CJDropshipping & AliExpress are two of the biggest dropshipping suppliers for building a successful dropshipping business from anywhere around the world. But which of these two is best for someone starting a new dropshipping business today?
Dropshipping suppliers are essentially the backbone of any dropshipping business. They have close proximity with your customers and any issues from them will be reflected directly on you as a dropshipper.
Well, CJDropshipping has its own advantages & disadvantages, likewise AliExpress. In this article, we will be comparing the features of CJDropshipping and also the features of AliExpress to see which supplier is more suitable for you to start with in your dropshipping business.
The Importance Of Choosing A Reliable Dropshipping Supplier
Building an online business from scratch is not a simple task. Your supplier is responsible for the product information, quality, delivery speed, and handling returns and refunds. And, your buyers are the ones who control whether your online business will prosper and succeed.
Your job is to create a working connection between your suppliers and your customers. The products need to dispatch and arrive quickly. Their item description needs to be precise. And, if there are any problems with the product (arrived damaged, not as described, missing parts, etc.), your supplier should back you up during the return and refund/replacement process.
Therefore, you can’t just choose the supplier with the lowest price. At least, not if you want your business to succeed in the long run. Your suppliers’ actions and performance (along with yours) will determine your buyers’ overall satisfaction. And that is what will bring balance and profit to your online stores – no matter which selling platform you are dropshipping on.
Fundamental Difference Between AliExpress and CJDropshipping as a Supplier
There are several distinctions between CJDropshipping and Aliexpress, but their principal differential is what causes the majority of these inconsistencies.
On the global retail supplier Aliexpress, suppliers can set up shops and sell to customers in any country. China has a price edge because its merchants and goods predominate there. Since other suppliers handle the order delivery, Aliexpress is not engaged.
A supplier for product sourcing, order processing, and shipping fulfilment is called CJDropshipping. Similar to Aliexpress, dropshippers list products to their stores, and CJ then pulls orders from those stores and handles them.
In addition, warehouse services, photo/video services, POD, COD, affiliate and API support, and other similar services are all accessible. It is a one-stop service supplier that offers all supplier-related and dropshipping-related services.
Sourcing Products
The AliExpress supplier being open to a multitude of traders (over 8.7 million), offers over 2.5 billion products to choose from. This puts it far ahead of CJ Dropshipping, which has roughly 215,000 products. But the product issue is a little more nuanced than that.
If you are just starting out and experimenting with different products, AliExpress is undoubtedly the better option. Those who have narrowed it down to a successful product can consider sourcing it from CJ on their desired scale.
Previously, the CJ team had focused on listing products according to evident demand or customer requests. In the near future, they will be offering a plan to suppliers who can sign up and post their products.
At the moment, they also offer users a chance to suggest products that are doing well in their stores to the CJ team. But as things stand now, AliExpress is the better option for sourcing products.
Shipping Policies
The process of getting the product to the customer can be hectic seeing as there are a lot of variables involved. You have to think about the shipping policy, shipping costs, and also about the duration of the process.
When it comes to shipping costs, AliExpress is likely to have better offers. This is partly because of the fact that there’s stiff competition amongst the numerous dealers, with some even offering free shipping.
The issue here is that it can be difficult to know just how good of a deal you’re getting. Remember that some dealers tuck the shipping cost into the overall price.
While that may not always be a big deal, the length of the delivery period can be excessive. In the case of CJ Dropshipping, the shipping fees are usually higher, but with a shorter duration. To opt for a delivery period as short as the CJ one, an AliExpress user will have to pay more than a CJ user.
While shipping preferences might differ from one customer to another, it is vital for your store to be able to offer a good balance between fees and time. This is where CJ excels more.
Product Details
In this area, AliExpress clearly does a better job of displaying product details. CJ has put in place a service to receive requests for supplementary photo and video shoots for products listed but it’s yet to catch up.
Warehouse Networks
Many of the dealers on AliExpress do not have steady warehousing. Some rely on home storage units while others rely on the company they buy from.
The larger vendors have better warehouse networks but this set is small, and in some cases, they may not be the ones offering products you want. CJ Dropshipping has a warehouse in Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, and two in China and the US. They will also be launching some in the UK and France soon.
For places like the US where they have more than one, a customer can receive goods in as low as 2-5 days using USPS+.
For store owners with fast-moving products, CJ can sell them private inventory, which comes with faster processing time and zero storage fees. This puts CJ Dropshipping a little bit ahead of AliExpress in regard to warehouses.
If you’ve been keeping score with each aspect, don’t rush to put on over the other. To find the best dropshipping company, you may need to dig deeper and take longer. Let’s clue you in on some things to consider.
When you’re just starting out, you want to leave room for changes. Your first product listings may not be your best hits.
And even if they do well, the background conditions may be eating into a lot of the profit and your ability to deliver a complete quality customer experience.
AliExpress may be the better option when you’re starting out. This is largely due to product variety and user-friendliness. Once you land on well-performing products, it’s time to start the next stage. This is where you look for the conditions that are lacking.
Payment Methods
When you check out on CJ, you’ll see eight different payment options covering more than 200 countries. In addition, for authorized consumers, CJ now offers COD (Cash on Delivery).
Because you are paying directly to sellers on Aliexpress, payment options vary from store to store. Many don’t accept PayPal, which is increasingly a popular payment method in Western countries.
Final Thoughts
AliExpress and CJ Dropshipping each have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to running a business, it’s critical to make informed judgments, especially when it comes to supplier selection if you want to grow up in the long run. The good news is that both are trusted and established suppliers to incorporate into your store!
Both are supported supppliers in Hustle Got Real, so if you don’t know which one you should list on your store, try both suppliers yourself in your store! Register now!
