Yiwu Market Guide: The Ultimate Guide

Yiwu is the largest trading city in the world for different types of small commodities.

Every year, more than half a million foreign traders come to Yiwu to source various small commodities.

In this definitive guide, you’ll learn various aspects of the Yiwu market for wholesale.

You’ll also know a step by step process on best ways to navigate this market and ultimately get the best out of your visit.

Where is Yiwu Wholesale Market

Yiwu market is located in Yiwu City, a central part of the larger Zhejiang Province, China.

This business center evolved from a small agricultural town to become the largest city built on markets and small commodity businesses.

Yiwu market is surrounded by some of the major cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou.

These neighboring cities are also essential when it comes to supplying goods to Yiwu wholesale markets.

The prime setting of Yiwu market plays an integral role in its continuous growth and development over the years.

Its central location makes it an ideal distribution source for different types of products used in Zhejiang province daily.

How to get to the Yiwu market

You can quickly get to the Yiwu market irrespective of the part of the world you are coming from to source for products.

Ostensibly, the Yiwu market is accessible from different directions since it offers an array of convenient transportation options.

Here are some of the ways you use to can access the Yiwu market from the major cities in China;

· Getting to Yiwu Market from Shanghai

You can use four means of transport to get to the Yiwu market if you are coming from Shanghai.

The fastest mode of transport, in this case, would be using a train, which takes approximately 2 ¼ hours.

You can as well choose to use buses, which are regarded to be a relatively economical option.

However, buses take about four hours to get to Yiwu from Shanghai.

Another option you can choose is boarding a taxi.

Taxis are quite a several in this route and take around three hours.

Finally, you can opt for a self-drive by hiring a car, which also takes approximately three hours to get to Yiwu.

· Getting to Yiwu from Beijing

Since Beijing is the Chinese capital city, there’s a likelihood of making it your first choice when traveling to China.

You can get to Yiwu from Beijing by any of the following options, depending on your choice;

• You can take a flight, which often takes approximately 4 ½ hours, quite faster but relatively expensive.
• You can opt to take a train, which takes around 6 ¾ hours but still save some considerable fortune.
• Also, you may decide to hire a taxi or self-drive car for a journey, which takes about 14 hours.

· Getting to Yiwu from Guangzhou

Ideally, Guangzhou is relatively far from Yiwu city.

Thus if you’re not on a tight budget, it advisable to simply take a flight.

Most domestic flights take around 4 ¾ hours, and the price range from $100 to $200.

However, if you are working on a tight budget, you may opt for other alternatives such as train, bus, and self-drive.

· Getting to Yiwu from Shenzhen

Traveling from Shenzhen to Yiwu presents an array of options.

You can take a flight at a cost ranging from $100 – $200 for a 4 ¾ hours trip.

If you’re on a budget, you can perhaps consider other cheaper alternatives such as bus, self-drive, and train.

The duration for these options are 21 hours, 12 hours, and 8 hours respectively.

· Getting to Yiwu from Ningbo

Ningbo is relatively close to Yiwu; thus, the ideal mode of transport, in this case, is using a train.

A train takes about 1 ¾ hour and is fairly cheap, often ranging from $20-$35.

You may as well choose to board a bus, which costs $9 and takes about 4hours.

If you choose self-drive or hire a taxi, you’ll take approximately 2hours from Ningbo to Yiwu.

Moreover, whichever option you choose to use to get to Yiwu, the distance from such facilities to the actual Yiwu market is usually short.

It’s about 10 km from Yiwu train station to the Yiwu market, a 20-minute drive.

From Yiwu airport to Yiwu market, the distance is about 11.4 km, a 25-minute drive.

The distance from Yiwu market to Yiwu bust station is 1.5 km, a 7-minute drive.

The Best Time to Visit Yiwu Market

There is a need to carry out thorough background research before visiting Yiwu for business purposes.

Of course, the market is opened every day throughout the year.

However, there are specific times when your visit allows you to get the best deals ever.

During trade fairs would be the most appropriate time to visit Yiwu.

In essence, it becomes easy for you to get better deals and also create rapport with several suppliers and manufacturers.

Weather patterns and annual holidays in China are also a vital consideration when planning to visit Yiwu.

Essentially, the ideal time to consider visiting this market would be between March and June and between September and December.

While at it, you also need to determine the number of days you’ll spend sourcing for products in Yiwu.

This way, you can figure out the best seasons when perhaps hotels and accommodation are relatively affordable.

And this makes economic sense, especially if you’re going to spend more time in Yiwu of at least 7 days.

The Best Wholesale Markets in Yiwu

Ideally, Yiwu market is a general term.

Typically, this market is regarded as Yiwu International Trade Mart.

In many cases, it is referred to as the Futian Market.

In other words, Yiwu market is a cluster or market.

Technically, the entire Yiwu city serves for market trade.

That’s the reason you can see there are numerous booths along the streets full of products for wholesale.

These numerous sub-markets in Yiwu wholesale market are often categorized based on products sold.

The wholesale markets in Yiwu include the following;

i. Futian Market

This wholesale market is located in District 1.

It is the largest and most famous wholesale market in Yiwu.

Several products such as toys, bags, jewelry, hair accessories, belts, and scarfs are available in wholesale.

This market has over 50,000 booths across all five Districts.

Futian is also famous for artificial flowers as well as small home appliances.

It opens from 8 am to 5 am.

ii. Yiwu Material Market

This market has become a large-scale center for sourcing building and decoration materials.

It is also synonymous with ceramics products, stones, and aluminum.

Yiwu material market has over 350 booths.

iii. Digital Market

The digital market in Yiwu is the largest place for sourcing cell phones, computers, LEDs, and a variety of tech equipment.

In most instances, businesses in the digital market tend to focus on retail for individual usage rather than a wholesale business.

It is located in Binwang Road and always open from 8 am to 5 pm.

iv. International Production Material Market

This market concentrates on production and selling a wide range of production materials.

Such materials include glass, woodwork, ceramics, and equipment you can use to produce raw materials and machinery.

It also serves as the center for lighting products as well as leather items.

The market is located along Chouzhou North Rd. and always open from 8 am to 5 pm.

v. Communication Market

Most of the available products here include networking devices, cameras, walkie-talkies, radios, cellphones, and cables.

Anything you might require to sort your communication needs can be sourced from this particular market.

It is located in Binwang Rd and opens between 8 am and 5 pm.

vi. Zhejiang Timber Market

This market is synonymous with the largest and highest grade of timber and related accessories.

It is also the best place to source a wide range of building materials, including wood for flooring and other infrastructure.

It is located along Huancheng W Rd and also opens between 8 am and 5 pm.

vii. Yiwu Furniture Market

This is the only professional market approved by the government in Yiwu City, where you can source all types of furniture products.

Yiwu furniture market has modern infrastructure and regarded as the largest single scale market in the entire Zhejiang province.

It is located in the central parts of West Yiwu City along Xincheng Rd.

 viii. Huangyuan Clothing Market

Huangyuan is regarded as the largest professional market located in the middle zone of Zhejiang province.

It complements selling wholesale and retail business for clothing and garments.

This market is located at the intersection of Huangyuan road and Jiangbin middle road.

Types of products you can buy in Yiwu Market

Ostensibly, it would be relatively difficult to explain all the types of products you can source from Yiwu Market.

In this market, you can find over 400,000 types of different products.

We cannot exhaust all the products in writing.

This merely means you can get most types of products you can imagine, if not all.

The products are numerous and available in various categories.

Some of the common item categories include the following;

• Machinery and equipment
• Hardware and tools
• Fashion accessories
• Packing materials
• Apparel, shoes, and parts
• Pet supplies
• Consumer electronics
• Homeware and decoration
• Sports and outdoor
• Toys
• Health and beauty products
• Auto and motorcycle accessories
• School and office supplies
• Apparel, shoes, and parts

Advantages of Shopping Products from Yiwu Market

Sourcing products from Yiwu wholesale markets, whether for commercial or domestic purposes, presents a lot of benefits.

With the right information, you will always get the best deals ever when shopping from this particular world’s largest small commodities market.

Some of the obvious advantages include the following;

1) Availability of a Variety of Products

With over 400,000 thousand types of products, you can be certain of getting any variety of the item you’re looking for.

This is fundamentals, especially for commercial purposes, since you’ll need to get a wide variety to choose from.

In essence, it allows you to get specific products, which meet your particular demands.

2) There is No Sales-pressure

Typically, whenever you are sourcing products from wholesale markets, you are bound to give in to pressure from various quarters.

At times this can lead you to make wrong decisions as far as purchasing the products is concerned.

However, the good thing about shopping from Yiwu Market is that you are hardly subjected to such sales pressure.

You have the liberty to make an independent choice based on your specific demands.

And the reason here is always as a result of a variety of options all-round.

Ultimately, you make end up making a sound decision and leave the market with a satisfied conscience.

3) High Level of Convenience

Generally, Yiwu wholesale market is perfectly structured, of course, to meet international requirements.

As such, the structures are put in place accordingly to enhance mobility and other related elements.

Suppliers have reasonable lead-time for obtaining products.

The stocks are always available and ready-to-ship irrespective of the quantity you may need.

This is convenient and cost-effective since you’ll be able to save on a considerable amount of money and time.

4) Flexible MOQ

When shopping for small commodities from Yiwu wholesale market, the MOQ should be the least of your worries.

Many suppliers here offer different types of products without necessarily minding about the MOQ.

Some suppliers can get you even a single piece of the specific product you are looking for.

Moreover, you can always negotiate with the supplier on a reasonable MOQ, especially when sourcing assorted products.

In essence, it allows you to obtain commodities even when you are working on a budget.

5) Affordability

In Yiwu market, one element you can be guaranteed of is obtaining goods at relatively affordable rates.

The products are usually available at discounted rates, which is something you can rarely find in other markets around.

There are several options where you can find similar products at relatively cheap rates irrespective of the MOQ.

Moreover, the products are as well of good quality, making the undertaking worth it.

6) Operational Throughout

Yiwu Wholesale Market is hardly closed down on weekends or holidays.

Most stalls here operate every day of the year, mostly from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

The only time the market is closed is during the Chinese New Year, which is often about two weeks.

In essence, this gives you the liberty to plan on flexible dates where you can conveniently visit and source products.

7) Easy Accessibility

You can get to the Yiwu market via different means of transport from anywhere in the world.

This makes it easy for you to get to the market and source for your products conveniently.

There is also a BRT bus, which moves visitors to different districts of the market at fast speeds regardless of traffic.

Moreover, Yiwu city has a host of hotels, which offer accommodation services.

It makes it easy for you to find comfort as you continue sourcing for different small commodities irrespective of your stay.

8) Security

At Yiwu market, there are hardly incidences of insecurity.

This means you can comfortably go around with your business without worries about your safety.

In essence, this gives you peace of mind while sourcing products.

And this is vital when shopping for different products in different sub-market within Yiwu wholesale market and city in general.

Categories of Yiwu market

As far as organization and planning are concerned, there is no other market globally, which matches the Yiwu wholes market.

Yiwu International Trade City is innovatively organized and regarded as one of the most advanced in the world.

Since the market is relatively vast, it is divided into regions based on the category of products.

And this is to make it easy for you to get access to the market and source your respective products accordingly.

· District 1 of Yiwu Wholesale Market

This region consists of a 4-story building erected in October 2001 but started the operations a year later.

It occupies an area of approximately 34,000 square meters and about 11,000 trading booths.

Different categories of products are stocked on various floors for easy accessibility.

At least 70% of the products in this district are purposed for export.

Additionally, this district consists of vending machines, financial institutions, and various multinational serving restaurants.

District 2 of Yiwu Wholesale Market

This is a 5-story building officially opened in October 2004.

It occupies 600,000 square meters and has over 10,000 trading booths.

All the shops from 1^st to 3^rd floor in District 2 are cubed.

Like District 1, this region also has various service facilities such as banks, restaurants, and telecommunication firms.

District 3 of Yiwu Wholesale Market

This district is a 5-story building covering about 460,000 square meters with more than 7,000 stalls.

Various products are put on different floors of this building as illustrated in the table below;

District 4 of Yiwu Wholesale Market

This is the sixth generation market of Yiwu commodity city regarded as the strongest and arguably best-bred district

It started operating in October 2008 and occupies an area of 1,080 000 square meters.

District 4 consists of more than 19,000 trading booths, mainly selling textile and related products.

District 5 of Yiwu Wholesale Market

This is the latest district in the International Trade City.

It features a 5-story building and was officially opened in May 2011.

This district has over 7,000 shops covering a total area of 640,000 square meters.

Many of the products available in this district are imported.

Most of the stalls in this district are often open between 10 am and 4:430pm.

How to Source products in Yiwu Market

Sourcing products in Yiwu wholesale market can be an uphill task, especially if you are a newbie.

With over 75,000 trading booths available in the market, it can be difficult to find exactly what you need.

Nevertheless, there are several ways you can use to source items in this vast market;

· Going Alone

In this case, you’ll need to physically visit the different booths as you search for the specific products you need.

It is an ideal method, especially if you are an experienced buyer or familiar with the market.

· Hiring a Translator

This method is always effective where there is a communication challenge when it comes to sourcing of the commodities.

Technically, it is more of going alone but seeking assistance from translators to make the sourcing process effective.

· Using a Sourcing Agent

You may choose to seek services of a sourcing agent when purchasing products from Yiwu wholesale market.

This technique is regarded as the most effective, convenient, and relatively cost-effective.

Most of these agents here are experienced and understand various booths to obtain specific products, which meet your demands easily.

· Using e-commerce Platforms

Most of the Yiwu wholesale markets have partnered with different types of e-commerce websites.

Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, E-bay are among the common online platforms you can use for sourcing products from the Yiwu market.

It is also a convenient and cost-effective approach to undertake, especially if you have knowledge and experience.

How to Deal with Yiwu Market Suppliers

Yiwu market has thousands of suppliers. Dealing with such a multitude of people requires meticulousness and comprehension of prevailing factors.

The specific ways of dealing with Yiwu market suppliers are quite broad and entail the following aspects;

1. Finding the Right Supplier

A fundamental aspect when sourcing commodities from Yiwu wholesale market is making sure you get the right suppliers.

This is one way of guaranteeing best results and overall experience in this entire undertaking.

There are several options you may explore when it comes to finding the right supplier.

Never limit yourself to a specific supplier; instead, check all available options and deal with the right one.

Also, there are no fixed prices for products in this market.

Always endeavor to bargain strike a beneficial bargain guaranteeing you profits when you resell the items.

Ostensibly, suppliers of similar product categories are usually stationed within the same area.

In case you’re visiting the market in person, never miss the instructions signs and maps at every entrance.

It thus becomes easy to find suppliers you need through instructions.

If you are unfamiliar with space, which can be apparent, you can seek assistance from a reputable agent.

Alternatively, you can download a navigation map on your mobile device.

It contains product distribution of the entire market hence making maneuvering through quite easily.

You can as well do an online search on the official website of Yiwu wholesale market called Yiwugo.

This platform allows you to locate the suppliers and products you need.

All the booths are numbered for easy and fast location.

2 Communicating with Suppliers

It is another aspect of dealing with Yiwu suppliers you ought to understand.

Most suppliers in Yiwu hardly communicate in English.

Even so, it never deters their enthusiasm for doing business.

They use simple numbers, use translation pens, and Basic English words.

You can point a product you see at the booth using your fingers.

The suppliers will show you the price in RMB; then, you convert to your currency.

It thus makes it easy for you to pay for your orders in cash, especially when you’re buying a small quantity.

If you need to know more details regarding manufacturing, customizing, or developing your products, find a translator or sourcing agent.

The essence of a translator, in this case, is to enhance communication between yourself and the supplier.

Other aspects, such as product inspection and delivery after purchase is not part of their task.

3. Price Negotiation

Yiwu International Trade City is synonymous with price negotiations.

However, you need to visit the market thoroughly and also talk to different suppliers.

This allows you to compare prices before you finally have an idea of a better supplier to buy from.

After comparing the rates vis-à-vis quality, it’s when you can comfortably engage a specific supplier and start negotiating price.

4. Payment

This is another fundamental element as far as dealing with Yiwu market suppliers is concerned.

Ideally, most vendors here deal with a local currency known as RMB.

In essence, they deal with small commodities, which makes sense.

Therefore, you’ll need to have enough local currency for paying your purchase.

In Yiwu wholesale market, suppliers rarely accept foreign currencies.

Luckily, there are numerous banks and foreign exchange point in Yiwu where you can get local currency.

If you’re making large quantity orders, suppliers will often need you to pay a certain amount in form of a deposit.

You can then settle the balance right before shipment of the consignment to the respective warehouse.

Cash payments are always acceptable and often come with better discounts.

Therefore, if you never mind carrying a lot of cash with, you can explore this option.

5. About Quality

At times, the products you receive are what you see in the market.

However, quality problems are always bound to arise from time to time.

Quality issues are never a concern if you are buying on-site or awaiting delivery in your hotel room.

If you have time, always consider picking up the items yourself in the warehouse.

This way, it becomes easy to identify any possible quality issues such as wrong package, insufficient quantity, wrong color, damaged products, etc.

Moreover, you can choose to consider the following elements when it comes to quality of products;

a) Go for Suppliers with Specialized Product Categories

Suppliers with specialized categories tend to offer better quality than general product suppliers.

Specialized category suppliers are also professional and more familiar with the products.

This is contrary to various categories of suppliers.

b) Verify Product Quality

Always purpose to confirm the quality of the product you’re purchasing.

Never assume that once you place your order based on sample products, the quality is guaranteed.

You can task a sourcing agent with this role if you are not within or ordering online.

How to Find and Deal with Yiwu Market Agents

Yiwu wholesale market has tens of thousands of agents.

And given the excellent services they offer in product sourcing, you may wonder the ideal way of getting a reliable one.

If you’re abroad, it is advisable to find a YiWu sourcing agent before visiting the market.

However, if you are already in Yiwu, the easiest way to find a sourcing agent is by searching online.

A simple Google search would suffice.

Moreover, there are several advertisements for sourcing agents in different areas within Yiwu City.

For instance, you can find some ads at the airport, train station, bus station, as well as some hotel entrances.

In such instances, you need to pick a few and research their whereabouts online.

A few tips to guide you in finding a reliable, knowledgeable, and experienced sourcing agents include the following;

· Send an Inquiry Request

The response you get upon sending an inquiry to the potential agent determines professionalism and experience.

This way, you can choose to sort out the sieve the ones you need and leave the rest.

· Pay the Agents a Visit

It is necessary to consider visiting the offices of the potential agents you are courting.

Check their business licenses and other relevant certifications.

Don’t trust online information too much since some are mere crooks who are taking advantage of unsuspecting clients.

Physical visit also makes it easy to know where to find them in case an issue arises.

· Give them a Try

This merely involves engaging them to take you through the actual process.

Let them take you for a tour as you gauge whether or not they are suitable for your needs.

It becomes easier to gather more information on how they conduct their trade.

However, if you are a customer from Africa or Middle-East, you can deal with people who import directly from Yiwu.

They communicate in your local language and also fully understa