How to buy in bulk on Aliexpress
Reselling Chinese goods or using them in large quantities in commercial activities is an extremely popular activity in our country as well. There have even been several major scandals when celebrities bought goods on Aliexpress, put their logos on them and resold them at a huge markup, passing them off as unique designs. Small showrooms selling Chinese clothes, shoes and accessories appear on social networks every day. One of the most popular companies that deliver batches of goods to the market is Alibaba Group, to which AliExpress belongs. In this article, we will analyze in detail how to buy in bulk on Aliexpress.
Whether it is possible to buy in bulk on Aliexpress
AliExpress in 2024 is a platform where you can buy goods from China purely in retail and small wholesale. In addition, at the moment it works only with individuals, you can pay there only by card and get closing documents from the seller is almost unrealistic. If you need a large batch of things or want to order as a legal entity, you need to either find an intermediary or turn to the B2B platform from Alibaba Group – Alibaba.com. However, in other cases, wholesale purchases on Aliexpress are possible.
Features of wholesale orders
Wholesale prices on Aliexpress
Since many stores in the Chinese marketplace sell goods of their own production, they set a low price on their trade offers. Large batches can be bought cheaper.
Lack of interface for wholesale purchase
Since at the moment AliExpress works only with individuals and supplies only small experience, in the new version of the site there is no interface for what to order in bulk from Aliexpress. They’ve also removed the “Wholesale” section. Buyers are encouraged to manually add the quantity of goods they would like to purchase. Otherwise, it is not clear how to buy wholesale on Aliexpress.
Prohibited goods
These are goods whose importation or sale is restricted or prohibited in the country for various reasons including safety, health, moral and environmental considerations. The following are some of the main categories of goods that may be prohibited or restricted when imported through customs:
- Weapons and Ammunition. The importation of arms, ammunition and explosives is prohibited without the proper permit and license. This includes small arms and edged weapons, as well as pneumatic weapons and firearms;
- Drugs and psychotropic substances;
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. There are certain quotas and requirements for the importation of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products and they may be restricted in some regions;
- Prohibited Substances. The importation of hazardous chemical and biological substances and radioactive materials is strictly prohibited;
- Counterfeit goods. The importation of counterfeit goods, including counterfeit branded goods and counterfeit money, is prohibited;
- Toxic and hazardous substances. Certain toxic and hazardous substances may be subject to import restrictions;
- Animals and plants. Importation of live animals and plants may be restricted in accordance with local laws and international agreements;
- Medical drugs. Many medical drugs are subject to regulation and their importation may require a prescription or special authorizations;
- Antiques and cultural property. The export of antiques and cultural property may require special permits and restrictions;
- Foodstuffs. The importation of certain foodstuffs may be subject to restrictions due to regulatory requirements and sanitary standards.
How to find wholesalers on Aliexpress
A reliable seller is the key to a successful transaction. Unfortunately, in 2024, AliExpress site presents only a truncated, uninformative rating of stores. To find an honest seller, you will need to study a lot of reviews of his goods. You can also install a free browser extension AliHelper, which will show a detailed objective rating of any store by five criteria. You can read more about it in our article “Seller Rating on Aliexpress“.
Tips for buying in bulk on Aliexpress
Use coupons
There are many promotions on the Chinese platform for those who make large orders, buying in bulk. Most stores offer coupons that are activated if you buy a lump sum of a certain amount.
On the AliExpress Coupons page, you can sort offers by various criteria, including product categories, discount amounts and total cost of purchases. You can search for specific promotions both by seller and by individual products using the search bar. In addition, offers can be filtered by month. To activate a promo code on Aliexpress, you should click on the orange button in the section of the desired promotion, copy the code and enter it when completing the purchase. Constant updating of the database ensures that only current discount offers are available.
Contact the seller
Before making a bulk purchase, contact the store representative through the “Write” section on the seller’s page. Ask about the availability of discounts and all the necessary details of the transaction: the availability of the required quantity of goods, color, model, configuration, availability of instructions and their language (if necessary), shipping costs, etc. Effective communication with suppliers will help to avoid misunderstandings.
Purchasing whosale on AliExpress can become a profitable business, but this process requires careful planning. Choosing the right suppliers, quality control, and studying legislation and the nuances of customs clearance are the keys to business success. Now you know how to buy in bulk on Aliexpress.