Getting startedStart here01
How to buy from 1688: your first-order plan
Turn a product idea into a written brief, a comparable quotation and an agreed delivery plan.
Read the guide
FROM CHINA, WITH A PLAN
Good sourcing starts
with better questions.
Make sense of buying from 1688. Compare suppliers, plan your costs and prepare your first international shipment.
Sourcing adviceYOUR FIRST ORDER / 01
From product idea
to a clear sourcing plan.
to a clear sourcing plan.
01Define your productSpecs · quantity · budget
02Compare suppliersEvidence · samples · terms
03Confirm the orderQuality · price · timeline
04Plan deliveryPacking · freight · documents
05Review & reconnectThe transaction ends. Our service never does.
Where are you in your sourcing journey?
Practical sourcing tools
Turn your research into a working record. Choose the tool that matches your current task.
Request a quotation
Prepare a consistent product brief to send to suppliers.
Open tool ↗Compare suppliers
Compare quotation scope, samples, lead times and open questions.
Open tool ↗Plan purchase costs
Separate known costs from missing amounts in one currency.
Open tool ↗Record an inspection
Document agreed criteria, observations and follow-up actions.
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THE READING LIST
A better first order starts here.
Suppliers & qualitySupplier checks02
How to Compare 1688 Suppliers Beyond Price
Compare supplier identity, manufacturing claims, samples, specifications and written order terms. Use evidence and unanswered questions to assess each quote.
Read the guide
Getting startedAsk better questions03
A practical request-for-quotation template
Give each supplier the same information so the prices you receive are easier to compare.
Read the guide
Browse by stage
Before you place the order.
Have you agreed the exact product specifications?
Does the sample match your acceptance criteria?
Are the excluded costs listed in the quotation?
Are delivery and defect-handling terms in writing?
MAKE YOUR NEXT STEP CLEAR
A specific order.
A clearer set of questions.
Tell us your product, destination and current stage. Submit the details you need help understanding.
Describe your sourcing needs ↗