      • It is MUCH easier to automate because my sales reps at each of my suppliers do most of the work for me

      Were my margins higher when importing? Definitely.

      Am I making more money now by drop shipping while working less and having A LOT less stress in my life? Absolutely.

      To me that means drop shipping is MUCH better than importing but it also doesn't mean that importing is by any means a bad thing. I have a lot of friends who are importing and making a killing but for me personally the larger margins are not worth the stress and headaches that come along with doing big business and moving lots of inventory.

      - Anton


      It is always great to hear about someone who is doing it big time!

      Dropshipping is definitely a better way if you want:

      1. To be on the move (travel around the world)!
      2. Invest more time and energy in Marketing!
      3. Reduce overhead costs!
      4. Sell your business! (easier to sell a website without any inventory)
      5. Sell internationally!
      6. To be agile and flexible!

      there are also some methods of "import/export" that will work for you but it belongs to the past, The rules of the traditional commerce has changed.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464216].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author alksense
        Originally Posted by Matteoss View Post

        there are also some methods of "import/export" that will work for you but it belongs for the past, The rules of the traditional commerce has changed.
        Don't get me wrong. I know importing can be extremely profitable and I wouldn't ignore it as a viable option to earn a nice income from but it really just comes down to what you're looking to do. If you want those huge margins while moving a lot of inventory you have to be ready to work your A$$ OFF and deal with major issues on a regular basis.

        Is it worth it? Sure, for some people who have loads of cash to play with and are ready to commit xxx amount of time per week into their business.

        And yes, I know you can import for "as little as $200" but I'm talking about making real money and doing big business.

        Right now I'm living in Thailand, I'm going back to NY for Christmas, then I'm traveling across South America and eventually making my way to Brazil for the world cup next July. I know I personally wouldn't feel comfortable living this lifestyle if I was still laying out so much cash for inventory while having to deal with the issues that came up when I was importing in volume.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464241].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
          I totally agree with you !

          The thing is that we are not against importing we just prefer Drop Shipping!.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464253].message }}
  • Wait, wait, wait, wait, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait.

    So now you're putting in ANOTHER middle man?

    And a partner to boot?

    Sounds to me like it's just someone else in the pile that's taking your money.

    Have I dropshipped? Yes, have I imported? Yes.

    Have I sourced every way to Tuesday other means? Of course I have. I generally teach how to do the market research to make a decision based on numbers.

    But by far, dropshipping is quite difficult.

    But this strategy that I'm hearing sounds like just another person in the pile needing to take a cut.

    It generally goes:


    Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer -- with everyone marking their margin up making it more expensive in the process.

    But with dropshipping, it goes:

    Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Dropshipper → Retailer → Consumer

    And now, what it looks like, you're proposing:

    Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Dropshipper → Dropship partner AND Retailer → Consumer.

    However, with Importing it's

    Manufacturer → Retailer → Consumer.

    That's not a lot of people taking a cut and marking up.

    I'm not just looking at the margins here, I'm also looking at the market especially at the fair market value that these things have been tested --perhaps even 'focus grouped' as sold.

    If I cannot charge what people ACTUALLY sell these at, then this strategy with a 'dropship partner' wont work.


    Let alone traditional dropshipping with a supplier that intentionally inflates their pricing.

    With that said, I don't care where an item comes from, so long as it is profitable - but a seller cannot choose the price something sells for. Markets chose that for them.

    -Auction Debt Eliminator-
    Signature
    Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464319].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author alksense
      Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post

      With that said, I don't care where an item comes from, so long as it is profitable - but a seller cannot choose the price something sells for. Markets chose that for them.
      I know we have had this discussion before but I'll clarify again...

      The types of brands that I sell that offer drop shipping set their prices via MAP policies. The retailers do not set prices for them. Yes, they (the brands/suppliers) do their market research to determine how they will set their pricing but they are the ones who ultimately make that decision.

      The supply chain looks like this for the types of suppliers I sell for:

      Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer

      Wholesaler is the "brand" and my company is the retailer.

      With the types of companies that I sell for it is impossible to go straight to the manufacturer because I sell branded products (it would be like trying to go to the source to sell Nike sneakers).

      In that past I have created my own brands and imported directly. It was very profitable but like I said above I ultimately decided it wasn't worth the time and stress that came along with it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464411].message }}
      • Originally Posted by alksense View Post

        I know we have had this discussion before but I'll clarify again...

        The types of brands that I sell that offer drop shipping set their prices via MAP policies. The retailers do not set prices for them. Yes, they (the brands/suppliers) do their market research to determine how they will set their pricing but they are the ones who ultimately make that decision.

        The supply chain looks like this for the types of suppliers I sell for:

        Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer

        Wholesaler is the "brand" and my company is the retailer.

        With the types of companies that I sell for it is impossible to go straight to the manufacturer because I sell branded products (it would be like trying to go to the source to sell Nike sneakers).

        In that past I have created my own brands and imported directly. It was very profitable but like I said above I ultimately decided it wasn't worth the time and stress that came along with it.

        So, I know there has been some back-and-forth about experience and all - and 'if-you've-set-up-an-ecommerce-store' and the like, and well, I have.

        I've imported, I've set up ecommerce stores, and yes, we've talked about this very principle in the past before about your strategy about getting dropshippers with MAP policies and that is what protects you and your prices.

        Here's the problem with that approach.

        And just as a disclaimer, I'm not trying to pick a fight here - so a counter-argument of 'But I have experience in this!' is going to ring hollow because we all do.

        The problem with that approach, and what you and I have argued in the past is that a supplier, in doing this, is going to shoot themselves in the foot in the long run, and they will go out of business practicing that model.

        It runs against basic economic principles and math.

        This is basic High School stuff too.

        To give you an example, take one of the biggest dot com blunders with a supplier called Pets.com.

        They even had a superbowl commercial!

        Here's the problem. Prices are only determined by a fair-market value. People will only pay what they deem an item is worth - and not what a supplier will just pull out of thin air as the price of an item. MSRP is the biggest myth since moon-cheese, since items pretty much have never, ever, ever sold at an MSRP. It's a gimmick to get people to think: 'Oh wow, lookie at what a great deal I'm getting!'

        If a supplier came up to me and said, "Here, sell these waffles - but you can't charge less than 500 bucks' every one of my consumers would tell me to take a hike!

        And I would have to take that hike.

        A supplier does NOT choose the price of a product - the MARKET does. And from that market, you THEN determine what price you CAN acquire an item for. From there, you have leverage to then contact a supplier OR a manufacturer, OR a wholesaler and say: "Hey, THIS is the price I need to be competitive in THIS market for THIS product based on the DATA."

        You cannot pull numbers from thin air, and you cannot take anyone's word for it and expect to make money. Because in the end, it could just be that the suppliers are just trying to screw you over and more often than not the MAP price is just a price where they don't want YOU to compete with THEM or their high volume sellers.

        They tried just signing up just everyone in the early 2000's and it put many of them out of business - including Pets.com - so now they have come up with creative solutions to keep the newbies at bay including, but not limited to:

        Initial cash deposits,
        Membership fees,
        Inflated wholesale prices
        Bogus MAP pricing.

        -Auction Debt Eliminator-
        Signature
        Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8474936].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
          I think everyone else in the world should dropship, because I love destroying my dropshipping competition. Nothing more fun than buying in bulk with my individual item price being 1/4 of what people are paying for it when they dropship and then destroying the market for an item by penny pricing systematically until nobody can compete with me, leaving me to make all of the sales and still get the item to my customers in a fraction of the time - all while still making a profit.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8475230].message }}
          • Originally Posted by Silas Hart View Post

            I think everyone else in the world should dropship, because I love destroying my dropshipping competition. Nothing more fun than buying in bulk with my individual item price being 1/4 of what people are paying for it when they dropship and then destroying the market for an item by penny pricing systematically until nobody can compete with me, leaving me to make all of the sales and still get the item to my customers in a fraction of the time - all while still making a profit.
            Secretly I wish I would have come up with this humorous response.

            It's basically playing into what I was saying as well - with MAP prices, people compete to be too low..

            So the bulk sales people get the breaks.

            The dropshippers lose every. single. time.

            It's so hard to dropship. Is it possible? Yes. But it is very, very hard.
            Signature
            Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8475476].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
              Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post


              It's so hard to dropship. Is it possible? Yes. But it is very, very hard.

              Can you please explain what is so hard for you in Drop Shipping ?

              Maybe what is very very hard for you is easy to others ?

              Drop Shipping has many forms and models, maybe you had bad experience with non-practical model.

              please try to give examples or try to compare Drop Shipping to importing or buying in bulk.

              Thanks
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8475606].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author alksense
            Originally Posted by Silas Hart View Post

            I think everyone else in the world should dropship, because I love destroying my dropshipping competition. Nothing more fun than buying in bulk with my individual item price being 1/4 of what people are paying for it when they dropship and then destroying the market for an item by penny pricing systematically until nobody can compete with me, leaving me to make all of the sales and still get the item to my customers in a fraction of the time - all while still making a profit.
            That theory definitely holds up if you're talking about generic products but you obviously wouldn't be competing against people who are retailers for brands that offering drop shipping.... That would be like having a factory make you Nike's and trying to sell them for less than the completion (without getting sued).

            IMO selling for legitimate brands is the only way drop shipping can work. If you're not doing that then you're playing a game that you can not win.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8475623].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Importexport
            Originally Posted by Silas Hart View Post

            I think everyone else in the world should dropship, because I love destroying my dropshipping competition. Nothing more fun than buying in bulk with my individual item price being 1/4 of what people are paying for it when they dropship and then destroying the market for an item by penny pricing systematically until nobody can compete with me, leaving me to make all of the sales and still get the item to my customers in a fraction of the time - all while still making a profit.
            @Silas Hart,

            Your post supports what I have often stated on the forum, and because you are not promoting importing, just speaking from experience, maybe people will believe the margins that can be obtained through importing.

            I have several times stated that if someone buys direct from the manufacturer, their margins can be so high that if they find the product is selling slowly they can sell out their inventory by discounting at 50% and still make heaps more profit than they would if they were dropshipping.

            People who don't believe the high margins you can get by buying direct have either bought from traders masquerading as manufacturers, or have never obtained genuine quotes from genuine manufacturers.
            Signature
            Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8504688].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
      Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post

      Wait, wait, wait, wait, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait.

      So now you're putting in ANOTHER middle man?

      And a partner to boot?

      Sounds to me like it's just someone else in the pile that's taking your money.

      Have I dropshipped? Yes, have I imported? Yes.

      Have I sourced every way to Tuesday other means? Of course I have. I generally teach how to do the market research to make a decision based on numbers.

      But by far, dropshipping is quite difficult.

      But this strategy that I'm hearing sounds like just another person in the pile needing to take a cut.

      It generally goes:


      Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer -- with everyone marking their margin up making it more expensive in the process.

      But with dropshipping, it goes:

      Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Dropshipper → Retailer → Consumer

      And now, what it looks like, you're proposing:

      Manufacturer → Wholesaler → Dropshipper → Dropship partner AND Retailer → Consumer.

      However, with Importing it's

      Manufacturer → Retailer → Consumer.

      That's not a lot of people taking a cut and marking up.

      I'm not just looking at the margins here, I'm also looking at the market especially at the fair market value that these things have been tested --perhaps even 'focus grouped' as sold.

      If I cannot charge what people ACTUALLY sell these at, then this strategy with a 'dropship partner' wont work.


      Let alone traditional dropshipping with a supplier that intentionally inflates their pricing.

      With that said, I don't care where an item comes from, so long as it is profitable - but a seller cannot choose the price something sells for. Markets chose that for them.

      -Auction Debt Eliminator-
      Hey,

      I understand your point, and fully aware where it came from.

      But allow me to disagree with you, your scheme is not so accurate.

      I will not go into explanations right now but i will go straight to the facts:
      1. i can beat any price you can get if you go sourcing by yourself from websites like alibaba....
      How is that ?
      * i deal directly with the manufacturers (most of the companies registered on Alibaba are just trading companies)
      * I get better prices because i meet the manufacturers face to face, believe it or not, in china it's still works.
      * I can easily overcome the cultural and language barriers and develop better relations with the suppliers.
      2. By aggregating all orders in the same locations i can save Shipping costs, Add flexibility and find unique solutions.
      For Example:
      * Save on shipping costs when buyer order 3 different items from 3 different manufacturers ( yes it happens some times).
      * Standardization of shipments, adding Marketing material to Parcels etc..

      Actually there are many kinds of business models and strategies, I am not saying which is better i just demonstrate the advantages of my methods and experience.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8464438].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Importexport
        The original question posed by Matteoss was "So how can dropshipping be better than importing?"
        The key word is "better" and that is a highly subjective. In other words it is a matter of opinion. The only way to properly discuss the issue is I think, to look at the two main ways that "better" could be applied in relation to operating a retail business. There are other factors of course..
        • Better in terms of ease
        • Better in terms of profit
        In relation to the first, I think dropshipping probably has the edge, although that depends on how you conduct the business. Some resellers manage to automate their systems well, others seem to spend endless time on processing.

        In relation to profit, I think importing cannot be beaten.

        My view is that the purpose of operating a business is to make profit. Dropship suppliers such as Matteoss will always tell you that you can make great profits by buying from them, but the countless posts on WF in which resellers talk about razor thin margins, struggling to make a decent profit, and becoming disillusioned with dropshipping attest to the fact that profit margins are poor.

        Now I know that many people are happy to work on big turnover and low margins in order to have what they see as an easier life. If they are content to stay at the bottom of the food chain, and handle huge volumes with all that processing time on their computers, as well as the risks involved in dropshipping, that is their choice.

        I have always preferred to work on a higher margin, lower volume basis with the much lower labor input necessary to allow me to enjoy a big income. And it worked for me ▬ let me show you how:

        Having been an exporter for some years, I sold my export business and began importing. I had a good business model, selling B2B, and business quickly blossomed. I ran the business with almost nil inventory, using my own version of "Just in time" ordering, so my capital outlay was negligible.

        I began employing family members until we could not cope with the sales growth. We were getting spread too thin. Rather than employ outside the family, I chose to franchise the business and finished up with franchisees in 4 countries.

        The reason I give that background is that without very high profit margins I could not have kept all those franchisees happy. They have to pay royalties, so they need profits to cover that. They saw my lifestyle and wanted the same. If I had not been able to maintain that high level of profitability for them they would have rebelled and sued me.

        I never sold them any products. I showed them how to safely source supplies direct from the manufacturers and taught them how to buy at prices that guaranteed them very high profits, and they all ordered direct from the factories. Orders would average only a few every day, sometimes 8 or 10. The franchisees enjoyed a quiet life and a big income. What's more they have done it with very little outlay on inventory.

        To afford the high freight costs involved in "Just in time" ordering, you must have very high profit margins. That is why I always went direct to the manufacturers. For people who prefer to have an inventory on hand, sell it, and then order more, they should still buy direct if they want maximum profits.

        Buying direct can be done hassle-free as I proved for 22 years. No franchisee has suffered rip-offs from suppliers, and quality problems were very rare.
        Signature
        Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466231].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
          Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

          The original question posed by Matteoss was "So how can dropshipping be better than importing?"
          The key word is "better" and that is a highly subjective. In other words it is a matter of opinion. The only way to properly discuss the issue is I think, to look at the two main ways that "better" could be applied in relation to operating a retail business. There are other factors of course..
          • Better in terms of ease
          • Better in terms of profit
          In relation to the first, I think dropshipping probably has the edge, although that depends on how you conduct the business. Some resellers manage to automate their systems well, others seem to spend endless time on processing.

          In relation to profit, I think importing cannot be beaten.

          Please explain how to beat cross border shipping rates ?

          I operates an e-commerce website and i've got traffic from Australia, Saudi Arabia and UK. So please tell me, should i give up on this traffic ?

          If i had to import to my local warehouse in US and i had to ship abroad, the shipping fees would be killing me... and i couldn't sell to those countries.

          Please explain how to be able to offer 1500 sku's as a starter ?

          If i had to import 10pcs of each item i offer i had to pay for 15,000 items!
          it means to have a warehouse, an inventory system, warehouse manager and huge capital!

          I appreciate your 20 years experience but the world has changed, you should read more about Long Tail strategies.

          Please give few examples, for items you know, that proves that importing is more profitable than Drop Shipping, we should try to be more practical and put the numbers together...
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466954].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Importexport
        Originally Posted by Matteoss View Post

        Hey,

        I understand your point, and fully aware where it came from.

        But allow me to disagree with you, your scheme is not so accurate.

        I will not go into explanations right now but i will go straight to the facts:
        1. i can beat any price you can get if you go sourcing by yourself from websites like alibaba....
        How is that ?
        * i deal directly with the manufacturers (most of the companies registered on Alibaba are just trading companies)
        * I get better prices because i meet the manufacturers face to face, believe it or not, in china it's still works.
        * I can easily overcome the cultural and language barriers and develop better relations with the suppliers.
        2. By aggregating all orders in the same locations i can save Shipping costs, Add flexibility and find unique solutions.
        For Example:
        * Save on shipping costs when buyer order 3 different items from 3 different manufacturers ( yes it happens some times).
        * Standardization of shipments, adding Marketing material to Parcels etc..

        Actually there are many kinds of business models and strategies, I am not saying which is better i just demonstrate the advantages of my methods and experience.
        Hi Matteoss,

        Unfortunately, because you do not know what I teach, you make some wrong assumptions. What you say may be relevant to dropshipping, but not to direct importing the way I teach it. Here are some of the facts directly answering all your points:


        1. I never recommend using Alibaba as a sourcing platform. I know full well that the vast majority of suppliers listed on Alibaba as manufacturers are traders. Incidentally Alibaba are not alone in this. Almost every "manufacturer" listed on the popular sourcing platforms is a trader. I always teach the need to deal direct with manufacturers, not with anyone lower down the food chain. You are not the manufacturer, so your price to your customers will be the manufacturer's price to you plus your margin. Importing the way I teach enables buyers to avoid paying that margin.
        * I have met manufacturers face to face for many years, and I agree that nothing can beat that. I also know that using the methods I have perfected, the people I teach can be sure they are getting the best prices. I know from 22 years experience.
        * Having been a very frequent visitor to China since 1978 when I began exporting there, I understand the culture very well. My relations with suppliers have been excellent, with real friendships. I still exchange greetings with several of them even though I have no further business dealings with them. We still discuss trends and changes in China, so I am kept up to date.

        2. Aggregating orders is of little interest except to dropship resellers. I know how to get the best freight deals out of China. After all, 22 years doing it taught me a thing or two and gave me excellent contacts.
        * Orders come from various places, not only China, and there are ways to handle that efficiently.
        * I have never had a problem getting suppliers to place the appropriate logo on the goods, package them correctly, sometimes with barcodes. Some have involved packaging in point of sale display packaging.

        For those who don't want to dropship, it certainly is possible to safely source and buy direct from real manufacturers and import the easy way, for maximum possible profits
        Signature
        Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8482798].message }}
  • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466444].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by alksense View Post

      @Importexport

      Have you ever owned an eCommerce store?
      No.

      Have you ever played big league baseball or any other professional sport? Even if you have not I have no doubt you know a good play when you see it, and you know a dumb shot when you see that too.
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466459].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author alksense
        Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

        No.

        Have you ever played big league baseball or any other professional sport? Even if you have not I have no doubt you know a good play when you see it, and you know a dumb shot when you see that too.
        And a pro would also recognize when unfounded advice was being given...

        I'm sure if people want advice on importing you know what you're talking about but this is an eCommerce forum and to share advice on something you have never done yourself is part of the reason so many experts stay away from forums.. it's the blind leading the blind.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466470].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Importexport
          Originally Posted by alksense View Post

          And a pro would also recognize when unfounded advice was being given...

          I'm sure if people want advice on importing you know what you're talking about but this is an eCommerce forum and to share advice on something you have never done yourself is part of the reason so many experts stay away from forums.. it's the blind leading the blind.
          This forum is an internet marketing forum, and this thread is specifically asking for a comparison between dropshipping and importing.

          If you disagree with what I say, and "unfounded advice" sounds as though you do, maybe you should address the flaws that you see in what I say.

          For a long time I worked as a corporate troubleshooter. Time and again I went into a business in which I had no direct experience and sorted out problems those experienced people could not handle. They had blinkers on, and in most cases the solution was staring them in the face.

          In an earlier post you wrote: "Don't get me wrong. I know importing can be extremely profitable and I wouldn't ignore it as a viable option to earn a nice income from but it really just comes down to what you're looking to do." but you gave it up in favor of dropshipping. From what I have read in your posts I suggest your importing model was to blame for your disenchantment with the industry, not importing in itself..

          I understand your vigorous defense of dropshipping as a business model because that's what you teach. I also understand why Matteoss is so keen to promote it because he is establishing himself as a dropship supplier.

          I am keen to suggest importing is better and yes, I have something to sell too.
          Signature
          Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8467153].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author alksense
            Originally Posted by BacklinksPlus View Post

            Geez alot of back and forth over this,I think all alksense is saying after doing importing and drop shipping "he" feels drop shipping is easier. And having been on both sides myself I'll say the same. If importing is easier for others. More power to you.
            Exactly... I thought I made it perfectly clear that I'm writing from my experience but I guess the point was lost.

            Originally Posted by Importexport View Post

            This forum is an internet marketing forum, and this thread is specifically asking for a comparison between dropshipping and importing.
            Yes, the WF is an internet marketing forum but you are posting in the eCommerce section:

            Building eCommerce Sites - Wholesale, Drop Shipping

            I would just like to think that members that share advice actually have at least some experience to back up what they say (which in this case is drop shipping or importing when selling online). Otherwise the information is totally unfounded because it's based on your assumptions.

            I don't mean to call you out but your first post in this thread is ridiculous being that you have never run an eCommerce store. It's stuff like that which gives internet marketing a bad name. People trying to sell information while discussing things they literally have 0 experience with.

            I'm sure you know a lot about importing but if you have never ran an eCommerce store I don't know how you could possibly have drawn such conclusions on what works best. Again, I'm not saying drop shipping is best for everyone. I'm saying it's best for me because I've done business both ways.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8467234].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Importexport
              Originally Posted by alksense View Post

              Exactly... I thought I made it perfectly clear that I'm writing from my experience but I guess the point was lost.
              Yes, the WF is an internet marketing forum but you are posting in the eCommerce section:
              Building eCommerce Sites - Wholesale, Drop Shipping

              I would just like to think that members that share advice actually have at least some experience to back up what they say (which in this case is drop shipping or importing when selling online). Otherwise the information is totally unfounded because it's based on your assumptions.

              I don't mean to call you out but your first post in this thread is ridiculous being that you have never run an eCommerce store. It's stuff like that which gives internet marketing a bad name. People trying to sell information while discussing things they literally have 0 experience with.

              I'm sure you know a lot about importing but if you have never ran an eCommerce store I don't know how you could possibly have drawn such conclusions on what works best. Again, I'm not saying drop shipping is best for everyone. I'm saying it's best for me because I've done business both ways.
              So none of the people you teach all they need to know about dropshipping would be qualified or entitled to express an opinion about dropshipping?

              In my first post, which you describe as "ridiculous" I started by saying the issues put in the question are a matter of opinion. In the introductory part I said "I think dropshipping..........." and "I think importing.......". I started the next paragraph with "My view is....". Hardly like the dogmatism evident in your posts.

              I didn't expect it would be necessary to present my CV because I thought this thread was intended to be a discussion on the question put by the OP, but when I answered "No" to your question if I had ever run an eCommerce business it appears that I should have expanded upon the matter of my franchisees and their use of eCommerce.

              I had many franchisees in 4 countries, and while the business was B2B a growing number of them began using internet marketing to sell to business customers. Before long this led to consumer interest as their websites gained higher Google ratings. By the time I sold out, sales to consumers had become a large part of the sales of many of my franchisees.

              I was involved in web design, not strictly as a designer, but conceptually, and as their advertising and marketing expert. I helped them target the markets where they could obtain best returns for their time.

              Those sites which originated as typical online brochure sites became eCommerce sites, and although I did not operate them in my own right I was a contributor and was kept fully informed. I saw what worked and what did not.

              Now maybe we can deal with the issues rather than the personalities?
              Signature
              Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8469638].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BacklinksPlus
    Geez alot of back and forth over this,I think all alksense is saying after doing importing and drop shipping "he" feels drop shipping is easier. And having been on both sides myself I'll say the same. If importing is easier for others. More power to you.
    Signature
    Venom Software
    Craigslist lead scraper mailer/Linkedin Bot
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8466986].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author malia
    I used to drop ship. I was fortunate, for a run, because I was sourcing outside of drop ship directories and would find manufacturers that did not advertise dropship. It was buried deep on paper in their account set up, terms of sale and such.

    Thus, I had a run before people started getting into it but as more and more people get into it, they eventually find your suppliers and even though you have set prices, now you have tons of stores selling the same products.

    It was a good learning experience though.

    Then I went into regular retail, knowing that eventually many of the brands (Brands and with MAP) I carried would open their own online shops, but I had about 3-4 years before that happened.

    So about a year or so into regular retail (i.e. stocking inventory) I started manufacturing my own brands. Some import, some domestic. I've been doing that for quite a while now.

    Even as I take in what other people do (the dropship model has a lot of benefits because of the niche philosophy) for me personally the path is own the brand, manufacture it or import it. Even if the generic product market is crowded (i.e. blue widgets) you can build a brand name.

    SEO isn't what it used to be. Even those who promote drop ship know you can't rely on organic search for that strategy because you're competing with many others. PPC/PLA isn't going to be sustainable long term because people will bid up the prices. With creating a brand I am able to use PR very VERY well (i.e. getting the product featured editorially in magazines and other publications online or off) which is a strategy almost impossible to implement with drop shipping.

    I think drop shipping is good while it's good. But you have to be open to other ways of doing business because the markets shift, the methods of online promotion shift, etc., I've been on another forum where people ask for help marketing their stores, and people throw out idea after idea but they cant implement them bc they have thin margins from drop shipping. At some point, you gotta admit it doesn't leave you with much.

    I appreciate your 20 years experience but the world has changed, you should read more about Long Tail strategies.
    Yeah but there's also a lot to be said for niche, which doesn't require 1500 SKUS. Having 1500 SKUS-- let's be honest here, is really saying, I have so many items showing up in organic search and PPC/PLA (or whatever) that combined I am going to make good revenue selling them because some of them will have velocity over the course of the year. Presuming each SKU is an individual item (vs a different size or color of one item) it is going really wide on the premise of selling something.

    Yes, with that model, the ONLY way the business works IS drop shipping because the inventory risk is not borne by the ecommerce store operator. It's as my friend said, throwing the entire pot of spaghetti at the wall knowing some of it will stick.

    Let's not dance around the issue here, bc I used to do this too.

    And while there are TONS of suppliers who do not want to sell retail, let's be honest, many will and those that do not, will start to push their product into the pipeline of branded retailers (online or off) leaving the other drop shippers to pick up the scraps. One of the product lines I drop shipped is now sold on Macys.com. The other one didn't star their own ecommerce business-- they acquired one, LOL!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8476180].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
      [QUOTE=malia;8476180]I used to drop ship. I was fortunate, for a run, because I was sourcing outside of drop ship directories and would find manufacturers that did not advertise dropship. It was buried deep on paper in their account set up, terms of sale and such.............................................. ...../QUOTE]

      I totally agree with you on most of the points.

      I just want to clear my point on "how can drop shipping be better choice than importing?"

      I've noticed that most of you look at drop shipping as a one solid model, but what i was trying to say in this thread is that drop shipping can have many forms and models.

      When you build your business you must differentiate yourself from others in order to succeed, you have to develop unique business model or strategy. It can be the mixture of your products range (niche), your marketing strategies or the logistics solutions.

      Now i want all of you try to close your eyes and imagine you own a warehouse in China, with workers and you also have an ERP system where you can manage your orders, your inventory and you shipments.
      Now imagine that you can order items, small quantities or big, directly from manufacturers and store it in your warehouse.

      Now stop to imagine!

      If you want to have a successful Drop Ship business you should wake up and find a business partner in China who can do all this work for you, while you busy with marketing and promoting your business.

      Guys Think Big! If you think, to do all the work by yourselves, you won't get far.

      I am talking about drop shipping as a logistic solution and it can fit niche websites with 300 items or big shopping supermarket with thousands sku's.

      1. Price Control - deal directly with manufacturers in China.
      2. Private label - Add your logo and packing (create your own brand even when you order only 100 pcs).
      3.Stock control - don't rely on others inventory build your own inventory.
      4. China storage save the shipping costs to your locations
      5. Get original Products photos
      6. Ship to everywhere in the world with low shipping rates
      7. don't deal with shipping, packing, postal issues
      8. 100% automation

      now let's compare:

      let's say you and want to sell the same product manufactured in China:
      let' say we get the same price quote from the factory 10$ and it weights 500g/unit.

      we order 100 pcs equal to 50 kilo.

      Now i just checked the shipping rate from China to USA with DHL for 50 kilo is 246$

      In China from factory to my warehouse it around 15$.

      so your cost is already 10$ +2.46$ +Taxes = 12.46$ + tax

      My cost is 10$ + 0.15$ = 10.15$

      let's say we sell one item to USA client:

      USPS RATES:

      Priority Mail 2-Dayâ„¢ Small Flat Rate BoxMore info about Priority Mail 2-Dayâ„¢ Small Flat Rate Box
      USPS-Produced Box: 8-5/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-5/8"
      Mon, Sep 9
      $5.80

      China Post:
      6.8$ with tracking

      so my cost in this case will be 10.15 +6.8$ = 16.95$

      yours 12.46$ +5.8$ = 18.26$


      now let's say we sell one item to Australian client!

      USPS RATES:

      First-Class Package International Serviceâ„¢**More info about First-Class Package International Serviceâ„¢**
      Maximum Value for Contents: $400.00
      Other than rolls: Max. length 24", max length, height and depth (thickness) combined 36"
      Rolls: Max. length 36". Max length and twice the diameter combined 42"
      Varies by destination
      $18.60

      Your cost 12.46$ + 18.6$ = 31.06$

      My cost 10.15 +6.8$ = 16.95$


      In both cases my costs will be better and i will have higher margins !!!

      It's simple math, you can do your own calculations but i think i proved my point!
      And this is how Drop Shipping can be better than importing, you just have to develop the right business model.

      Good Luck!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8477743].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JDSalinger
    This may be one of the most thoughtful threads on these topics in the Warrior Forum. I know this thread may have ruffled some feathers but the result has been an excellent discussion about some of the issues with dropshipping. Thank you. However, it may also be good to discuss some of the challenges surrounding importing like getting consistent quality control of products, dealing with trademark and copyright issues, etc. Obviously your mileage will vary but some discussion of these points would probably add more value rather than only piling on the dropshipping model.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8476325].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by JDSalinger View Post

      This may be one of the most thoughtful threads on these topics in the Warrior Forum. I know this thread may have ruffled some feathers but the result has been an excellent discussion about some of the issues with dropshipping. Thank you. However, it may also be good to discuss some of the challenges surrounding importing like getting consistent quality control of products, dealing with trademark and copyright issues, etc. Obviously your mileage will vary but some discussion of these points would probably add more value rather than only piling on the dropshipping model.
      Thanks JDSalinger,I have posted thanks for a number of contributors to this thread because it is good to see thoughtful comments being added

      I certainly agree that it would be good to address some of the issues surrounding importing, and I will do that in my next post.

      Meanwhile some comments about posts so far:
      • MAP. While this forum is US based, it should be remembered that it has members from all over the world. MAP is illegal in many countries including the entire EU, Australia, and New Zealand.
      • Market value. It is a well known principle that market value is determined by the amount a willing buyer is prepared to pay and a willing seller is prepared to accept. I agree with ADE, that is what determines price, not MAP policies.
      • SKUs. Malia's excellent post highlighted the issue with her quote: "It's as my friend said, throwing the entire pot of spaghetti at the wall knowing some of it will stick." I see people offering 30,000 SKUs. The question is how much money (profit) do they finish up with for their input of time, labor and money? I used to love seeing my business generate only a few orders every day, while the big money rolled in from those few orders.
      Silas Hart, I think you are right everyone else should dropship. I think maybe those who have successful eCommerce businesses should not knock dropshipping.
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8476913].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JDSalinger
        I am relatively new to these topics but the SKU question is an interesting one. By being able to dropship, you are able to cast a wider net to where you can potentially reach more customers. Each page with a different SKU would mean another page where you might be able to reach a customer in the SERPs, product comparison listings, Amazon, ebay, etc.) who otherwise might not see your website. And there would be a little more work to have more SKUs but not sure it is really that taxing. I mean if the supplier is already providing those extra SKUs, it really doesn't seem to me that it's that much effort unless you need to adjust the prices on a regular basis or the products are changing that much like every year or season. If the prices are set to MAP, I think that issue would be resolved as well as long as the manufacturer is enforcing the MAP.

        My guess is that this probably works best in niches where they wouldn't normally get consistent sales of one specific product or SKU every day, but as a whole can get consist sales with all the variations (different SKUs) because the e-retailer isn't able to only offer just a few SKUs only to get all sales. The other advantage of having a lot of SKUs would probably be that it adds credibility to the e-retailer in the eyes of the shopper because of the different options even if they end up buying just a few of the SKUs.

        On the importer's side of things, I would think there is something to be said about being in control of the pricing where you have larger margins and have more flexibility to price changes on your margins. I could see how you could build a brand and promote it with the larger margins. But you wouldn't have the same reach with a company that promotes 1,000 SKUs for all the long tail keywords as you wouldn't have that many various variations of product normally.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8477039].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tritrain
    I'm jealous. You're sitting in a fantastic position for growth.
    Signature
    Domains for sale - see seopositions.net
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8477047].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Many people do meet up with problems such as JDSalinger wrote: "getting consistent quality control of products, dealing with trademark and copyright issues, etc."

      Quality control. You will often see posts by people who want to sell you their services as sourcing agents, sometimes including quality control inspections. Some of the big websites have advertisers offering those services.

      It sounds good in theory, but who polices the policeman? Are they really working for you, or are they secretly working for the supplier? This is not theory, I know it happens. Sourcing agents work on commissions from the suppliers, or sometimes they offer to supply you, in which case they add their margin.

      Straight out quality control services do exist and some of them, particularly those based in Europe have a fine reputation. The problem is that for small businesses their charges can soak up too much of the possible profit.

      A sub-subject of the quality control issue is certification. If goods require certification it is usual for suppliers to provide the necessary certificates. There can be a problem with that because fake certificates are very common. There are ways to check authenticity and I outline these in my book, but too much to put in here. Just be aware, don't believe everything you read and don't accept certificates because they look authentic.

      The quality control solution I have always used is to tie payment in with quality approval on receipt of goods. This is best achieved by arranging a monthly or open account with the suppliers. Not easy, but there are tricks of the trade, and every one of my former franchisees had monthly accounts.

      Trademark and Copyright. I won't pretend there is an easy answer to this one. There is not. China is trying to improve their image in this area, but getting through to the millions of businesses in China is a difficult task. Authorities do prosecute "flagship" cases, but the Chinese media has much more interesting things to put before the public.

      Case History: One of my franchisees placed a large order for items bearing the logo and trademark of a very big organization, with strict instructions that no images of the product were to be displayed in advertising. An associated company closely affiliated with the supplier breached that agreement. Fortunately the goodwill from longstanding association was sufficient to have the advertising withdrawn.

      This leads me to point out that honest businesses in China almost always trade under 3 or more names, sometimes as many as 8 or 10. Dishonest businesses trade under countless names, so that when they tarnish their reputation they carry on under a different name which is already operating.

      There are ways to establish the standing of a Chinese company and there is one sourcing platform that does a great job in doing that for you before they list them as a supplier.

      If a buyer is aware of the problems and has learned how to avoid them, importing direct from the factories can be extremely profitable.
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8477488].message }}
  • ^^^ I appreciate the attempt here, Matteoss, and I especially appreciate the inclusion of data.

    However, you only included the shipping costs. There are other deductions and principles that people need to have - and I'm glad you allowed the open-ended invitation for people to do 'their own calculations'

    Here's the issue, though, and it goes to your first point:

    "1. Price Control - deal directly with manufacturers in China."

    Now. As a manufacturer, it is in their best interest to make money, of course, and have items turn over. So, naturally, they will want to sell those items. At times, they will sign up people and they will in turn, sell them.

    Now - as I have said many, many times before, sellers do not choose the price items sell for - markets do.

    However, unscrupulous sellers that are caught up in the competition can prematurely manipulate that market.

    What you'll see is the first person getting a GREAT margin that bought from you for a few days.

    Then, the manufacturer, wanting to continue to push products (and doing forum posts to continue to push product) will sign up more people.

    Then, they will all sell the product, do their research, and 'think' that lowering the price will keep them competitive.

    This will artificially bring down the market price of the item until it is really, really, low and NO one is making a margin to make it worth it.

    Then, we have a manufacturer going nuts because no one is selling, they set bogus 'MAP' prices, and the same thing happens.

    Meanwhile, the price breaks are only going to high volume sellers or the manufacturer themselves who want a majority stake in the platform.

    I'm telling you - there is no price control if there is great competition, and people without knowledge knowing how to research the market worth of items.


    -Auction Debt Eliminator-
    Signature
    Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8478579].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
      Originally Posted by Auctiondebteliminator View Post

      ^^^ I appreciate the attempt here, Matteoss, and I especially appreciate the inclusion of data.

      However, you only included the shipping costs. There are other deductions and principles that people need to have - and I'm glad you allowed the open-ended invitation for people to do 'their own calculations'

      Here's the issue, though, and it goes to your first point:

      "1. Price Control - deal directly with manufacturers in China."

      Now. As a manufacturer, it is in their best interest to make money, of course, and have items turn over. So, naturally, they will want to sell those items. At times, they will sign up people and they will in turn, sell them.

      Now - as I have said many, many times before, sellers do not choose the price items sell for - markets do.

      However, unscrupulous sellers that are caught up in the competition can prematurely manipulate that market.

      What you'll see is the first person getting a GREAT margin that bought from you for a few days.

      Then, the manufacturer, wanting to continue to push products (and doing forum posts to continue to push product) will sign up more people.

      Then, they will all sell the product, do their research, and 'think' that lowering the price will keep them competitive.

      This will artificially bring down the market price of the item until it is really, really, low and NO one is making a margin to make it worth it.

      Then, we have a manufacturer going nuts because no one is selling, they set bogus 'MAP' prices, and the same thing happens.

      Meanwhile, the price breaks are only going to high volume sellers or the manufacturer themselves who want a majority stake in the platform.

      I'm telling you - there is no price control if there is great competition, and people without knowledge knowing how to research the market worth of items.


      -Auction Debt Eliminator-

      Thanks for your detailed reply but i meant for something else.

      When i said Price Control i meant the costs, when you deal directly with manufacturers, you can get better price for for higher volumes, you can also reduce the price by controlling the specifications, you can change the packing and reduce shipping costs etc..

      These are main issues when you are work with common drop shippers. And what i was trying to say is, that if you can develop good relations with drop shipping partner you can overcome these issues and actually enjoy the same benefits importer usually enjoy...


      Personally i don't know what is the big deal about MAP, i don't need MAP in order to sell in higher prices. i am looking at it as a simple formula (X)UV Traffic x (y)Conversion Rate = (Z)Sales

      And if you want to know which factor has the biggest effect on conversion rate you should read this article :

      Why do online shoppers abandon from checkout? [Infographic] - Smart Insights Digital Marketing Advice

      Price is not even the fifth factor.

      So if you know what you are doing the price won't be a problem at all.

      I do not agree with this statement that "sellers do not choose the price items sell for - markets do. " It can be true only for marketplaces like eBay and amazon.

      As a seller i choose the prices and i make sure to bring the right audience to my websites. The market is too big to choose the price for me.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8478816].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author malia
    Matteoss- you have an interesting point.

    I'm experienced in ecommerce, so I don't have the perspective of someone trying it out. I wouldn't drop ship for a Chinese company unless I had a pre-arranged agreement to build out that market for them, then sell it to them (or something similar). I have one such arrangement with a company in a country other than China.

    In my experience, the Chinese companies that will allow that arrangement will eventually go after the retail dollar. With the relatively lower cost of wages, and the lower cost to acquire goods, the ecommerce merchant is really the one who tests out and breaks open the market. I've seen it happen countless times in my industry. They will not uphold MAP because money talks. And as the company that has to add on to THEIR cost, you cannot win.

    I have had suppliers swear to me that they did not sell to consumers yet would find out that... money talked... it really did. And me, personally, feeling some kind of way about it withheld chargeback education and felt like "hey you wanna play in my pond, get ready for the sharks." But that's another story.

    I am sure that there are many Chinese companies that will not do this, but I don't know I would ever advise someone EXPERIENCED to risk it.

    The people who are new to it, however, will do whatever they can to get something going and will be all for it.

    The truth is sitting on stock is expensive and eventually those holding stock would be stupid not to look at every avenue of selling it.

    There is a market for your pitch, though, you just ended up getting people with experience replying to this thread.

    Lastly------

    I get what ADE is saying and why you don't agree. I also understand that while you don't particularly like what he is saying, you should give him more credit than you are giving him.

    The market DOES determine what it wants to pay, particularly when you are in an undifferentiated market, which you seem to be. There are factors that INFLUENCE price, but the way you are operating, you won't have access to them.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8480366].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
      Originally Posted by malia View Post

      Matteoss- you have an interesting point.

      I'm experienced in ecommerce, so I don't have the perspective of someone trying it out. I wouldn't drop ship for a Chinese company unless I had a pre-arranged agreement to build out that market for them, then sell it to them (or something similar). I have one such arrangement with a company in a country other than China.

      In my experience, the Chinese companies that will allow that arrangement will eventually go after the retail dollar. With the relatively lower cost of wages, and the lower cost to acquire goods, the ecommerce merchant is really the one who tests out and breaks open the market. I've seen it happen countless times in my industry. They will not uphold MAP because money talks. And as the company that has to add on to THEIR cost, you cannot win.

      I have had suppliers swear to me that they did not sell to consumers yet would find out that... money talked... it really did. And me, personally, feeling some kind of way about it withheld chargeback education and felt like "hey you wanna play in my pond, get ready for the sharks." But that's another story.

      I am sure that there are many Chinese companies that will not do this, but I don't know I would ever advise someone EXPERIENCED to risk it.

      The people who are new to it, however, will do whatever they can to get something going and will be all for it.

      The truth is sitting on stock is expensive and eventually those holding stock would be stupid not to look at every avenue of selling it.

      There is a market for your pitch, though, you just ended up getting people with experience replying to this thread.

      Lastly------

      I get what ADE is saying and why you don't agree. I also understand that while you don't particularly like what he is saying, you should give him more credit than you are giving him.

      The market DOES determine what it wants to pay, particularly when you are in an undifferentiated market, which you seem to be. There are factors that INFLUENCE price, but the way you are operating, you won't have access to them.
      Hey Malia and ADE,

      What you are saying is that there are some competition problems in the market. ok we know that and we all are trying to deal with it in some way.

      But i think you missed the point or i totally didn't get your point, because what i was trying to say in simple words is " what are the main problems in Drop Shipping and how you can solve them , and how can it be better than importing goods to your location"

      I don't see how importing can solve the problems that you ADE and importexport raised.

      The big question is "What happens when you have a full control on your inventory and your margins are same as it could be when you import.
      I believe that in this case Drop Shipping would be preferred method for e-commerce.

      If you disagree please talk about this point and try to demonstrate how importing can be better ?
      what are the clearest advantages of importing in e-commerce?

      This is the real question here...

      By the way, i give all the credit to you and ADE and all the rest here and thank you for participating in this thread.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8480716].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author malia
    The big question is "What happens when you have a full control on your inventory and your margins are same as it could be when you import.
    Yeah, I get what you're saying. I don't think you'll get ME personally to buy into the reality that one will have full control and the same margins. Maybe the illusion, but not the reality.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8480827].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
    well.. blessed is the believer and probably you won't know it until you try it.
    But that's how it goes in business, you have to take risks, try new approaches and learn from trial and error.

    And the big question remains open, what makes importing better than drop shipping when with drop shipping you can have the option to purchase small quantities directly from the factories to store in a warehouse in China and ship it directly to your customers from all around the world ?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8481046].message }}
  • One of my favorite reasons is absolute control.
    Signature
    Famous for my '$1000 dollar challenge,' I've been teaching people how to DOMINATE on eBay for YEARS. Sell 100% of your items FOR A PROFIT. Rank higher, sell faster, sell more, and DESTROY your competition with a data-based approach. Quit listening to Guru's-in-training! Click now below!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8481569].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matteoss
    Thank you for your answer!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8483562].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tollybear
    Alksense, i'm a teeny tiny little guy with limited very limited capital. Can i please drop ship for you brand names in my country. i don't have the money to import, and theres plenty of us little guys out there that just wanna make something. Please pm me, thankyou.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8484263].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author alksense
      Originally Posted by tollybear View Post

      Alksense, i'm a teeny tiny little guy with limited very limited capital. Can i please drop ship for you brand names in my country. i don't have the money to import, and theres plenty of us little guys out there that just wanna make something. Please pm me, thankyou.
      Hi,

      Most of the brands that I am referring to only do business in the US (where I am located).

      I am actually working out of a coworking space in Thailand right now and there are a couple people here from New Zealand who are running extremely profitable drop ship sites there so I know that suppliers are available. You just have to do your homework and find them

      After choosing a niche I would recommend trying to find sites that sell in New Zealand - online stores who sell for multiple brands and who do not have physical locations. You can look for a "brands" or "manufacturers" page on their websites and contact those companies directly for more information on their drop shipping programs.

      Thanks,
      Anton
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8484283].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author tollybear
        I'm gonna try follow this method, the problem is where to start, what to put into the search engines. if you have see those new zealanders again can you kindly ask them for their drop shipping sites please. i might put an add on here to see if anybody wants their product shifted over here, but gotta be a decent profit for us to start talking tho
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8486965].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author MrsKiwi
      Originally Posted by tollybear View Post

      Alksense, i'm a teeny tiny little guy with limited very limited capital. Can i please drop ship for you brand names in my country. i don't have the money to import, and theres plenty of us little guys out there that just wanna make something. Please pm me, thankyou.
      Hi TollyBear, Look up We're the easy way for retailers, importers and suppliers to connect. - Gift Directory for a list of manufacturers, wholesalers etc for retail products for New Zealand. No dropshippers listed but you could contact them and ask if they would do it for you.

      I'm in NZ but I am dropshipping to the US. It's much easier.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8486528].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author tollybear
        oh wow Mzkiwi, can you pm me please wud love to keep in contact with someone over here, its sooo alone
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8486970].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author timpears
    For those who dissent on this thread, notice the OP didn't say it was or wasn't, he said 'how can' and then he and one other that I read supported the idea why drop shipping was better for them. It all depends on what you are looking for, and how you manage it.

    Thanks for your word =s of encouragement.

    @alksense, if your offers in your sig. were not so expensive, I would have jumped on them. I am unable to spend that much money though.
    Signature

    Tim Pears

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8486598].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author tollybear
      where do you find alksense signature? never learnt this but always see ppl mention it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8486974].message }}
  • Hi all. i have read most of the entries in this post and i have learned a lot about this business.. Thanks to all.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9379233].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author chrisfreitas
    Can a pretty season importer PM me I have recieved info from a overseas supplier and want to get some feedback on how to read there specs and pricing? if you could lend me 5 minutes of your time ill send you the pdf. thanks in advance.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9383955].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      Originally Posted by chrisfreitas View Post

      Can a pretty season importer PM me I have recieved info from a overseas supplier and want to get some feedback on how to read there specs and pricing? if you could lend me 5 minutes of your time ill send you the pdf. thanks in advance.
      @chrisfreitas, I will PM you with my private email address so that you can send their quote to me and I can then reply with an explanation of the specs and pricing.

      Walter
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9384390].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author HappyComputer
    That last post is obnoxious. People coming through, they want everything for little work.

    Bottom line, If you want to make cash,

    You gotta work. Take whichever road seems harder.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9384534].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Importexport
      @HappyComputer I agree that post was obnoxious, not only because it is another case of someone wanting everything for little work, but I would have thought that in over a year as a Warrior, the poster would have learned not to use such a huge font size.
      Signature
      Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9384770].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author chrisfreitas
      Are you aiming at my post?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9385133].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Importexport
        Originally Posted by chrisfreitas View Post

        Are you aiming at my post?
        @chrisfreitas No, Happy Computer was referring to an obnoxious post that has since been deleted by the moderator.

        Among other things it was blatant advertising complete with affiliate link.
        Signature
        Use emotions and perceptions to build a great brand. Ask me about my book LabelsThatExploit. For safe sourcing and easy importing from 41 countries globally, see https://provenglobalsourcing.com
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9385209].message }}

Trending Topics