Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Alibaba Online Shopping Kenya.
Alibaba has consolidated its brand around the world. Today, the giant online wholesale store is one of the largest in the e-commerce marketplace.
This company was founded in 1990 by Jack Ma, a Chinese businessman. This website is a marketplace for a wide variety of products – from electronics, kitchenware, hardware, furniture to construction materials and many more.
Alibaba prides itself in the massive suppliers it has; it brings together over 1 million products and service suppliers across the world. While the millions of the customers that buy from the store make it one large pool of customers.
To that end, Alibaba online shopping Kenya pulls the Kenya residents in the mix to shop for the products they wish right in Kenya.
Alibaba has its sister retail online store called Aliexpress.
What is the Difference Between Alibaba and Aliexpress?.
The main difference between the two is that Alibaba.com is the mother website/online shopping store that trades in bulk or wholesale. With Aliexpress Kenya, you can buy products and services in small batches, including even ordering for a single product.
What are the Benefits of Alibaba to the Local Residents.
As you may come to know if you aren’t in the business of exports and imports, buying goods and services from overseas can be very affordable. You are also exposed to an array of products to make your choices from.
For entrepreneurs, trading on Alibaba is a massive business opportunity. You are able to sell products to a platform with millions of customers worldwide already.
In the process, the profit margins are better especially when you sell your goods and services in bulk. The only thing you need to ensure is to create products that meet the need of the consumers.
How to Import and Export Goods on Alibaba.
Whether you are shopping for goods or selling helpful products outside Kenya, the process of importation and exportation of these goods into or out of the country is not an elephant in the room.
Look at the following procedure on how to get about this:
- Go to the Alibaba website; make your purchase or sell your goods
- Once you’ve made your purchase, choose a convenient delivery outlet. China has several of these such as Guangzhou, Dalian, Shanghai among others.
- However, if you are selling the goods or services, the buyer on the other end has the discretion to decide which destination port they want their goods delivered and the courier service to be used.
- Find a courier company that delivers to Kenya. You will be able to find them at each port where you will definitely need to also clear with the customs offices.
It helps to land a courier company that’s housed in Kenya with offices to ensure that the delivery and tracking of your goods is effortless and convenient.
Related: How to shop with Jumia Kenya
Courier Companies with Offices in Kenya.
1. Salihiya Cargo
This international courier company is one of the most renown here in Kenya and China for its first-grade courier services. Salihiya is thought to be an affordable option and also, it’s reliable on matters shipping of goods.
2. DHL
DHL is a postal and logistics company. It operates in a massive global network panning to over 220 countries in the world.
You can be guaranteed of safety and reliability of the delivery of your goods.
3. EMS
Electronic Mail Service also commonly abbreviated as EMS is half courier-half airmail international delivery service owned by the China State. Many people have used it in the export-import business and have lauded it as one of the best.
It delivers goods in the perfect condition and the level of trackability is very high.
- Your supplier will send the goods to your agent’s office at the nearest port city. These agents will deliver the goods by means you agreed earlier on.
- For example, choosing to move the goods by air means that you will need to pick your goods at the airport. By means of the sea means that you will be going to pick them at the Port of Mombasa.
- At either the airport or port of Mombasa, some inspection charges and customs duties will require to be paid by you. Take advantage of the clearing and forwarding companies at the airport and the port – they will help you do this faster.
How to Start Using Alibaba.
You could be wondering where to start with Alibaba.com Kenya. However, the options below form a good platfrom to start your trades with Alibaba.
Alibaba Account for Making Bulk Importation.
If you are planning to order from Alibaba express Kenya, especially for bulk orders, the following are steps on how to buy from Alibaba in Kenya.
4. The first thing: Create an account with Alibaba
If you are new to this website, you must register with them to be able to start buying. The website is great looking at its interface, it’s user-friendly.
5. Start Searching for the Product you want and Identify a Supplier
Use keywords to search for the preferred item e.g. just write in “laptops” if you are looking for a laptop. Since you will be getting thousands of results, it’s better to filter them by entering even a more specific keyword.
The other option is to use the categories bar on the left side of the screen. Then find a subcategory on the homepage and click on it to see the products you are looking for.
Other than these two options, you could also search items by the suppliers. Simply click on the supplier’s tab and you will be able to see those selling your product.
6. Choose Different Suppliers and Contact them
When searching for suppliers, and after examining them, pick the ones you think you can work together. Use the mode of communication provided to start engaging them.
Make sure that you ask them the necessary questions concerning their products. For example, they should be in a position to comfortably and with transparency, provide information such as price, shipping details, warranty etc.
Take this opportunity to even negotiate with them on the price of the products.
7. Select a Specific Supplier and Verify their Credibility
Use the pool of suppliers to identify and pick the ones that can really work with you. You want someone who will meet your supply demands.
Make sure that you also verify the credibility of the ones you choose; ask them to provide physical address, their reviews should be good, ratings among other things. You cannt afford to lose your money to fraudsters – Alibaba doesn’t have all genuine suppliers.
8. Make Your Order for Goods
Provide the details and specifications of the items you want to buy from the supplier. You will have to agree on the price and the method of delivery here; make sure you tell the supplier your preferred mode of delivery.
9. Then, Pay for Your Order
Use the payment methods discussed earlier to pay for the items. You should agree with the supplier on which method they are comfortable with – it should be convenient for both of you.
Once goods have been paid for, you can now arrange for shipping to Kenya.
Aliexpress Account For Making Individual Purchases.
Alibaba online shopping Kenya services for individual purchases are of course handled on another platform, Aliexpress. This, as said earlier, is the retail store that can even sell single products directly to consumers.
Shopping online on Aliexpress has the sole advantage of providing the shoppers with a wide range of products. Again, these products are sold much cheaper than they are sold in other online stores in Kenya like Jumia and Kilimall.
Registering with Aliexpress Kenya follows the same procedures as with the Alibaba. You still need to fill the data on the form as required.
- Visit the Aliexpress website, www.aliexpress.com to create an account there.
- Now, go to the Serach Box and enter the name of the product you want to buy. You will be directed to the page below.
- You will definitely have to be careful when choosing the product. Consider things like the seller reviews, ratings and so forth.
- Now, enter your shipping address details by going to My Aliexpress:
- Before adding any product to your cart and buying, you want to be absolutely sure that it’s the right one: confirm the color, size, model, version among other important features.
- Then after that, you can place your order.
- Make the payment for the product.
- Aliexpress will send you a tracking number so that you will be able to track your goods as they are shipped from overseas to Kenya.
Making Payments on Aliexpress.
To make payment for the goods purchased, you have following options. So, choose the one you feel suits you the best: Mastercard, Visa, Bank Transfer, Western Union.
Note that the safety of your credit and debit cards is assured as all payments you will make are secured by Verisign SSL.
When and How to Get Your Package from Alibaba.
One thing you can be assured of is that the products you purchase will reach you. By this I mean, the package will be delivered right to the specific location you specified or the local post office.
When the luggage lands at the airport or Port, it goes through the customs offices for the computation of tax and duties. Smaller packages are handled at the city square post office for this purpose too.
The taxes and duties levied on the imports will be paid when you go to pick the cargo.
For Posta, they will call you, or deposit the item or product in your letterbox. They can send an advisory note for bigger products.
How to Find a Trustworthy Seller When Shopping on Aliexpress.
After you are aware of what you want to buy from Aliexpress, the next you must figure out is finding a reliable and trustworthy seller. If you can a vendor that offers high-quality goods and comes with a great reputation the industry, the best.
The following things may help know if the vendor is suitable for you or not:
1. The Reputation of the Seller
You will hear a couple of people complaining about being given a raw deal in the event of buying a few products from Aliexpress. This is a classic example of bad sellers.
How do you know this seller is a con, and that one isn’t?
Well. Lots of good news! Every seller has a reputation found at the top right part of the page. This is represented by a score out of five.
The information collected to get this score include communication, shipping, and accuracy of the item described.
With that said, the seller reputation is categorized in this way:
Excellent reputation: Crowns
Very Good reputation: Diamonds
Good reputation: Medals
Look carefully to check for the sellers who have an above-average score. This is usually indicated in green display and the poor sellers are displayed in red.
Clearly, run away from the red ones.
2. Look at the Reviews or Seller Ratings
Another great tip to determine the quality of the seller you want/are dealing with is the ratings and reviews they have attracted. From these notes, you can rate the quality of products and even the kind of service they received when they bought the items.
For your safety, keep off ratings below 90-92%.
3. Number of People that Have Bought from The Seller
The number of customers that bought items from a given seller is enough to give you a yardstick to measure whether the seller is a quality one or not. If this is coupled with better reviews, then it becomes apparent that it’s the type of vendor you want to engage.
Are there Alibaba Agents in Kenya?
No. There are no official Alibaba Kenya agents with Alibaba and Aliexpress moving on market platforms such as Jumia. However, a few brokers can be found offering the middleman services on Alibaba.
What is the Best and Safe Payment Method?
When dealing with suppliers, it is important to do trade with a lot of caution. This is arguably someone you don’t know.
Unless you have been dealing with them, you must observe trade assurance or buyer protection. Escrow services ensure that the seller only gets the money after you have received your item and found that it’s indeed the correct product.
If you use credit cards for payment, a good tip is to load only the exact amount of money you will be using to buy the particular item. Don’t add a lot of money.
Here are the Final Key Tips on Alibaba Online Shopping Kenya.
- DHL courier services have some of the best shipping services – fast delivery. The only hitch is that you will have to pay more than you will pay Posta.
- You need to have a working/operational postal address if you want to receive your products through post office from Aliexpress.
- It’s good practice to contact your suppliers to share your shipping ideas with them. Others can be really helpful in giving certain important tips.
- Ask your banker to register your credit card for international payment especially if you will be importing more regularly.
- The clothes sizes in Aliexpress are usually smaller. So when ordering choose the next large sizes.
- all big cargos should be delivered through the shipping companies. Although it takes longer for the items to arrive, it’s relatively cheaper to use this means.
- Remember to scrutinize the seller reviews – considering only those purchases that have positive feedback. Check the seller’s ratings and the number of sales they have made.
- Take your time to check the product details carefully. Look at the specs, features, things like size, color, compatibility, brand, manufacturers etc.
- Consider trusted shipping methods. You don’t want to receive goods which have been poorly handled during transit. You could go for Posta or any other with good reputation.
- The product you are buying must be protected.
Conclusion
Alibaba has made shopping quite an easy thing. You can shop nearly every type of products you can think about on this website.
Alibaba online shopping Kenya is something many people in the country are considering to try. Those with Alibaba or Aliexpress accounts are already enjoying the benefits.
Before you buy, ensure that the seller is genuine and the products are of high-quality. You don’t want frustrations and butterflies in the stomach.
Shipping of your products can be done direct by yourself – with this option, you must be really confident with yourself. Else, most people prefer using shipping companies such as EMS, DHL and others.