AliBaba is one of the largest B2B marketplaces in the world. A real ecosystem has formed around AliBaba in recent years. Here you can find millions of products, mainly made in China.
Unfortunately, purchasing and sourcing from China via AliBaba brings some disadvantages:
- The quality of the products is often not constant and can be below expectations.
- Payment terms are often difficult to negotiate and you must rely on the supplier to honor the terms.
- If you have a problem with a product or a delivery, the search for the right contact person is often tedious and lengthy.
- Communication with Chinese suppliers is often difficult due to cultural differences.
If you still want to source products from China but want to avoid the disadvantages of AliBaba, there are some alternative B2B marketplaces and platforms that we show you here:
KoRo Source - The new sourcing platform
Not surprisingly, we start with our own platform. Because in the search for products for our brands and stores, we have naturally come across AliBaba again and again.
In fact, we have purchased products through AliBaba a few times, but were never convinced by the quality and processes.
That's why we founded KoRo Source in 2022. The first sourcing platform of its kind, making product development and market launch easier than ever before.
- In a free initial consultation, we get to know you and your project to understand exactly where you stand and how we can help you.
- On our platform you will find hundreds of products with suitable packaging for your brand, lovingly curated by manufacturers with whom we have been working for years.
- Assemble your individual product with just a few clicks. With ready-made recipes or directly commission a new development.
- From kick-off to scale-up, you have exactly one contact person at unisource who will work with you and your team to develop your products and launch them on the market.
Private label products for your brand
Our B2B Sourcing Platform at a glance
Who supplies what? and Europages
Wer Liefert Was? and Europages are among the largest manufacturer directories on the Internet. The two websites are primarily relevant for European suppliers and have a whole range of products from different sectors listed.
At Wer liefert Was? you can register for free and then have access to a wide range of contact details for manufacturers. Europages is also free, but you have to verify your identity by phone or fax.
Both platforms are great for finding manufacturers. But here's the problem: As a rule, you're not looking for a manufacturer, but for products. The detour of first contacting a multitude of manufacturers with your product request is always time-consuming, risky and inefficient.
Ekowarehouse
Ekowarehouse is a "nugget" that we discovered relatively late. Here you can search for specific products, but mainly organic food. Some of the entries are outdated and the same problems arise here as with the other platforms.
Oberlo
Oberlo is #1 in dropshipping and has an incredible amount of products - almost too many. The process here is kept very simple. With a few clicks you can import products into your store.
It was precisely this convenience that showed us that sourcing in general must become easier. We have therefore incorporated many of Oberlo's principles into the development of KoRo Source.
The problem with Oberlo is that they are not your products. I.e. the items there you will most likely already find in other stores. Often there is an unwinnable price war.
GlobalSources
GloubalSources is always mentioned in the "Alternatives to AliBaba" lists. However, we could never really understand where the difference should lie. The platform is partly imitated 1:1 from AliBaba.
Basically, the same problem with sourcing abroad (especially China) arises here as with AliBaba: shaky supply chains.
Especially after Corona, when nothing worked at all, many companies had to learn that supply chains are nowhere near as reliable as they have been in recent years.
That is why there is a movement towards local manufacturers right now, also because this is much more sustainable in terms of Co2 footprint.
