Why Importing from China Doesn’t Always Guarantee the Cheapest Price
A lot of new sellers come to us with a common belief:
“If I am importing from China, the price should automatically be cheaper.” It feels like an entitlement — that just because you’re sourcing from the origin, you’ll beat every price in the market. But in reality, that’s not always ture . Especiall if you’re starting small. In fact, comparing your landed price for 500 units with a wholesaler’s rate can be misleading and dangerous for your business plan.
- The Wholesaler Advantage
- Many wholesalers are importers themselves, or they buy from principal importers who bring goods in very large quantities.
- Because these imports are done in bulk, the landed cost per piece is much lower thanks to negotiated factory-level pricing and economies of scale in shipping.
- Especially for low-ticket products, wholesalers can sometimes sell at prices that are lower than your own landed import cost if you try bringing in smaller quantities.
- Quality and Price Aren’t Always Connected
When order quantities are massive, large importers and wholesalers have the leverage to negotiate prices directly with factories — even if it means compromising on quality. It’s not uncommon for them to say, “I want this design at this price, reduce the quality by 30% if needed.” Such deals are only possible at scale. This practice is particularly common in low-ticket product categories, where the market is extremely price-sensitive. To maintain low pricing, wholesalers often stock cheaper variants of the same design — products that look identical on the outside but differ significantly in material quality, net weight, and durability. So, when a new importer compares their product pricing with what’s available in wholesale markets, they may find the same-looking product at a much lower rate. But that doesn’t mean it’s the same product. The wholesaler might be selling a lighter, lower-grade version, while you may be intending to sell the premium variant.
This is why quality and price can’t be compared just by appearance — in China, the same design can come in multiple versions, and the cheapest one is often the one that dominates wholesale shelves. Large importers may secure a lower grade (cheaper quality) version of a product.
- Why Small Imports Still Make Sense?
Why Small Imports Still Make Sense
Even if you can’t beat the wholesaler’s price, direct importing offers:
Control over product design – freedom to white label, customizations, private labelling).
Consistency in supply (no dependency on wholesaler’s stock decisions).
Long-term growth potential (scaling volume reduces your costs over time).
4. The Smart Approach
Don’t import products that wholesalers already dominate with big-ticket volumes.
Instead, look for:
Products not easily found in wholesale markets.
New trends, niche items, or designs that wholesalers haven’t picked up yet.
Categories where branding & differentiation matter more than raw price.
