Category: China Shopping Sites

Every time when I was asked:”Do you know any websites like Milanoo?”, without a second thought I answered:”Lightinthebox”. Likewise, when I saw someone looking for sites similar to Lightinthebox, “Milanoo” instantly popped up out of my mind and I just couldn’t help sharing what I know. The two websites are way too much about fashion and both are outstanding among all Chinese international online stores that offer clothing and accessories and other fashionable products. However, they do have differences and have their own pros and cons. The following Lightinthebox VS Milanoo comparisons may give you some inspiration.

Company Sizes & Founders

Lightinthebox is definitely much more famous than Milanoo on the global market as well as in the Chinese e-commerce arena. Lightinthebox (2006) was founded two years earlier than Milanoo (2008). Currently Lightinthebox has more than 600 full-time employees while Milanoo has about 300.

Headquartered in Beijing, Lightinthebox.com has a few branch offices across China, most of which are responsible for warehousing and shipping. The store was created by a group of talents led by Quji Guo, the former CSO (Chief Strategy Officer) of Google China. In terms of global credibility and company size, Lightinthebox is the biggest China-based B2C online shopping website of fashion products and consumer electronics. Anyway, its wholesale ranking is not so high.

Continue reading Lightinthebox VS Milanoo

Days ago, I got an email from a reader asking me about the credibility of a China online store. I have never heard of the site before. By the first glance at the web address the reader provided, I did not feel good as it looks not at all professional, something like “ying2008” (a person’s name plus the year number). Anyway, to help the reader better identify whether it is a scammer or not, I paid a visit to the online shop and then shared what I’ve found about the store with the reader by email. In case more readers have similar concerns, I decide to introduce some must-read tips that may help you find reliable China online retail or wholesale stores.

First of all, I think it necessary to define what kind of China online shops is “reliable”. When you trade with a Chinese online shopping website, don’t expect that it is completely complaint-free. I have emphasized this point again and again in my previous posts on this site. Even the most reputable international stores based in China have complaints or negative reviews, e.g. AliExpress.com, DinoDirect.com (see DinoDirect Review), Lightinthebox.com, etc. Generally, Chinese global web stores are more likely to be rated as unsatisfactory in terms of item quality and customer service standards, especially for electronic products. But it doesn’t mean that all made-in-China products are craps, nor that all customer service of China stores sucks. Customers’ expectations are usually a big reason for bad reviews. Based on my knowledge, what really matters is that the store is a legitimate company doing serious and honest business. Only on this condition should you further explore the other details of the shop before you make a shopping decision there.

Third-party reviews or customer reviews are helpful for identifying the legitimacy of a store. On ChinaWholesaleReviews.com, we have posted many research-based reviews of a number of the most popular China wholesale (and/or retail) stores that specialize in various product lines. You can use the search box to find if the store you are interested in has been reviewed here. If you find no results, it does not necessary mean that it is unlawful – we are still working hard to expose the basic facts of more stores that are legitimate.

Continue reading Must-Read Tips for Finding Reliable China Online Stores

We have introduced a number of popular China based online stores or marketplaces that offer electronics and digital products on this site, including DinoDirect.com (see DinoDirect Review), FocalPrice.com (see FocalPrice Review), Tmart.com (see Tmart Review), Lightinthebox.com, AliExpress.com and much more. If you have read our posts about these stores, you must have noticed that we mentioned “Huaqiangbei” again and again. In this post we’re going to talk about the place in detail.

Located in Shenzhen, Huaqiangbei was originally an industrial park of consumer electronics, computers, electric appliances and communications products. It was then transformed into a huge commercial centre in 1998. Electronic and digital products are the backbone of Huaqiangbei while women’s clothing is equally hot-selling there. In 2008, Huaqiangbei was titled as “China’s No. 1 Electronic Street”. There you can find about one thousand wholesalers and retailers that sell electronics, much more than on any other electronic marketplace in China (including Zhongguancun in Beijing).

Huaqiangbei is not only a great attraction to end consumers in Shenzhen or other cities nearby, but also the biggest wholesale shopping mall where merchants across China stock up on electronics and digital products for their businesses. Also to mention is that almost all Chinese international shopping websites of electronics source products from Huaqiangbei too. That explains why most of the famous online electronic stores are based or keep warehouses in Shenzhen.

Continue reading Huaqiangbei: the Biggest Marketplace of Electronics and Digital Products in China

When I researched the wholesale wedding apparel suppliers in China, I found SooBest.com. By the first glance, SooBest looks like a comprehensive online shopping website selling a variety of products, including clothing, cell phones, electronics, jewelry, watches, handbags, shoes, toys, computers and much more. A closer look to the website reveals that it is basically a wedding apparel online shop and wedding dresses are its major revenue earner. Read this SooBest review on to get more details.

Wedding Apparel & Wedding Accessories

The Wedding Apparel category at SooBest.com covers all kinds of wedding wear: wedding dresses, groom wear, mother-of-the-bride dresses, bridesmaid dresses, junior bridesmaid dresses and wedding accessories. It is, like some other famous Chinese wedding apparel online stores such as Lightinthebox.com and Milanoo.com, a one stop-shop for wholesale wedding supplies. You can find not only trendy but cheap wedding dresses there, but also a vast array of wedding accessories to compliment the wedding outfits, including wedding jewelry, wedding headpieces, wedding shoes, wedding petticoats and wedding corsage.

Continue reading SooBest Review: See What Deserves Checking out at the Wedding Dresses Shop SooBest.com

If you are looking for online stores that sell cheap made-in-China electronic gadgets, DinoDirect.com is no doubt one of the top options. But it is definitely not the only choice.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, DinoDirect has 10 branch offices and a good number of warehouses around the world. In addition to offering low priced products, the online shop also honors worldwide free shipping. Another huge product line at DinoDirect is a wide range of apparel, including wedding dresses & accessories, special occasion dresses, men’s clothing and women’s clothing. A variety of payment methods are available there. To better protect your interest, you are encouraged to use PayPal when placing orders with DinoDirect or any other international online stores. For more details, read DinoDirect Review.

Based on my research, almost all famous Chinese electronic gadget online shopping sites source their products from Shenzhen, the manufacturing hub of consumer electronics, computer and communications products. In particular, Huaqiangbei, the shopping centre of such products, is the major place where these websites hunt for long-term cooperative partners to get the lowest priced gadgets for their inventories. Besides, most of them offer free shipping to any corner of the world. Here I would like to list some of the best alternatives to Dinodirect where you can shop for equally good gadgets at competitive prices.

DealExtreme.com

When you find a cool gadget of desire at DinoDirect.com, I would highly recommend you to search for the same product at DealExtreme.com first and vice versa. Their prices are usually the lowest on the market. You can compare the price to make a better shopping decision. In my eyes, the two companies are same good in terms of product quality and credibility. DealExtreme provides free shipping and accepts PayPal too.

FocalPrice.com

FocalPrice is another legend in the Chinese arena of electronic gadget foreign trade. Its founder is a talented young man who had made huge success at eBay before he led a team to create the FocalPrice.com. The site has been making huge revenues since it was launched – it never receives any investment from a third party and develops its business completely by the money it has earned. In terms of category completeness, FocalPrice is no second to DinoDirect or DealExtreme or any other China electronic gadget stores. The prices it offers are highly competitive too. Free shipping is honored. PayPal accepted.

ChinaVasion.com

To be frank, I have never seen any pricing advantage at ChinaVasion.com. The Shenzhen-based store seems to specialize in more high-end electronic gadgets. The best-selling products at the store include car DVD players with GPS, tablet PCs, smartphones, cameras, camcorders and more. Accepts PayPal. Free shipping is not available.

Lightinthebox.com & MiniInTheBox.com

Unlike wedding dresses and other special occasion dresses, electronic gadgets are not the major category at Lightinthebox.com. However, the site has really amazing cell phones and tablet PCs made by Chinese manufacturers. For instance, HiPhone became world renowned right from Lightinthebox.com.

As a sister site of Lightinthebox.com, MiniInTheBox.com carries a huge variety of “small gadgets”, such as cell phone accessories, video game accessories, watches and cool toys. Prices are good. Free shipping is available on select items and discounted shipping is frequently offered. Accepts PayPal.

Lightinthebox is the most reputable Chinese B2C and B2B website on the global market. Its company size, credibility and product lines are unbeatable. The best thing to shop with the store is: you may save more hassles.

AliExpress.com

As for wholesale deals on electronic gadgets, AliExpress.com is worth checking out. The site is a transaction platform rather than a store like the above mentioned names. Chances are you may find thousands of direct suppliers or manufacturers of gadgets and get best prices on what you want. In addition, the number of gadgets available at AliExpress.com is second to none. However, you may need more time and energy to find out more reliable sellers there. Buyer protection service is provided by AliExpress.com. The company does not charge buyers for any fees. Instead, it charges sellers for a certain amount of commissions on successful order. Again, I would suggest you use PayPal to ensure online shopping safety.