Dropshipping – The Best Distribution Model for E-commerce Novice

Dropshipping is rapidly becoming one of the simplest and most attractive ways to make money online. Because the seller can easily make profit  with very little investment compared with opening a physical store offline. Dropshipping can be a great eCommerce business model for those who want to start an online business to enter the industry mainly because shop owners don’t have to rent a warehouse and buy inventory in advance.

Why Dropshipping with An Online Platform Like AliExpress?

AliExpress, founded by the Alibaba Group, is one of the most popular eCommerce websites for dropshippers. This is a platform from where you can source products for your online store.

Over the years, AliExpress has been a reasonably affordable platform with a wide range of products to choose from. There are many similar websites like AliExpress emerging after its success.

Have a quick look at these 8 top AliExpress alternatives:

DHgateBangGoodAlibabaLightintheboxWiioHyperSKUWorldwide BrandsSpocket

Like Wish, for example, that we mentioned in our Wish vs AliExpress article, both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, but clearly, with its years’ online experience and website optimization, AliExpress is better than Wish in product availability, pricing, credibility, and dropshipping services.

The only fly in the ointment of AliExpress is that the shipping time for some products can be longer than others due to the pandemic.

As a dropshipper, you should always have a plan B for unexpected needs. As there are many sites like AliExpress, you have to be very careful in choosing to work with any supplier that  seems to have good reviews and reputations to deliver orders reliably.

Here are 8 top AliExpress alternatives to get you started.

DHgate

DHgate is a Chinese business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) cross-border e-commerce marketplace that facilitates the sale of manufactured products from suppliers to small and medium retailers.

Source: DHgate

It is a B2B-cross-border e-commerce trade platforms in China. The company’s headquarter is based in Beijing and it has offices worldwide, including in the US and UK.

The greatest thing about DHgate is that, like AliExpress, there is no Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), which means it’s a dropshipping starter-friendly website. You will get discounts if you order in bulk.

Both AliExpress and DHgate are suitable for dropshipping. If you wonder which platform has faster shipping when comparing the two, AliExpress will surely win with multiple shipping method options.

It seems that AliExpress has more advantages. It has a high rating and is now very popular all over the world. But if you need a service that will offer good wholesale discounts, DHgate will be better. But you should pay attention when sourcing products from DHgate since there are some negative reviews about its fake or replica products. So, if you are looking for original products only, this platform should not be taken into consideration.

BangGood

Banggood is a Chinese global eCommerce website that offers products to online buyers all around the world. Banggood’s main business is B2C cross-border export e-commerce, and it is committed to bringing China’s high-quality goods, efficient supply chain and top-class customer service to the world.

Source: Banggood

There are no MOQ requirements on Banggood like AliExpress, so, you, as a dropshipper or customer, can purchase as many units as you want to. You don’t have to invest any money to start dropshipping with it because their membership is free. You just need to join the Banggood affiliate program to get started.

Dropshipping with Banggood is a great way to run your business without having to deal with the inventory. You can focus on marketing, let Banggood do all the logistics as AliExpress do.

Banggood sells a wide range of branded and non-branded goods. One of the advantages of selling non-branded goods is the ability to have your own brand attached to the goods. Bundling your brand with a non-branded product is called private brand dropshipping.

It’s a good way to increase sales and make your product authentic enough. All-in-all, it’s very similar to AliExpress as you can dropship products at lower prices with reasonable shipping charges.

Read more to learn how to start your white labeling business.

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Alibaba

Alibaba is the world’s leading B2B platform that allows companies to make wholesale purchases from manufacturers and suppliers in Asia, especially in China, connecting Chinese manufacturers and wholesale suppliers with small to medium businesses across the globe.

Source: Alibaba

As a B2B marketplace, products are sold in bulk on Alibaba (unless purchased as samples). Alibaba does not have the inventory of the goods it sells because it is a market for wholesalers, not a single seller.

Alibaba is a B2B platform, so its typical customers are other businesses.  Some types of buyers include B2C retailers, sourcing agents, wholesale distributors, manufacturers, and even other B2B sellers. Alibaba generally requires large orders and has MOQ requirements that range from 50 up to 1000 pieces because the products are being sold at a much lower price, whereas AliExpress has no minimum order.

Most of Alibaba’s suppliers don’t offer dropshipping because they only sell in bulk. However, by carefully browsing the supplier listings, you may find a few that do dropshipping.

Lightinthebox

Lightinthebox is a China-based online website combining B2B and B2C. It targets not only small and medium-sized merchants who source different products for their businesses but also end consumers who look for various items for personal use.

Founded in 2007, Lightinthebox provides customers with a way to buy a variety of lifestyle products in the three core categories of apparel, accessories and gadgets, home and garden through www.lightinthebox.com, which is available in multiple major languages.

Source: Lightinthebox

Lightinthebox can deliver to almost all countries through reliable international carriers. Most products usually ship within 24 hours but are highly dependent on individual suppliers. It usually takes about 15 to 30 days to receive the products if it is fulfilled by Lightinthebox itself, because their warehouses are located in China.

However, as with AliExpress, it’s worth noting that, as the Lightinthebox’s warehouses are located in China, your product delivery make take up to a month to be delivered,  no matter where you placed the order. In addition, there are not as many supplier choices on this site as there are on AliExpress.

On this website, you can get lower prices from wholesale suppliers, although it is still not one of the dropshipping business options naturally integrated with eCommerce platforms like Dropshipping Copilot. However, if you choose this service as one of the best alternatives to AliExpress, you should be able to easily use it to build an online store.

Wiio

Wiio was founded in July 2015, focusing on the fulfillment of dropshipping.. It is an all-in-one dropshipping platform that does business in a little different way.

They offer a wide range of products, but what makes them unique is that they offer dropshippers a service which means that they will do product sourcing, purchasing, and stocking products for dropshippers.

Source: Wiio

Wiio has two warehouses located in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, China. There is another one in the US with a total space area of over 25,000 m2 that can provide a safe space for all the orders.

This is not all; Wiio also does customized product photos, labels, and packaging inserts for high-volume customers. To use Wiio, you only need to pay for the product price, so there is no monthly membership fee!

For deliveries in different countries, Wiio will look for the best shipping methods for their clients to make sure customers get their package as soon as possible. So the shipping fees are mostly higher than on other platforms, though the price of Wiio’s products may be lower than that of AliExpress. As a result, the total price you pay on Wiio may still be higher than the price you pay on AliExpress.

HyperSKU

HyperSKU is a one-stop dropshipping solution that combines supply chain, shipping service, and online system. With HyperSKU, dropshippers can purchase products from factories, customize products and packages, complete orders with express delivery, and enjoy efficiency through automation systems.

Source: HyperSKU

The Hypersku Shopify APP and its platform are free for dropshippers to use. It also has integration with WooCommerce, but its features are somewhat limited compared to the Shopify App.

HyperSKU offer tracked shipping from China to the US and Europe, up to 8-12 days. They also offer other shipping options. But HyperSKU only becomes interesting once you found a winning product and reach higher sales numbers, which means that it’s only attractive for established businesses.

Worldwide Brands

Worldwide Brands is a platform where dropshippers can connect directly with wholesalers. You pay a one-time fee of $299 and you will get access to all the wholesalers who are using Worldwide Brands. It is an upper-market wholesale directory for sellers looking to find suppliers. A high-quality but high-cost option.

Source: Worldwide Brands

The delivery time of each product of Worldwide Brands depends on the wholesaler. If the wholesalers are located in China, they will deliver the goods in about a month. For wholesalers located in your area, you can get the goods in less than a week.

Worldwide Brands is a perfect platform for professional dropshippers who want to try to sell new products in the market. Since the site focuses on wholesale, it is more suitable for experienced dropshippers who are testing new products to sell on the market. First-time sellers may find it troublesome and costly to try out the site.

Spocket

Spocket is a dropshipping service full of suppliers that integrate with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix storefront, and so on. Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2017, Spocket is committed to transforming the dropshipping market and helping online retailers compete with Amazon by eliminating the inventory backlog and upfront costs that retailers usually face.

Source: Spocket

Spocket’s biggest difference in dropshipping service marketplace is shipping time. You don’t want to have a 3 to 4 week shipping time between the ordering time and when your customer gets the product from the supplier.

Everyone usually jumps to AliExpress and waits for a month to receive the delivery. There are some suppliers on AliExpress that offer US shipping, but it will take you a little more time to find suppliers that support such services. Spocket’s biggest advantage is that you can source products from the US. These shipping times can be as low as 2-5 days.

In fact, Spocket has solved many of the difficulties that online retailers encounter when operating dropshipping businesses through Shopify.

Spocket has four plans, with the basic one being entirely free, the starter plan costing $24 a month, the professional plan, $49, and the empire plan, $99. But there are very limited functions you can use with the free plan, and some products are locked behind a higher plan. The biggest disadvantage may be that there is not as much choice as AliExpress for products.

Final Word

As you can tell by now, all these sites like AliExpress and apps have their strengths and weaknesses. Although I would like to give you a simple answer, there is no platform that can replace AliExpress. It all depends on what kind of product you want to source and what payment/delivery method is best for you.

It’s more important to make sure that the specific seller you sourcing from is verified. So you should check product reviews carefully before buying. In addition, due to the current global situation, delivery is expected to be delayed.

No matter which dropshipping platform dropshippers choose,  risks are inevitable especially due to the pandemic, shipment delay and supplier lead time should be taken into consideration.

A perfect dropshipping platform has not yet appeared but the fact that there are so many competitors in the marketplace is good for dropshippers, giving them more choices and opportunities.