Sourcing Strategy · Trade Fairs Every spring and autumn, thousands of overseas buyers fly into Guangzhou for the Canton Fair, then wonder whether they still need to make the extra trip to Foshan. The two are not substitutes for each other. Here is what the fair actually gives you, what it cannot, and how to […]
Tag Archives: Furniture Sourcing
Sourcing · Pricing & Evaluation When you receive quotations from three Chinese factories for the same furniture piece, the prices are rarely directly comparable. Two factories can quote the same item with the same line item name and differ by 25% — and both can be entirely honest about it. The difference is almost always […]
Sourcing · Supplier Evaluation Most sourcing failures are supplier selection failures. The factory that quotes quickly, responds warmly, and maintains an impressive showroom is not necessarily the factory that will deliver 200 units to spec, on time, in undamaged packaging. Knowing how to evaluate a supplier before committing to a production order is the highest-leverage […]
Sourcing · Quality Control Every purchase order from China should begin with an approved sample. The gap between a factory showroom piece and what eventually arrives in your container is where most sourcing problems originate — and where careful buyers protect themselves before a single unit goes into production. Why the Sample Stage Matters More […]