1. What Is 1688 and Why Source From It?
1688.com is Alibaba Group's domestic Chinese wholesale marketplace — the place many Taobao, Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop sellers buy from. Prices are typically the true factory or first-tier wholesaler price, often 20–60% below the equivalent listing on AliExpress or international Alibaba, because you are buying where the goods are made.
The trade-off: the site is in Chinese, sellers usually expect Chinese payment and language, and most do not ship internationally on their own. This guide walks you through handling all of that. Once the workflow clicks, 1688 becomes your price advantage.
2. Before You Start — Accounts, Payment & a Forwarder
You need three things sorted before your first order:
- A 1688 account. Register with a phone number. Browsing is easy; buying usually needs a Chinese-verified account, so many overseas buyers either use a sourcing agent or a payment-forwarding service.
- A way to pay in RMB. 1688 settles in Chinese yuan. Options are an agent who pays on your behalf, a cross-border wallet, or a forwarder's consolidation payment service. Never wire cash to a personal bank account for a first order.
- A freight forwarder. Because most 1688 sellers only deliver to a Chinese address, you ship to a forwarder's warehouse (Guangzhou, Yiwu, Shenzhen are common), then they forward to Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines or Singapore by air or sea.
3. The 7-Step Sourcing Workflow
Define the product and your target price
Start from the sale price you can win at on your marketplace, subtract fees and freight, and you get the maximum landed cost. Everything downstream is judged against that number.
Search 1688 by keyword or by image
Use the search bar for a Chinese keyword, or the camera / 以图搜款 image search to find suppliers from a photo. Image search is the single biggest shortcut for English-only buyers: drop in a competitor or TikTok screenshot and 1688 returns the factories making it.
Compare listings and shortlist 3–5 factories
Line up unit price at your quantity, MOQ, sample cost, lead time and seller badges. Price alone lies — always read the price tiers, not the headline number.
Vet the supplier and message them
Open the company page (see section 4) and ask your key questions in simple Chinese or via translation: real stock, lead time, sample cost, carton size/weight, and export experience to your country.
Order a sample — always
Never commit to a peak-season or bulk order without touching a sample. Check material, size tolerance, finish, packaging and function.
Negotiate and place the order safely
Ask for the next price break at your quantity, agree QC standard and shipping marks, and pay through 1688's protected trade flow (or your agent) so funds are released only on confirmation.
Consolidate freight and track to your door
Send to the forwarder, combine cartons from multiple suppliers, choose air (5–10 days, pricier) or sea (18–35 days, cheap), and confirm customs/tax handling for your destination before it ships.
4. How to Vet a 1688 Supplier (Avoid the Bad Ones)
Most sourcing horror stories are really supplier-selection stories. On the company profile look for:
| Signal | What to look for |
|---|---|
| 实力商家 / 深度验厂 badge | Verified factory or power merchant — stronger than a plain trading shop. |
| Years on platform | 3+ years is a comfort zone; brand-new stores need extra caution. |
| Repeat-rate (回头率) | A high repeat-purchase rate means other buyers keep coming back — quality holds up. |
| Transaction volume & reviews | Read recent photo reviews, not just the star rating. |
| Response speed | Slow or vague pre-sale replies usually mean slow, vague after-sale service. |
| Trade assurance / 诚e赊 | Use the protected payment flow so your money is escrowed until you confirm. |
5. Landed Cost — The Number That Actually Decides Profit
The factory price is only the entry ticket. Real cost is: factory price + domestic China freight + international freight + customs/tax + last-mile + platform fees + payment & buffer. Price your offer off landed cost.
| Cost line | Planning note |
|---|---|
| Unit price | Use the tier that matches your real quantity, not the 2-piece headline. |
| MOQ | Negotiate down for a test order; ask for the volume break for the real order. |
| Domestic freight | Often small or free to the forwarder — confirm it is included. |
| International freight | Charged by weight or volumetric weight, whichever is greater. Light bulky items get expensive fast. |
| Duties / taxes | Vary by destination (MY, VN, TH, ID, PH, SG). Confirm who clears customs and how. |
| Buffer | Add 3–5% for rate swings, damage and re-ships. |
6. Six Beginner Mistakes That Kill 1688 Deals
- Buying on the sticker price. Ignoring price tiers and landed cost turns a "cheap" SKU into a loss.
- Skipping the sample. A wrong material or size across a big order is unsellable inventory.
- Choosing one supplier. A stock-out or QC failure on your hero product has no backup.
- Paying off-platform. A raw bank transfer has zero buyer protection on 1688.
- Forgetting volumetric weight. Bulky, light items can cost more to ship than to buy.
- Chasing what is already viral. By the time it is everywhere, price wars have collapsed the margin — source the "next thing", not the last thing.
7. How Sourmo Makes Sourcing From 1688 Faster
The slow, painful part of 1688 for English-speaking buyers is discovery and comparison: reading Chinese listings, judging suppliers and finding real factory prices. Sourmo is an AI sourcing search built for Southeast Asia buyers:
- Search in your language — type a keyword in English (or Malay / Vietnamese / Thai) and get matching 1688 factory SKUs.
- Search by image — drop a competitor or TikTok screenshot to find who actually makes it.
- Compare wholesale prices at a glance — shortlist candidate suppliers fast instead of opening fifty tabs.
- Model your margin — jump straight into the calculator to sanity-check landed cost.
Find 1688 factory prices in seconds
Sourmo is an AI sourcing search tool for Southeast Asia wholesale buyers — search by keyword or image and compare real factory prices instantly.
Try Sourmo Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to speak Chinese to source from 1688?
Not for research. Image search and AI tools like Sourmo let you find factory wholesale prices in English, so you can validate suppliers and niches before you ever translate a listing or negotiate.
Is 1688 cheaper than AliExpress or Alibaba?
Usually yes for the same product, because 1688 is the domestic market where many resellers buy. The trade-off is Chinese-language listings and arranging payment plus freight yourself or via an agent/tool.
Should I use an agent or buy direct?
Beginners and small test orders often go smoother with a sourcing agent (all-in quote, they handle payment and consolidation). Experienced buyers buy direct to save the agent margin. Either way, vet the supplier.
Can I buy directly on Sourmo?
Sourmo is a sourcing and price-comparison tool, not a checkout. It helps you find and evaluate 1688 factory options; you place and settle orders through the supplier's own protected trade flow or your agent.
Published by Sourmo · Updated September 2026. Prices and policies shown are indicative; always confirm current terms with suppliers.