Where to buy in China

Before you go

• •Allow at least two full days. One district alone takes a morning to walk.
• •Minimum order quantities are low here compared with factory buying, which is why it suits first-time importers.
• •Goods bought here normally consolidate through Guangzhou for the flight to Dar es Salaam.

Before you go

• •Our Guangzhou warehouse is in this city, so goods bought here reach us the same day.
• •Clothing markets trade early — several are winding down by mid-afternoon.
• •Ask for the wholesale price, not the display price. The first number is rarely the last.

Before you go

• •Electronics from Shenzhen normally fly out of Hong Kong, which is our electronics route.
• •Test every device in front of the seller before paying. Nobody honours a complaint made after you leave the building.
• •Batteries and power banks are restricted cargo — tell us before you buy so we can route them correctly.

Before you go

• •Furniture is bulky rather than heavy. Talk to us about cost before you commit — air freight prices on weight, and volume can make sea freight the better answer.
• •Ask for the packed dimensions of each item, not just the assembled size.

Before you go

• •Take a physical sample of what you want. Colour names travel badly; a swatch does not.
• •Fabric is sold by the roll or by the metre — confirm which price you are being quoted.

Before you go

• •About an hour from Hangzhou and close to Yiwu — most traders combine the two on one trip.
• •Minimum orders are higher here than at a city market. It rewards volume, not variety.

Before you go

• •Prices are quoted per piece but drop sharply at 5 to 10 pieces of the same style — ask for the wholesale price rather than accepting the first number.
• •Many stalls are showrooms; the goods come from a warehouse and can take a day. Do not plan to buy and fly the same afternoon.
• •The buildings immediately around the station are cheaper and noticeably lower quality. If you are selling on quality, stay inside Baima.
• •New season styles arrive constantly. Ask what is new this week rather than pointing at the catalogue.

Before you go

• •Test everything at the stall. A screen or a battery that fails is not something you can return from Dar es Salaam.
• •Grades matter enormously on screens — original, copy and refurbished are three different products at three prices. Know which you are buying.
• •Electronics fly from Hong Kong, not Guangzhou, and are priced differently. Tell us what you are buying before you ship.
• •Batteries and power banks have their own rules. Declare them; they are the single most common cause of a consignment being held.

Before you go

• •Shoes are sold by the carton in mixed size runs. Ask exactly which sizes are in the carton before agreeing — a carton weighted to sizes nobody wears is money lost.
• •Ask for the box weight. Shoes are light and bulky, which is the combination that costs most to fly.
• •Branded lookalikes are everywhere here and are the goods most likely to attract attention at customs.

Before you go

• •Bring the part number or the old part. Model names differ between markets and a description is not enough.
• •Parts are heavy and dense, which is the cheapest thing per kilo to fly — this is a category where air freight competes well with sea.
• •Ask whether it is original, OEM or aftermarket, and price all three. The gap is large and so is the quality difference.

Before you go

• •Chandeliers and glass fittings are fragile and bulky — get them packed properly at the market, not at our warehouse.
• •Check the voltage. Tanzania runs 230V and a great deal of stock here is made for other markets.
• •Solar lighting sells well in Tanzania but quality varies enormously. Buy a sample and leave it in the sun for a week before ordering.

Before you go

• •Toys are the definition of light and bulky. Work out the freight before the order, not after — it is often more than the goods.
• •Anything with a battery included needs declaring and may need to fly from Hong Kong.
• •Minimum orders are factory-sized here. If you want small quantities, buy the same goods in Yiwu instead.

Before you go

• •Printing your own branding usually needs a minimum of a few thousand units. Ask before you design.
• •Packaging is bulky and cheap, which makes it the worst possible thing to air freight. Consider buying it locally in Dar unless it is genuinely unavailable.
• •Order packaging and product together so the sizes actually match — this is the most common mistake first-time brand builders make.