Raya Mersiyapova has been working with manufacturers of goods from the Celestial Empire for over 17 years and knows everything about the internal structure of the Chinese market. She shared tips on how to save money on autumn purchases, make repairs profitably, create your own clothing brand, and still earn money.
Contrary to fears, after the departure of large international chains from the market, Russian fashionistas were not left out in the cold. On the contrary, they stepped forward vigorously. And at the same time, they learned to save money! The Internet and social networks were overwhelmed by a wave of purchases of goods from China, where there is everything and even more. But while some save many times over by ordering goods from the Celestial Empire, others repeat the phrase like a mantra: all these things are of poor quality, forgetting that 80% of the goods sold in the world are made in China. Even most of the luxury goods.
Raya Mersiyapova has been working with Chinese markets for a long time, long before it became a trend, and has learned to choose quality products from the ocean of goods offered by local marketplaces, and has recently been teaching others to do the same. She agreed to tell Woman.ru how to learn how to buy profitably in China and save money at the same time.
– I came to Beijing to study, it was 2007 when I was only 21. At that time in Russia, there was a persistent stereotype about Chinese low-quality consumer goods. I thought the same until I saw with my own eyes that the Chinese had long since learned to make good and high-quality things. But in those years, I did not have the task of studying Chinese trading platforms, I studied the language at Beijing University, met people, communicated, just lived there, and enjoyed life. I planned to stay there and go to university. But for some reason, my parents decided that I should return to Russia and get an education in my homeland. I still don’t understand why I didn’t insist on my own. In the end, I graduated from the construction institute in Moscow and went to work for Mosvodokanal. It was the most boring time in my life.
But while Raya continued to build her former life in Moscow, she did not lose contact with the Celestial Empire. Including trade contacts.
– I already realized the potential of the Chinese goods market back then. Like all girls, I went to mass-market stores, looked at these things, and realized that I was overpaying. For that kind of money, you can order much better quality goods from China. And what was sold in Moscow cost three kopecks in Beijing. Gradually, I started buying clothes for myself, then I taught all my friends and acquaintances to do the same. Word of mouth started working and wholesalers started asking me for advice on finding goods. But it was still more of a part-time job. Until the coronavirus arrived.
Borders closed, and usual shopping patterns stopped working. But online trade flourished.
– I didn’t advertise my services at all, but people contacted me every day. I didn’t even notice how purchasing from China became my main business. Every month, hundreds of kilograms of cargo are brought to Russia through me. And I began to teach people how to purchase from China so that they could save money or create their own small business. Even my mother-in-law, a pensioner, learned how to buy children’s goods in China and sell them through the Iz Ruk v Ruki websites and entered the Russian marketplace with her brand of inexpensive children’s shoes. Now she has a good increase in her pension and is very happy. And my friend’s son, a second-year student, created his own Telegram channel, collects orders for original items from premium brands with a 10-15% markup for his services, which he honestly tells clients about, and brings to Russia.
So what do you need to know to order things profitably? Seven main tips.
Select a product and use online translators
– There are a lot of marketplaces in China. But there are three main ones. “Aliexpress”, “Taobao”, “1688”. Of course, there are millions of items, you can drown looking at everything. How to choose a good and high-quality item? Firstly, you can upload a photo to the marketplace search engine and find exactly the same skirt or blouse that you personally saw in our stores, but at a much better price. I assure you, that 90% of everything that is sold in Russia is made in China. This is the easiest way.
But the range of products presented in China is much wider. There are all the collections of such once beloved by Zara, H&M, Massimo Dutti, and other manufacturers, even IKEA. Everything is there! Download a regular online translator to your smartphone. It is not difficult. And enter the desired items in the search engine. If you work from a computer, you can open a Chinese site directly in the translator and everything will be automatically in Russian. Yes, the translation is clumsy, but the meaning of what is written will still be clear. Pay attention to reviews, store ratings, number of sales, and photos of real purchases of other users. Everything works there exactly the same as on our online platforms. If anything, you can always talk to the seller, and clarify some nuances. The Chinese are very sociable, they always respond immediately. Their efficiency and coordination can only be envied.
Those who are afraid of running into fakes, I advise you to study the assortment of the Poizon marketplace. It presents original premium products from Adidas New Balance, Puma, Massimo Duti, and others.
How not to make a mistake with the size? Taking measurements
– There is a myth that all Chinese clothes are small. But this is not true. They have long adapted their size charts to European figures. That is, our 44 is S, 46 is M, and 48 is L. In addition, there is a size chart in centimeters, it is the most reliable. When choosing shoes, take measurements the old-fashioned way – put your foot on a piece of paper, outline it and measure with a centimeter. Usually, size 38 is 24.5 cm. 39, respectively, is 25 cm. And so on. I have not come across small sizes for a long time. The Chinese have long adapted to the Russian market.
Take a lesson from an experienced mentor
– Another problem that stops buyers from ordering from China is the lack of understanding of how to pay for goods. Yes, it’s not that simple, but you can always use the services of intermediaries or… become such an intermediary yourself. It’s easy to learn, and this can become your key to additional income. I and other buyers teach in our courses how to set up payment for goods, order for yourself, and help others save. Yes, you can figure out all these new rules yourself, by trial and error. Or buy an online lesson, the cost of which will pay off with the very first purchase.
I will say one thing for sure, there is no point in opening intermediary cards here in the Russian Federation, you won’t be able to pay for purchases on Chinese platforms with them anyway. The easiest way to pay for a purchase is through an intermediary. There are many of them among professional buyers, like me. It is difficult to trust your money to a stranger (although I have never encountered fraud), so you can start with a small amount. Even from 500 or 1000 rubles, to check how everything works. But I still advise going to an expert who will tell you how the system works in general.
It is profitable to collect a parcel from 10 kg
– Without an expert who has been working with China for a long time, it is possible to understand the delivery process, but it is difficult. You will have to look for a warehouse there in the Celestial Empire, where all your orders will be accumulated. Then find a delivery service that will send your order. Yes, you can even send a pair of socks here, or a box of pencils, but such wastefulness is not profitable. It is better to collect parcels from 10 kilograms. Once a week I form a cargo of different buyers and even undertake to send a small order. On average, delivery of such cargo to Russia costs from 25 to 40 dollars (that is, 2.5 – 4 $ per kg by land and 15 $ if by plane). I specifically voice the figures, because many unscrupulous buyers name their prices, pulled out of thin air. By the way, cargo from China is also sent by SDEK, at a price of 2,000 rubles per kilogram.
So, if you are just starting out on your journey of purchasing from China, it is better to contact an intermediary or take courses again if you want to work independently. Training costs about 10,000 rubles, and again this amount will pay off with the first order. You need to approach the choice of an intermediary carefully. Now there are many “expert experts” on the Internet who themselves do not really know anything. Looking at experience, knowledge of the language, and reviews, it is best to work on recommendations. Start with small orders. Usually, the services of people like me cost 10% of the order amount. For wholesalers, the cost is lower.
You can return an unsuitable product, but you will have to pay
This is not a problem, all Chinese accept it back without any questions. But you will have to pay for delivery from Russia to China.
We save even on repairs
You can buy everything on Chinese marketplaces. From fragile dishes (everything arrives safe and sound) to furniture and home improvement supplies. I recently placed an order for 250 kilograms of cargo for a family from the Moscow region, they are building a house. They ordered everything at once – tiles, parquet, plumbing, furniture. Saved more than 2.5 million rubles. We send the goods by train, it is the cheapest, although the delivery times are not that fast.
Launch your own brand of goods profitably
– And it’s not that hard to do. You can go to China yourself, find a factory, and negotiate. But it’s cheaper and easier to turn to an intermediary. We order prototypes, and they are brought here to Russia for approval, you look at them, feel them, and if you like them, we make a wholesale order. Usually the Chinese work from 100-200 pieces. An example is my mother-in-law, who makes and sells children’s shoes.
Believe me, just try it once, and you will never buy in Russia and overpay for goods again.
