Consumption downgrade life is not downgraded, my 1688 shopping experience

After becoming financially independent, I quickly discovered that my previous consumption patterns needed to be adjusted.

I made purchases with little planning, mostly incidental, and a lot of impulse buys. Secondly, I am a little insensitive to price, and I always feel that the price is the same on the platform; I have no concept of the quality of many products, and often do not know how to judge. For example, when buying fruit, I always ask the merchant to pack some randomly and take it away on the scale. I also rarely think about the disposal behavior after buying things, such as how long it takes to get rid of things, how long it takes for daily necessities to be stocked, and so on.

I gradually feel that I should spend some time adjusting my life and consumption-I need an online platform that allows me to save money on “repeated purchases” and “quick change” items, and can calculate for the long-term of life. 1688 just entered my field of vision.

The original intention of 1688 was to find suitable manufacturers for wholesalers or merchants. Since the platform allows merchants to purchase samples, individual consumers can also make purchases on 1688. After buying on the 1688 platform for more than half a year, I would like to share with you my shopping experience and shopping experience, and welcome friends to share your “wholesale” experience.

All products and sellers shared in this article are from the purchase experience of myself and my friends, and do not contain any advertising or publicity.

Reasons to shop at 1688

Shopping at 1688 is mainly for two aspects: planning a budget to save money, and hoarding the right amount for daily use. The 1688 excels at precisely these two points.

Bloggers on major social platforms have mentioned that the same product, the basic price of other shopping platforms is the same, and 1688 can be half or more cheaper. Because the seller on 1688 is the manufacturer, the cost and markup of a lot of distribution channels are reduced. This is why 1688 has a lot of things that are surprisingly cheap. After all, “to wholesale, go to 1688”.

For example, the dehumidification bag I often use in the south is priced at 0.7 yuan a pack on 1688, and if you buy more than 250 bags, it will be cheaper to 0.68 yuan. A pack of the same item bought in a local supermarket costs at least 2 yuan, and some online shopping platforms even charge 5 yuan a pack.

This is the same model that I sold in the supermarket downstairs. It is very easy to use. It costs five yuan a pack.

Occasionally, the price difference for a bag may not be large, but I use this kind of dehumidification bag a lot every year, and the accumulation is not a few. Similar to socks, toilet paper, slippers, etc., a lot of living budget is bit by little bit by these.

The other is the daily necessities that need to be replenished regularly according to the frequency of use or the expiration date. For example, underwear, underwear, toothbrushes, etc., even if they are not damaged, they need to be repurchased for hygiene reasons. These products are bought in bulk at 1688, and the pain level can be greatly reduced.

What products are suitable for purchase on the 1688 platform

Of course, not all items are suitable for purchase on the 1688 platform. If you want to get a better personal shopping experience on a wholesale platform like 1688, the first task is to figure out what to buy. As far as my personal experience is concerned, the most suitable purchases are mainly the following three categories.

Consumables that can be stocked

There are some daily consumables that often need to be stocked up in large quantities. In addition to the dehumidifier bag I mentioned earlier, there is one more essential item I buy over and over again – a garbage bag. Garbage bags are basically one a day. A roll bought in the supermarket will be used up soon, and you need to buy it again. This thing is suddenly in a hurry. Not only is there no way to clean up the garbage around you, but your mood will also become more chaotic with the desktop. Oops. Considering the material, garbage bags can be stocked in large quantities. There are many cheap and good quality garbage bags on 1688. In addition to the flat-mouth garbage bag in the picture, there are also vest-type garbage bags and drawstring garbage bags, which are much cheaper than temporary purchases from supermarkets.

Similarly, consumables such as dehumidification boxes and kitchen paper are all suitable for purchase on the 1688 platform. Because the manufacturing process is relatively simple and the cost is low, as long as the price is not ridiculously low, the product quality will not be too bad, and it is not difficult to select and identify. You can search and buy according to your preferred style.

Products that are replaced more frequently

Some products are not like garbage bags that must be thrown away at any time, but the single life cycle is still very short and needs to be replaced from time to time. It’s possible that a particular season needs to be replaced more frequently, like the absorbent box mentioned earlier; it’s also possible that the product experience drops dramatically over time, like kitchen wipes. There is a lot of oil in the kitchen. If the rag is used for too long, the fibers are aging or gradually soaked in oil, it will start to be difficult to wipe clean, and there will be hygiene problems. 1688 has a lot of kitchen cleaning products. Special kitchen rags are only a few cents a piece, and they have good water absorption. They don’t hurt at all when they are replaced. It may cost five or six yuan in the supermarket.

Similar to the previous garbage bags and moisturizing bags, when these kinds of things are specific to products, everyone’s preferences are different. Just pay attention to the material and style when searching and purchasing. If you want to sell it in the short term, you can buy it cheap. If you want to use it for a little longer, you can see if you can find a foundry for the product you are used to, but the difference between each is not too big.

Products that do not care about the symbolic value of the brand

There are some products that I don’t care about the brand or its symbolism when I use it, as long as it’s easy to use, it’s enough, such as canvas bags. Sometimes I have to carry some paper materials, and a large and durable canvas bag is a must, just grab it. At the same time, I also think that the canvas bag can match my clothes of the day. If I buy more styles to match, then the single price should be as low as possible. In fact, the cost of canvas bags is not high, so I went to 1688 to search for manufacturers with good basic styles, and bought a few in one go, which is very cost-effective. I don’t think I’ll have to buy canvas bags for the next few years.

Most of the factories I bought were doing export business before. I bought not only canvas bags but also pencil cases from this store. The quality of the canvas is very good, very thick, the quality of the hardware is also good, and the style is also very good-looking. When choosing this kind of product, you have to see if you can find a big-name/customized foundry, or to see if the product catalog in their store has a style that is very striking in version and design. Many manufacturers who often do export do not open Taobao, but they can be found on 1688.

Likewise, there are some trinkets that I don’t care about symbolic value and branding. For example, the hair ties, hairpins, and ear studs that I often lose. If you spend a lot of money to buy it, you will feel bad if you lose it. And these products are often bought to play with, and it is likely that my preferences will change after a while. So buying on 1688, one is to save money, and the other is to meet my changing preferences and change at any time.

Zhuji, Zhejiang is rich in pearls, so I chose a manufacturer in Zhuji, Zhejiang to buy pearl earrings of different styles and colors in one go, which can be matched with different styles of clothes. A total of eight pieces only cost more than 60 yuan, which is very, very cost-effective compared with offline stores. The real thing is also very beautiful, the style is simple and versatile, and the pearl quality is also very good.

What is suitable for purchasing on the 1688 platform

In addition to the above-mentioned suitable products, 1688 also has specific suitable purchasing situations.

home purchase

The first is family-based purchases. Because the family has a relatively large population, it is often necessary to purchase multiple items when purchasing some daily necessities, so the 1688 is very suitable, especially for families who usually go to the supermarket to select such products. For example, slippers, if you usually buy family slippers in the supermarket instead of looking at the material and brand, then 1688 will definitely be able to find a foundry of the same style. Buy a few more pairs at a time and get a discount. There are also a wider range of sizes to choose from. Similar styles are also available. Can be used as a couple or parent-child model.

The same goes for pajamas. You can choose a store with good quality and buy all the pajamas for different seasons that family members need this year at once.

Guangzhou has a well-developed light industry. Many clothing brands have developed from Guangzhou. Naturally, there are also many clothing factories. Wholesale quality and cheap. I live in Guangzhou, so I also bought pajamas from a factory in Guangzhou. My favorite is the pyjama pockets so I can add things on the go, so it’s a plus for me if the skirt has pockets. The quality of these manufacturers is very good, especially when you use the wholesale price to compare the retail price of the usual purchase, the price/performance ratio is rising. I plan to buy two more in the fall and winter.

buy together

1688 is also very suitable for ordering with friends and roommates. Some people need to use it, but the items whose retail unit price is obviously inflated are very suitable for ordering. If you catch up with one person to replace it, you can drag your friends to join the order, and buy one or two pieces at a lower price, and no one will suffer.

There are some foundries of paradise umbrellas in Zhejiang. The quality of the umbrellas is very good, the umbrella stand is relatively wind-resistant, and the umbrella cloth is also very thick. The most important thing is that the styles are not ugly—retail stores often stock some bizarrely ugly styles, and every time you lose an umbrella and buy a temporary one, you will have to hold the ugly umbrella for several months. My friend and I bought several of them and put them in different bags to avoid the tragedy of forgetting to take an umbrella when we went out.

individual bulk purchases

1688 is also a good choice if an individual has the need to buy in bulk. In addition to the products that need to be stocked, there are also some emergencies that need to be purchased in bulk, such as storage bags and moving cartons that need to be bought when moving to a dormitory. There are also seasonal items like summer boat socks. Summer socks are relatively thin and are changed frequently, especially when the south meets the southern sky. Nothing can be dried, and everything is wet. It’s just that there are not enough socks.

My habit of this kind of thing is generally to search for styles and materials, and buy dozens of pairs at a time. Anything to be prepared for a temporary replacement can actually be done this way.

Disadvantages of 1688 Platform Shopping

Of course, the 1688 platform also has many disadvantages.

The first is the postage issue. 1688 There are few merchants with free shipping. Because wholesalers need to consider the cost of postage for bulk purchases, 1688 merchants generally do not offer free postage. Some friends may think that if the postage is added, the price of goods is similar to other platforms, and it is not much cheaper – this is indeed one of the reasons that hinder individual consumers from purchasing on 1688. But now many merchants have opened a drop shipping, the price is slightly more expensive, but it is still cheaper than the total retail price.

Second, it is not suitable for small purchases. Most of these wholesale malls are marked with 2 pieces or 3 pieces, which is not friendly enough for individual customers who only need one piece. Just like parasols, many people may only need one for several years, and it is unnecessary to buy one more.

Again, it’s a matter of communicating with customer service. The interaction design of 1688 clearly serves the merchants, and the dialog boxes for chatting with customer service are somewhat indistinguishable. In addition, many manufacturers do not pay attention to customer service. Some customer service is part-time job of the boss of the factory, and communication is not convenient. The boss knows his products very well, but the introductions are mainly from the perspective of wholesalers or manufacturers, and rarely from the perspective of consumers. Moreover, many bosses don’t manage their own customer service image very much. Many companies don’t even change their customer service avatars. They only use the default ones. At first glance, they are 1688’s bullheads. Therefore, friends who attach great importance to customer service are indeed not suitable for 1688. Wholesale purchases require you to have a certain understanding of the goods, or to know more clearly what you need.

In addition, for individual consumers, it is basically impossible to obtain relevant information on product quality through evaluation, just like on other shopping platforms. Because most wholesalers do not leave comments on 1688, they mostly spread word-of-mouth information of producers through social media. Therefore, you will often see that there are only a few reviews of stores with particularly high sales, and most of the reviews are very simple and show no details.

However, there are solutions. You can make good use of other platforms to search before buying. For example, I often learn about some factory products from other social platforms, and then go to 1688 to buy. Therefore, it often happens that money is spent just after opening Weibo or Xiaohongshu. You can also go to Taobao to search for keywords, see if you can find the same model in wholesale, look at the new experience of individual consumers on Taobao, and then come back to save money.

The above is my sharing of the 1688 shopping experience, and other friends are welcome to share their views and experiences. Hope everyone can save more.