Things to Know About Importing Furnitures from China-Step by Step Guide

Shopping for Furniture

Visiting the malls may be an overwhelming experience especially for first-time visitors. Do not rely on your memory but make detailed notes to help you finalize your decision. Furniture is available for both retail and wholesale buyers. If you’re looking at retail, pay attention to stock levels. Products available in stock are easy to buy but if you have to place an order, the price may be much higher.

Wholesale prices are usually 20-30% lower than retail prices. When it comes to wholesale shopping, minimum order quantity is an important term to be acquainted with. As the number of piecesbeing bought increases, the price usually decreases. You may need to maintain a minimum order quantity at some stores.

You may get a general idea of the prices of a store’s furniture on its website or during your initial checks. Once you know exactly what you want and the quantity, you may negotiate the prices to get a good bargain. For this, knowledge of the language is a must. Hence, you must take the sourcing agent into confidence.

There are many different ways you may choose to pay for your furniture. The best form of payment is dependent on the quantity of furniture being ordered and the total amount payable. Chinese furniture manufacturers are quite reliable but they are notorious for delayed deliveries. In rare cases, you may be scammed out of your money. Thus, it is important to be careful about how and when you pay for your purchase. The most common forms of payment accepted are:

• International Wire Transfer
  This is often used for small transactions or medium sized amounts. In such cases, a down payment is made before production starts and the balance is paid later as per the manufacturer’s payment terms. By paying for products in this way, the purchaser does stand to lose his/her initial down payment if anything goes wrong. The manufacturer also stands to lose if the buyer does not make the later payments for any reason.
• Letter of Credit
  For buyers making large purchases, this is the most secure form of payment. It is typically used for purchases that are valued above $50,000. It is rarely used for lower amounts as banks charge high fees to make a letter of credit and a lot of paperwork is involved in the process.
• Online Escrow
  Online escrow is typically used for purchases valued below $5,000. A number of escrow services are available online. However, this is not a very secure form of payment and clearing disputes can be a lengthy, difficult affair.




• Sourcing Agents / Companies
  If you choose to partner with a sourcing company or agent, you may pay for your purchases through them. They will pay the supplier through Chinese escrow or cash on delivery of the product. This is often a preferred form of payment as the sourcing agent can check quality on the delivery of the product and take a call to reject the consignment if quality standards are not met. Thus, the buyer’s investment is protected. It is usually used to pay small amounts.
• PayPal
  By choosing to pay the supplier through a PayPal account, buyers can safeguard their bank and credit card details. PayPal charges the suppliers a small fee for such transactions. This may be calculated as a percentage of the total amount payable. Most suppliers will add this charge to the buyer’s invoice
• International Credit Cards
  Credit cards are rarely used to pay for furniture sourced from a factory. However, it may be used to pay for small retail purchases.
• Cash
  Cash payments have a high-risk factor. However, this is a very popular form of payment when a sourcing company or agent represents the buyer. Cash payments can help the buyer get additional discounts. They should ideally be used only to pay for small amounts or when the supplier is trusted by the buyer.
• Western Union
  Western Union is a preferred form of payment for small orders or sample orders of large consignments. There is a high risk to such payments as the transactions is made between two individuals rather than the buyer and the company. Western Union charges a small fee for each transaction but the transfer of funds is done very quickly.

Is buying furniture in China a worthwhile endeavor?

Beyond the usual SEO-centric articles that seek to generate website traffic, I can assert from my extensive furniture industry experience that China offers an excellent opportunity to acquire high-quality furniture at affordable prices.

This holds true within the expansive landscape of the China furniture market, provided you have the knowledge and guidance to navigate it effectively. This is especially pertinent when you're in need of a diverse array of items, spanning indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting fixtures, tiles, carpets, kitchen cabinets, sanitary ware, home decor, and more.

China presents a vast spectrum of choices encompassing furniture, lighting, home decor, and other categories. These options vary in styles, materials, quality, and price points, making it a promising destination for discerning buyers.

What's even more advantageous is that you can find all of these offerings conveniently in one place, minimizing the effort required on your part.

However, if your furniture needs are limited to just a few items like a sofa bed, a bed frame, or a chair, I highly recommend exploring options in your local market.

To make a well-informed decision, you can compare the costs between buying locally and importing from China, taking into account factors such as product cost, delivery expenses, import duties, and other possible costs.

Over the past decade, Simonsense has assisted thousands of families in achieving remarkable savings of up to 70% on their furniture expenses by sourcing directly from China, in stark contrast to purchasing furniture within their local markets.