Dropshipping from China

Yes, we have an MOQ of 500pcs per batch at least for dropshipping projects. If the number of pieces is lower than this, the unit cost would increase accordingly.

Importers now require tailored solutions to save on costs by selecting the most suitable shipping lines and rates that fit their product specifics best.

When getting a quotation for your dropshipping project, our team will include a list of the best shipping lines and rates to fit your needs based on your order quantities to be shipped per SKU per month:

• If the order quantity is > 500 pcs per SKU per month we can quote 10 countries per SKU for free.
• If the order quantity is > 100 pcs per SKU per month we can quote 5 countries per SKU for free.
• If the order quantity is < 100 pcs per SKU per month we can quote 2 countries per SKU for free.

If more quotations are required for shipping lines and rates outside of those provided for free, we can certainly help you at the project management rate and our team will be happy to estimate the time needed and provide an estimate in time and USD.

In general, dropshipping takes place from our Dongguan facility within China, where your suppliers deliver the products to us EXW.

Our warehouse here is set up for dropshipping and we also provide a full range of services you need as a dropshipper:

• Warehousing
• Consolidation
• QC inspections
• Kitting
• Assembly
• Product testing

Pros

• No need to have a warehouse and its associated costs and time to manage as you use our facilities and costs are all included.
• Sofeast packs and ships your orders.
• Sofeast handles your inventory and can even track its levels etc for reordering.
• You don’t need to handle returns in case of an issue as our customer support staff and warehouse staff will take care of this.
• You can ship importing products to your country, store them there, and then fulfill them domestically if you like.
• Your products can be stored in China, which is probably quite a lot cheaper than in your own country.
• Products can be manufactured, inspected, packaged, and shipped from one location which saves time and logistics costs.
• Shipping small packages from China isn’t actually expensive.
• Our specialist China fulfilment center is affordable, knowledgeable about many e-commerce and online sales platforms, and can source packaging, conduct QC product inspections, etc, for you. This all-in-one dropshipping service saves you a lot of headaches.

Cons

• Customers will need to pay shipping and other costs over vendors with local stock.
• Packages can take 2 weeks or so to reach Western customers from China.
• If unable to travel to China, it may be difficult for you to manage the fulfilment if working with directly your manufacturer. The language-barrier may lead to shipping mistakes, etc.
• Companies who import large numbers of products and fulfil locally may be more desirable as they provide ‘local stock.’
• You have to put a lot of faith and trust in Chinese partners if handling the dropshipping process yourself.

We generally provide dropshipping from our 3PL facilities here in South China as a service to customers who’re already working with us on projects, rather than as a standalone solution.

Please contact us to discuss your needs and get a quotation and we will advise.

In some cases, a client’s special requirements lead to some extra project management charges. If you want to keep your dropshipping budget under control, here are some situations that we’d advise you to avoid:

• Forgetting to mention some of the SKU variations in advance – the project will be much smoother if we have a clear view of the situation from the start, with all the details, clearly laid out in a spreadsheet.
• Having products come to us from your suppliers in a disorganized way (e.g. no packing list of inaccurate packing list; no markings or improper markings on the boxes…). We have to assign some people to open boxes and check all the details, which can take a lot of hours and add significantly to your budget.
• Requesting quotations for many countries – we generally provide quotations for 5 major countries, and anything above that leads to extra charges.
• Requesting quotations several times – if some elements of the packaging change, for example, that leads to the need to re-check quotations, and that’s extra work that needs to be charged.
• Providing us with a total budget and requesting us to look for the ‘best fit’ options – this may lead to complex market analyses that consume a lot of time.