New Store probably some basic questions for a seasoned Shopify user.

[Horshack21]

Hello. Hope all is well, thank you in advance for any suggestions or support.

I am starting a fishing supply store. I appears to me that all of the name brad suppliers I.e. shimano, Diawa, Okuma, Rapala etc.. are all on Aliexpress or Temu. I am hesitant to go through those sale portals as the delivery time can be quite long, in addition it would appear I am paying an additional mark up that almost makes the whole endeavor not worth while, as you can walk into a physical store and buy these items cheaper or on par for what I am paying via Aliexpres etc.

1) Is there as work around?

2)Am I missing something?

3)Should I contact each vendor individually and ask them to sell to me direct? Each supplier has a vendor store on these platforms (Temu/Ali express) if that’s the case would I receive the items faster if I link to their individual products from their Ali express/Tenmu Stores?

I am an Operations manager in a different industry but I feel I am missing one key step to really sorting out my supply chain. I do not want to open my store with items from Ali express etc.if all I am going to do is get complaints or cancelations and damage my brand right from the beginning.

I have signed up for Auto DS but their fishing supply is very small not sure they are worth it.

Any help would be much appreciated I really want to commit to this endeavor I just need some vital info to set me on my path. thanks again for any support, all the best John.

[Horshack21]

thanks whats the next step

[rajimulislamjoy]

@Horshack21  Hi John! To streamline your fishing supply store's inventory, consider contacting each vendor directly to negotiate bulk purchases and faster shipping. This often reduces costs and ensures quicker delivery compared to using platforms like AliExpress or Temu. Research local distributors or wholesalers as they might offer better deals and shorter lead times. Additionally, joining trade associations or attending industry expos can help you build relationships with suppliers. Avoid relying solely on dropshipping from platforms that have long shipping times to maintain your brand's reputation from the start. Good luck!

[Fahad_Nawaz]

I believe you want to build a brand and for that complaints and/or cancellations will happen most of the times if you work with Ali/Temu. I suggest finding the local distributor where your target audience reside and also make sure not to oversell i.e. only sell the inventory that either you have or your supplier has.

This will not only give you expedited shipping but also reduce complaints. 

There are a few apps that can help you with inventory feeds from your supplier and if you find a supplier that already has a Shopify store, my app Syncerize can help you with auto inventory synching and order forwarding.