08 Oct '14
Finding reliable shoe supplies in China is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Many retailers will search for a full year or longer before finding a shoe supplier that fits their needs.
Why does it take so long?
You’ll need to review several factories and assess their qualifications based on a variety of factors including:
- Accuracy in sizing and fitting
- Quality of materials used
- Appearance of packaging and labeling
- Length of lead times
Many suppliers in China fail at one or more of these qualifications making them impossible to work with unless you are willing to sell your customers a poor product.
Negotiating with Shoe Suppliers in China
Once you find a couple of suppliers that meet your standards, you will need to set up a meeting to negotiate pricing and all of the other important business details.
Keep in mind that many suppliers will conduct the negotiation meetings in their local dialect – usually Mandarin (Chinese Putonghua) but sometimes Cantonese or one of the other 290 spoken languages. This means if you are not fluent in the language the meeting will be conducted in, you are at a severe disadvantage.
You can hire a local gent to negotiate on your behalf, but this often lends itself to issues down the road. The agent may not have your best interest in mind or he may not fully understand the quality of product or lead time necessary for your footware to be successful. Many things can get lost in translation!
Finding a Shoes Supplier in China That You Trust
For the best results, companies looking for a reliable source of footwear and handbags in China need to partner with a well-established supply company that has a long history of success.
EDS Holdings Limited has been delivering quality products on time and on budget to successful brands in competitive markets such as:
- ALDO and Nine West in the United States
- Debenhams and Topshop in the United Kingdon
- Studio F in Colombia
The multilingual team of Chinese and Western managers at EDS specialize in ladies fashion. We supply products to large scale retailers around the world and work with vetted factories capable of producing all types of shoes.
The Quality Assurance Team at EDS Holdings Limited guarantees that you (and your customers) will receive a well-made product and the peace of mind that on-time delivery brings.
Contact EDS today to learn more!
