Online shopping has become even more fun with the arrival of Alibaba and AliExpress. In this comprehensive blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about Alibaba and the differences with AliExpress.
What is Alibaba from China?
Alibaba is an online platform that focuses on companies. It is a Chinese company/ trading platform. In China, this company is the largest company when it comes to selling online products.
Both AliExpress and Alibaba won’t offer products themselves, but provide a platform for companies to sell online products.
Alibaba, just like AliExpress, has entered the global market recently. Alibaba is now the largest company on the internet in Brazil and Russia. You can now also buy affordable products in these countries.
Europe has also been added to the portfolio of Alibaba and AliExpress. It is now possible for European companies to offer their products to China, Russia and Brazil. This means that the world is ever more connected in terms of trade.
Webshop: Alibaba vs AliExpress
If we compare Alibaba and AliExpress as a webshop, the biggest difference is that Alibaba provides companies with the opportunity to offer products internationally. On the AliExpress platform, consumers can buy products from companies all over the world. Alibaba mainly does bulk sales to companies. At AliExpress you can buy individual products, just like on Amazon.com. This allows the products you order online to be shipped from all over the world. Due to the low prices and user-friendly interfaces on the AliExpress and Alibaba webshops, they are rapidly gaining market share and within a few years they will both become the largest internet vendor in the world.
Alibaba, the AliExpress parent company
With AliExpress and Alibaba you can now buy products from all over the world. Companies from everywhere can use this platform to sell anything they want abroad.
AliExpress is a perfect platform if you need a product as a private individual. There are millions of sellers with products, which means you can search for the best and cheapest deal. After purchase, you can easily pay for them and have them delivered to your home. Fact: Alibaba is AliExpress’ parent company.
Alibaba and AliExpress to the Stock Exchange
In 2014 Alibaba went to the stock exchange with AliExpress. This was the biggest IPO ever. At Alibaba, you can find all the products you can think of. Did you know that the owners of these companies are also called the Steve Jobs of China. They do everything in their own way and work very hard. For example, they have their own payment system that will probably be able to compete with our trusted systems in the future.
Ordering at Alibaba and AliExpress
If you navigate to the websites of Alibaba and AliExpress, you will immediately see the user-friendly search bar. Here you can enter the product you are looking for. Whatever you can think of, it is available on these platforms.
If you are looking for products, you will see the different advertisements of the manufacturers on Alibaba. You will always see what the minimum purchase is. If, for example, this is 100 pieces, but you only want 80, you can often negotiate this with the contact person. Often you pay a little more per piece. Calculate in advance how much benefit you will lose if you purchase less.
In addition to information about the products, you will also find information about the manufacturer itself:
- Factory images
- How long a manufacturer has been a member of Alibaba
- The experiences of other users
- And even more useful knowledge
This makes it easier for you to find a suitable and reliable manufacturer on the AliBaba webshop and it’s also great that you as a consumer on AliExpress, gets comparable information about sellers. You can also see the reviews and experiences + background information. Properly thought out on both platforms.
Requesting a quote on Alibaba
If you know which products you want to buy, you can pay directly on AliExpress. At AliBaba you have to ask for a quote. You need an account to contact the different manufacturers. Tip > be as clear and concrete as possible in your quote. For example, buy a sample first to test the quality. If you want to resell products to your customers, you are ultimately responsible for the quality of these products. Write the following in your quotation:
- Exactly who you are
- What you do as a company
- How many products you need
- Sample possibilities
- Ask what the product will look like
Often your first choice of manufacturer isn’t the same as the one it’s going to be. Spend enough time looking for a proper manufacturer. Requesting a quote is free of charge so make the most of it. Another similarity between Alibaba and Aliexpress, the search for suitable sellers.
Reliable manufacturers and sellers on Alibaba and AliExpress webshop
Alibaba and AliExpress do everything they can to protect the manufacturers, buyers and sellers on their webshop. Most sellers are reliable. But to get a 100% guarantee on this, you can search with a special option. This is also called the Payment protection system. You first pay to Alibaba and AliExpress. And only after you have received the products, the manufacturer gets his money. This prevents you from being scammed. This also applies to the purchase of samples. You know what you can expect from the quality and have good contact with the seller.
Are you not a company but a consumer? In that case AliExpress is the platform and webshop for you to order cheap products.
Shop directly on Aliexpress > SALE
Lily Chen is a passionate and experienced online shopper with a deep love for exploring the world of Chinese e-commerce. She's been navigating the ins and outs of platforms like AliExpress for over a decade and has honed her skills in finding the best deals, hidden gems, and innovative shopping strategies.