If you're just starting out with dropshipping, you will probably know about dropshipping with AliExpress.
If you're doing dropshipping in that way, then AliExpress is your dropshipping supplier. In other words, when someone places an order on your online store, you forward it to an AliExpress seller, who will ship the product to your customer.
As this is the "standard" dropshipping process, it seems that a lot of people have the impression that you need to have suppliers based in China to do dropshipping.
But are there other options? Is it also possible to find a dropshipping supplier in a different country?
Yes, you can do dropshipping with suppliers from other countries. Many local dropshipping suppliers are present in countries like the United States, Europe, or the United Kingdom. Using these suppliers, you will be able to ship your products to your customers much faster!
So, the answer is "Yes". But before I show the simple steps of finding local dropshipping suppliers, let's take a look at the advantages of using a supplier that isn't based in China.
Note: Please be aware that dropshipping from China is not all negative. However, you should be aware of the pros & cons of dropshipping.
What are the advantages of dropshipping with suppliers that aren't based in China?
The main advantage of dropshipping with suppliers outside of China is the speed of the delivery.
If you're dropshipping with a supplier from China, the product often has to travel halfway across the world to reach the customer. As a result, shipping times can range anywhere from 7 to 60 days.
Fun fact: Did you know that you can dropship the other way around as well? This is called reverse dropshipping. You can learn more about this here!
By using a local dropshipping supplier, ideally one that is based in the same country as your customer, you will be able to get that shipping time down to just a few days.
But how important is it to have fast shipping for your dropshipping store?
Well, it depends. In general, shipping times are pretty crucial for an ecommerce store. 87% of online shoppers say that shipping times are a key factor in deciding whether or not to shop with an ecommerce store again.
Taking that into account, you would think that people wouldn't want to wait multiple weeks for their package. This is confirmed by Marketing Charts, who made a report in late 2017 showing that many shoppers don’t accept delivery times above 4.5 days.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the maximum waiting time has now increased to 8 days, but that delivery time will still be hard to achieve using suppliers in China.
So, local dropshipping suppliers can certainly provide a solution here definitely if you want to dropship worldwide.
For example, using a local supplier based in the US (CJdropshipping) and shipping to a customer in the US, you can achieve shipping times of just two to five days:
Besides faster shipping times, using local dropshipping suppliers will also lead to easier return processes.
If something isn't right with the order, your customer will be able to simply send it back to the supplier's warehouse in their own country. This is much easier than shipping it back all the way to China.
Take a look at this return policy from Spocket, a platform where you will be able to find dropshipping suppliers from the US:
As you can see, the return policy for your customers is pretty nice!
Another benefit of working with local dropshipping suppliers is better customer service.
Of course, this isn't a given, but generally, local dropshipping suppliers will provide you with better customer service compared to Chinese suppliers.
You will often hear stories about Chinese suppliers neglecting your messages, replying in bad English, or lying about the product's delivery time.
Local dropshipping suppliers know that providing excellent customer service and honesty will often lead to a long business relationship, which is much more valuable than a quick profit.
If you're still not entirely convinced yet on the benefits of using local dropshipping suppliers, then check out this article about 5 Reasons to Start Dropshipping Products From the US!
Tip: The US is one of the best countries to dropship to. It has a high GDP, an enormous ecommerce spend, and a large population!
How do you find dropshipping suppliers outside China?
Now that you know about the benefits of using local dropshipping suppliers, let's continue with this article's main question; how do you find these suppliers?
Well, let me tell you that finding them isn't that difficult.
However, you should be aware of which country you are going to sell to. Otherwise, how do you know in which country you want your supplier to be based?
In our article "15 Best & Worst Countries to Target in 2024 as a Dropshipper", you will find some of the best countries that you can target with your dropshipping store.
These countries have large populations, a high GDP, and a high social media penetration, making them ideal for dropshipping stores. Go and take a look!
Now that you are aware of which country you want to target, you probably have one of these three options in mind:
- A supplier in the United States
- A supplier in Europe
- A supplier in the UK
So, let me show you how you can find a local dropshipping supplier for each of these regions!
Note: Do you want to see all options when it comes to picking a dropshipping supplier? Take a look at the 91 Best Dropshipping Suppliers Worldwide in 2024!
1. Dropshipping suppliers in the US
The most popular choice for a local dropshipping supplier is one that is based in the United States.
If you're looking for US dropshipping suppliers, check out the following two articles:
One of the best US dropshipping suppliers is Spocket.
Spocket is a platform that lets you discover dropshipping suppliers from Europe and the United States. It has a directory of US dropshipping suppliers in all kinds of niches, as you can see here:
As a result, you will be able to find many winning products on there!
But, feel free to also take a look at other US dropshipping suppliers. You can find them in the articles that I linked above!
2. Dropshipping suppliers in Europe
Besides the United States, Europe is a pretty common spot where dropshippers will be looking for their supplier.
That's because quite a few of the best dropshipping countries to target are located in Europe!
For example, take a look at these great European countries to target:
And, with a local dropshipping supplier, you will be able to beat all your competitors that are using Chinese suppliers!
Again, Spocket is a great platform to start looking for European dropshipping suppliers. In fact, around 80% of suppliers on Spocket will be located either in the US or in Europe!
Another great option is BigBuy. It's a genuine European dropshipping supplier that is headquartered in Spain and offers a wide range of products in many different niches.
Using BigBuy's dropshipping service, you can connect the supplier to ecommerce stores built on platforms like Shopify, Prestashop, eBay, and Amazon.
But don't worry, there are many more great European dropshipping suppliers available!
You can check out the 14 best EU dropshipping suppliers here.
3. Dropshipping suppliers in the UK
The UK is listed on #2 in the list of the best dropshipping countries to target.
Your potential of succeeding with a dropshipping store in the UK is pretty high. Did you know that the UK has the world’s highest ecommerce spend per capita? On average, each resident spends an average of $4,201 per year on ecommerce purchases!
A platform where you will be able to find UK dropshipping suppliers is Avasam:
It's a fully automated dropshipping platform that provides you with all the tools you will need to source and sell high-quality products in the UK.
What is unique about Avasam is that they integrate with over 60(!) different ecommerce platforms and marketplaces, which is something we haven’t seen before after researching dozens of dropshipping suppliers.
Just like for the other two regions, we wrote an article about the best dropshipping suppliers in the UK. If you're interested in other options besides Avasam, then check it out!
Conclusion
So, can you do dropshipping with suppliers outside China?
Definitely!
Dropshipping suppliers do not exclusively exist in China; you will find them in other countries as well.
These "local" dropshipping suppliers can generally offer you faster shipping times and better customer service.
The three most popular regions for local dropshipping suppliers are the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. You will be able to find dropshipping suppliers in these regions using the information I gave you above.
If your target audience is located outside of these popular regions, I recommend looking on the CJdropshipping platform.
CJdropshipping offers warehouses in various regions, including the UAE, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and more!
Have a great rest of your day, and good luck with finding your dropshipping supplier!
Getting Started with Dropshipping in 2024
So, are you ready to get started with dropshipping? Or maybe you have already started, but you’re looking to get some inspiration?
If so, then I suggest reading this complete Shopify dropshipping guide.
It’s a huge article, but it contains everything that you need to know to create your own Shopify dropshipping store in 2024. It’s like a dropshipping course, but then for free!
Reading this article will surely help you to get started and to stay motivated while beginning and continuing your dropshipping journey.
Just don’t forget that success takes time. Keep improving each and every day!
Shopify Dropshipping: A 20-Step Guide to Starting Your Store
And here are the articles I suggest you read next:
- The 25 Best Dropshipping Niche Ideas for Your Store
- Unique Dropshipping Store: 11 Amazing Tips to Create One
- Dropshipping Startup Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before Starting
- How to Find Winning Dropshipping Products (13 Research Methods)
And also, if you didn’t create a Shopify account yet (to get your dropshipping store online), then you can click here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!
2 Comments
HI,
You are sharing a lot of valuable information.
Does one domain work for customers worldwide and for all niches! Though having multiple stores and multiple domains is not a fair option.
Could you through some light on domain names and demographic target and SEO etc.
Hi Kumar,
I’m glad to hear that you found the article to be valuable. If you’re looking to target customers worldwide in a variety of niches, I recommend using the “.com” domain which should be efficient and recognizable for most of the world’s population. I agree that creating multiple stores and domains would not be a fair option.
I think that this article will help you when it comes to registering your domain. If you want some more information about demographics, check out this article for the best countries to target. Lastly, this article will help you to improve your store’s SEO.
I hope these article will be valuable for you as well 😊
– Patryk