We have been a furniture sourcing company in China for over 10 years, and many of the new clients that we meet are confused when planning to import furniture from China.
They are most concerned about whether it is safe to buy furniture from China. Is the quality of the furniture from China good? Does the Chinese furniture supplier cheat them? Do furniture sourcing companies really work?
I write this article with the goal to clear up any doubts you may have. And to provide a guide to buying furniture from China.
1. Why Import furniture from china?
Importing furniture from China can improve your store’s profitability by increasing your margins and making customized furniture more accessible. China is known as the “Furniture Factory of the World” due to its large manufacturing infrastructure, skilful population and rich industry experience.
From Italian light luxury furniture to European classic furniture, you can easily find them all in the Foshan Shunde furniture market.
2. Why Chinese furniture is cheaper?
Integrated domestic supply chain: Furniture manufacturers can easily access a wide range of reasonably priced raw materials from local suppliers.
Government Promotion: China promotes and enhances export competitiveness through the establishment of special economic zones, tax and financial benefits, subsidized public utilities, tax rebates, export insurance and exchange rate management.
Technology and automated manufacturing: The availability of the latest technology allows Chinese furniture factories to produce new styles and high quality products.
Labor: China hosts a large population of educated, well-trained and skilled workers, contributing to an extensive talent pool. In addition, labor costs are significantly lower than in other countries.
3. Is It Safe to Buy furniture from China?
Do you worry whether it is safe to buy furniture from China? Do you think that furniture with the “Made in China” label is always defective and low-quality?
For a long time, the world considered China’s furniture to be of low quality. However, this is far from the truth. Modern developments in China have enabled furniture manufacturers to produce high quality furniture at the most competitive prices, making China become the leader in furniture manufacturing. In addition, in order to reduce costs, many famous furniture companies will OEM in Chinese furniture factories.
4. 8 Tips for Buying Furniture Safely from China
Buying furniture from China is safe, but it is important for buyers to know the right information about the safe buying process. If you don’t understand the challenges and methods of importing furniture from China, it can lead to huge losses.
Although there are many challenges, there are still many ways to safely buy furniture from China. You just need to learn a few tips and tricks to make it work. Here are some needs to know.
1) Buy furniture from reliable Chinese suppliers
The first thing you need to do is find a reliable and trustworthy furniture supplier for your business. To do this, browse the supplier website and contact them directly, asking for their history and certifications. Another way is to ask the buyers who have been working with this furniture supplier.
For the long run, another tip for finding a good furniture supplier is to ask for samples before signing a contract. Make a list of suppliers you think are good, and then ask each supplier for samples of the products you want. In this way, you can select the best suppliers from the group.
If you are a beginner, it is best to hire a professional furniture sourcing company to help you verify your suppliers. By doing so, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary losses.
2) Buy furniture from reliable online sites
To minimize the risk of scams, buy only from reliable and secure e-commerce sites. These sites have security controls and buyer protection.
We can see the rapid growth of China’s e-commerce market with sites like Alibaba that help overseas buyers order what they want with one click.
In addition, you can also buy furniture via an online furniture sourcing company. For example, Rix Sourcing, they are a local furniture sourcing company in Foshan with years of experience in furniture sourcing.
Moreover, Rix Sourcing writes a lot of blogs before introducing detailed information about furniture wholesale online sites in China. Check out the links below for more information on how to buy furniture from the top 5 wholesale sites in China.
3) Factory visits when buying furniture from China
While you are in China to visit your furniture suppliers, take the time to visit their factories if possible. In this way, you get a direct idea of the company size of your supplier, and the quality level.
Inspecting the manufacturing will give you a better understanding on how your furniture is made and assembled. This means that you will gain more experience which will help you in future business transactions. In addition, Chinese manufacturers will know how engaged you are, which will motivate them to work more effectively.
In case you can’t visit China in person, it is recommended to hire a professional furniture sourcing company who can help you with everything in China.
4) Perform 3rd party supplier audits
Once you have shortlisted some furniture suppliers, you should consider hiring a third party to conduct an independent audit and inspection of these furniture suppliers. Make sure you choose a reputable and reliable company for this purpose, checking their certificates, work history and reviews.
Third-party audits will ensure that all quality controls, tests, features and standards of the supplier’s products are fully met. You will receive a detailed review of all aspects related to your furniture supplier.
After receiving an audit, you can evaluate whether the supplier has completed the job correctly. If so, you can continue to work with them. If not, you can choose another supplier. Therefore, it is a good idea to invest in a third-party audit company.
Tips: A furniture sourcing company in China can help you with the factory audit, and you don’t have to spend time and money to come to China.
5) Sign detailed contracts with suppliers
Working with your suppliers, you should have a clear and detailed contract. The contract needs to list your products and requirements, including payment terms, quality checks, refund policy, contract duration, contract void conditions, liability for damage, etc.
As a beginner, it is best to involve a reliable third party who specializes in these contracts to ensure that you do not miss any important details. Signing a contract will ensure that your business runs smoothly in every aspect and that you will not easily suffer any losses. It can also help you avoid scams.
6) Execute the right quality control
In-production inspection
In-production inspection includes checking the quality of materials. You need to check that they are of good quality, free of defects, etc. You also need to verify what kind of production processes the factory uses and what machines they have.
Inspection of finished products
Inspection of the finished product means that you need to check the final product against the requirements of the contract. Therefore, you will check the design, colour, surface and technical details. Moreover, you must also ensure that the product is free of defects and fulfills its function.
Each product requires a different type of packaging, and you need to make sure the packaging is of good quality. For example, natural marble table tops require a wooden frame to ensure they are not easily damaged during transportation.
Container loading monitoring
Finally, it is necessary to monitor the loading of the containers to ensure that the furniture is stacked correctly. Heavy goods should be placed below, light or easily damaged goods on top. In addition, you should also load as many goods as possible so as to reduce the cost.
7) Use a professional freight forwarder
Finally, look for a professional freight forwarder to deliver your goods safely and efficiently. Again, you need to check the certificates, experience and work history of the freight forwarder. It is also recommended that you learn the basics of the freight forwarding industry in order to make an intelligent decision about who you will hire.
There are many freight forwarders who quote shipping rates much lower than the market price, in order to attract your attention. These companies are likely to be scammers. Therefore, please choose a freight forwarder with reasonable price and good reputation.
If you do not have your own freight forwarder, you can also seek help from a furniture sourcing company.
8) The correct customs clearance documents
Customs clearance can be a complicated process. Therefore, it is best for you to prepare in advance to minimize the inconvenience. All the furniture you import from China needs to comply with all the legality, laws and rules of the customs department.
You can hire a customs broker to handle the entire process more easily. In order to successfully clear customs, you will need the following documents:
Commercial Invoice
It contains all the necessary information about the product you are shipping, such as manufacturer, destination and origin, HS code, buyer/seller identity, package type, product description and shipping information.
Packing list
Provided by the shipper, the packing list is used by Customs to inspect your shipment. The packing list includes information such as container number, product model, specification, gross weight and net weight.
Bill of Lading (B/L)
It is a document issued by the carrier to the shipper. The bill of lading is a document that proves the ownership of the goods, and it is necessary to have a bill of lading to pick up your container at the port of destination. It provides a tracking number and includes international shipping details.
5. Where is the furniture market in China?
Shunde, Foshan City has become the largest furniture market and distribution center in China and even in the world. It claims to be the world’s largest furniture market. Shunde was named the capital of furniture trade in China by China Light Industry Federation and China Furniture Association.
The total area of Foshan Shunde Wholesale Furniture Market is about 32.3 million square feet, including more than 200 modern furniture sales buildings, such as LOUVRE Group, Sunlink Group, Lecong International Furniture Exhibition Center, Shunde Empire Group and others.
6. 4 problems when buying furniture from China
1) Language barrier
Most of the sales representatives in Chinese furniture factories do not speak English. Even if they use Google Translate, it’s hard to understand exactly what they’re trying to say. This can cause a lot of confusion and can lead to errors or financial losses
2) Unreliable suppliers
Furniture suppliers from online sites like Alibaba, usually claim they are factories when in fact they are not. Some suppliers offer prices below the market average to get your order, and the result is that you may receive poor quality furniture.
In case you are unable to visit the factory to check the quality of the products, you may get defective goods. If you find a quality issue when you receive the goods, it is impossible to get back the money you have paid.
3) Suppliers without export experience
Many Chinese furniture factories have no experience in exporting and are not familiar with the regulations of each country. This can cause serious problems. For example, when the container arrives at the port of destination, it cannot be cleared because of missing customs clearance documents.
More seriously, you can’t sell your furniture products on the market because they don’t meet the national regulations.
4) Money transfers issues
Different furniture suppliers may have different payment methods. Usually they can accept wire transfer, L/C and Western Union. However, you must be cautious about payment issues, because any small mistake can cause payment delays of a few days to a few weeks.
Moreover, most of the furniture stores in Foshan Furniture City do not have USD accounts, they only accept payment in RMB. This is a big headache. Especially if you plan to buy from several furniture stores.
7. Why You Need a Furniture Sourcing Company from China?
Although it is easy to find furniture suppliers online nowadays. But picking the right one from so many furniture suppliers can be a complicated and risky task. Therefore, it is a good decision to hire a trustworthy furniture sourcing company, they can help you with all the things related to importing furniture from China.
Here are 5 reasons why hiring a professional furniture sourcing company is a better option than buying directly from an online B2B website:
1) Furniture sourcing companies can help you save lots of time
A reliable furniture sourcing company will save you a lot of time, cost and hassle in the supply chain.
Traditionally, furniture sourcing companies only provide their clients with the services of sourcing suppliers. In fact, the furniture sourcing company provides services that can include choosing the right supplier, negotiating prices, following up on production, quality control, product compliance and testing, shipping, etc.
It is not that a furniture sourcing company should provide a full range of services. The scope of work depends on the agreement reached between both sides.
2) Reliable Furniture Supplier Resources
A professional furniture sourcing company can help you find capable and reliable furniture manufacturers.
This is because an experienced furniture sourcing company is familiar with the trends of the Chinese furniture market and has accumulated many qualified factory resources that you may not find online.
3) Familiar with the furniture industry
Each region of China has its own industrial clusters, which are groups of related companies in a specific geographical area. For example, if you want to purchase consumer products from China, a sourcing agent in Yiwu is a good choice.
For the furniture sourcing companies, they are generally clustered in Guangzhou and Foshan. Especially, furniture sourcing companies in Foshan are close to furniture industry clusters, which makes it convenient to contact factories and reduce middle costs, such as freight and quality inspection costs.
4) Improve sourcing efficiency
A local furniture sourcing company in China can help you overcome cultural and language barriers. He knows exactly what you want, negotiates the details of the product with the furniture supplier, and delivers the information to you in fluent English, greatly reducing communication costs.
5) Reduce your risk of importing furniture from China
A professional furniture sourcing company must be experienced in handling product manufacturing, quality control, compliance certification, import/export process rules and international shipping.
Because any mistake in the export process can lead to your financial loss.
The End
Thank you for reading this article, and if it was helpful, please feel free to share it with others. If you have any questions about buying furniture from China, please let me know in the comments below.
We are a leading furniture sourcing company in China, located in Foshan, dedicated to helping buyers find the best Chinese furniture suppliers at the most competitive prices. If you want to import products from China or visit China, please feel free to contact us.
