Coming to China: 7 services that will help you navigate, buy and organize delivery

China is a huge digital ecosystem where tourist-friendly apps are often less useful than local services. For communication, payment, navigation, search for goods and purchases, there are their own platforms.

If you come to China as a tourist, entrepreneur, seller of marketplaces or search for goods, these services can greatly simplify the work.

Let's see. WeChat, Alipay, Amap, Taobao, 1688, Pinduoduo, POIZON and separately - how to organize the delivery of goods after the purchase.

WeChat - main messenger of China

WeChat, or Chinese Weixin, is much more than a regular messenger. Through it, communicate with suppliers, send photos and documents, create work chats, use mini-applications and pay for various services. Tencent calls Weixin a full-fledged digital ecosystem that combines communication, payments and Mini Programs.

How useful

You can use WeChat to:

• communicate with Chinese suppliers;
• Call and send voice messages;
• exchange photos of goods;
• receive addresses and geolocation;
• use mini-applications;
• Pay for goods and services where Weixin Pay is available.

How to use

For business, the advice is simple: Create a separate working accountAdd suppliers, sign contacts and keep a history of negotiations.

WeChat is one of the main communication tools for Chinese businesses.

Alipay - Payments and everyday services

Alipay is one of the main payment services in China. In addition to payment, the app combines various everyday functions: shopping, transportation, bookings and other digital services.

How useful

You can use Alipay to:

• pay for purchases;
• use QR payments;
• pay for various services;
• Use separate built-in services.

What is the point?

In China, a QR code often replaces a traditional bank card. Therefore, before the trip, it is worthwhile to deal with the available methods of connection and payment in advance.

Important: Terms of use for foreign users may vary depending on the country, the type of card and the specific service.

Amap - navigation

Amap, also known as Gaode Maps, is a Chinese navigation service for the Alibaba ecosystem.

If you come to China, regular maps don’t always give the same level of detail as local apps.

How useful is Amap?

It helps:

• construct routes;
• look for addresses;
• Orientation in an unfamiliar city;
• Find shops, markets and organizations;
• Understand the location of warehouses and factories.

Advice for entrepreneurs

Be sure to check before going to the factory. Chinese name and address in Chinese. The English spelling may vary, and the company name sometimes has several translation options.

Taobao - Chinese goods market

Taobao is one of China’s largest retail shopping platforms. Here you can find almost everything: clothes, electronics, household goods, accessories, unusual goods and local brands.

What to use for

Taobao is useful for:

• search for goods;
• analysis of the range;
• price study;
• search for trends;
• search for unusual products;
• Demand check.

How to search more effectively

Do not limit yourself to the name of the product.

Use:

• search by photo;
• Chinese keywords;
• filters;
• search for similar products.

Taobao is particularly useful Analysis of the Chinese Retail Market.

1688 - one of the main procurement services

If Taobao is more consumer-oriented, then 1688 - An important platform for finding manufacturers and wholesale suppliers.

Alibaba Group lists 1688 as one of China’s leading domestic wholesale platforms. Suppliers from different industries and manufacturers are represented here.

What to look for in 1688

• wholesale goods;
• producers;
• factories;
• suppliers;
• components;
• packaging;
• goods for further resale.

What to look at

Do not choose a supplier at the lowest price.

Check:

• rating;
• term of service;
• reviews;
• minimum order;
• Real photographs;
• the possibility of manufacturing a sample;
• packaging conditions;
• production time.

1688 - A great tool for finding the source of the product, but the supplier needs to be checked.

Pinduoduo - price

Pinduoduo is built around the idea of profitable shopping and interactive trading. Historically, one of the features of the platform was individual and group purchases, allowing you to get better prices.

Interesting.

On the platform, you can search:

• cheap goods;
• mass production;
• household goods;
• Simple categories with low cost.

But there's an important nuance.

A very low price does not always mean a profitable purchase for a business.

Before ordering it is necessary to check:

• quality;
• characteristics;
• completeness;
• seller;
• Real photographs;
• conditions of return.

Pinduoduo is best used as a market and price search tool rather than automatically trusting the cheapest offer.

Poizon - brandy

POIZON, also known in China as Dewu, specializes in branded goods, fashion, footwear and other categories. An important part of the platform concept is to verify the authenticity of goods before shipping.

How useful

Poizon may be interesting for:

• search for branded shoes;
• streetwear;
• collectible goods;
• accessories;
• Analysis of prices for popular models.

It's important.

When working with branded goods, it is necessary to take into account the following issues:

• trademarks;
• origin of the goods;
• import rights;
• customs clearance.

Buying a product is only the first step. We need to understand beforehand. Can it be legally and correctly imported into the country of destination?.

How do I get the goods from China?

After searching for goods, the following question arises: How to organize purchase and delivery?

It is important to determine in advance:

• What exactly are you buying?
• from which supplier;
• quantity;
• cost;
• package sizes;
• weight
• availability of batteries or special components;
• brand;
• final delivery address.

BAVIER - delivery of goods from China offers services for the search and redemption of goods, cargo consolidation, delivery and logistics support. According to the company, warehouses are available in several cities of China and the organization of delivery to Russia with various additional services.

The main thing: what service to use for what?

WeChat Communication with suppliers and working with Chinese contacts.

Alipay payments and digital services.

Amap navigation and finding the right places.

Taobao - product search and retail market analysis.

1688 Search for manufacturers and wholesale suppliers.

Pinduoduo Search for low prices and mass goods.

Poizon Branded, fashionable and collectible goods.

The logistics company Assistance with redemption, consolidation and delivery of goods after purchase.

Main board

Don’t try to use one service for everything.

In China, the bundle works more effectively:

WeChat → supplier search → 1688 / Taobao → product inspection → payment → warehouse → delivery.

The better you understand the purpose of each instrument, the easier it is to navigate the Chinese trading ecosystem.