China is a huge market for literally everything, including socks. In the entire world, nearly 80 per cent of socks are manufactured in China. So China definitely has a vast number of socks manufacturers. But in this huge number, the risk of getting stuck with a dishonest manufacturer and supplier is relatively high. When it comes to Chinese manufacturers, you have to do thorough research in order to find a reliable one. In this article, we have provided different platforms from which you can find a reliable socks manufacturer in China and verify their credentials. The trustworthy sock manufacturer that we recommend is YXsock. Contact this top custom manufacturer to know the details.
Various Ways to Find a Reliable Sock Manufacturer in China
In this section, we have provided different ways to find a reliable sock manufacturer in China.
1. The Canton Fair
Canton Fair is China’s largest import/export convention. The fair is held two times a year, and it contains every physical product that is made in China. Canton fair has three phases for different industries.
- Phase 1: For electronics, machinery, building materials and chemical products
- Phase 2: This phase contains consumer goods, home décor and gifts.
- Phase 3: The last phase contain recreational products, textiles, office supplies, shoes, medical devices and health products
Entry to this fair is free. You can visit the Canton fair and look for the various sock manufacturers. Here are a some things to keep in mind.
Find the list of various socks exhibitors and their booth location in advance through the trade show website. It will save you time, and you can directly go to your desired booth.
- Keep in mind that the sales representative can speak only basic English. The company hired some representatives, and they may not work for the company. So you can only find about MOQs and some basic details about the product.
- Manufacturers have sock samples with them so see them to know about the quality of the socks.
- Low price and low quality go hand in hand. So be prepared to pay more for socks if you want good quality socks.
2. B2B Marketplaces
B2B marketplaces are referred to online applications like Alibaba, AliExpress, Made in China, and Global sources. All of these websites are well known, and there is plenty of sock manufactures and suppliers there. You can search for sock manufacturers on these apps. But keep in mind that getting scammed by poor quality manufacturers is relatively high on these websites. So you need to be careful while contacting a sock manufacturer through any B2B marketplace. The reviews about each manufacturer and supplier are given at the sites, but that can also be misleading. For instance, in Alibaba, premium members have to pay annual fees in order to get gold supplier status. The gold supplier status does not necessarily mean good quality socks.
You can contact the supplier on B2B marketplaces and ask for samples and place your order. It may take quite some time to deliver your order or initial samples. Moreover, you also have to face a language barrier on this platform.
3. Sourcing Agent
A sourcing agent is a person who will check the progress and quality of your order. Having a sourcing agent in China is best when working with a Chinese manufacturer. A sourcing agent will visit your desired manufacturer to check the quality of their socks. Once you have placed the order, he will revisit the company to inspect raw material conditions. He will also check the socks once the order is finished.
Having a sourcing agent in China will help you overcome the language barrier with the manufacturer. A sourcing agent is a Chinese person, and he will communicate with the manufacturer so all of your requirements can reach the superior authorities without any doubt. In addition, Chinese suppliers are varied carefully with the information they share. They are unlikely to inform you about order delays or ask questions if they don’t understand certain things. So having boots on the ground of China will be of help here also. The sourcing agent will ensure that the supplier and you are on the same terms.
When you hire a sourcing agent to work with certain sock manufacturers, you will get comprehensive detail on the entire process of socks manufacturing and packing. If you are working with the manufacturer with the thought of developing a long term relationship with him, it’s better to engage a sourcing agent in the process.
4. Google
The easiest way to find a reliable Chinese sock manufacturer is through Google. Many socks manufacturers of China have websites on Google and a presence on social media. It’s also convenient to find a supplier on Google because there is no language barrier. Most of the websites of even Chinese people there is in English. So search Google with the keyword’ socks manufacturers in China’ and look for the trustworthy sock manufacturer. If you find one, contact them and inquire about various things. If you think that manufacturer is genuine, ask for a sample and visit the factory in person.
5. Baidu
Baidu is a Chinese search engine, like Google. Most people in China use Baidu for their businesses. Baidu has a translation tool to overcome your language barrier with the manufacturer. If you have found a manufacturer on Alibaba or Google that is looking promising, you can use Baidu to follow up on them. You can also find more details and any legal disputes if the manufacturer is involved in any on Baidu.
6. Your Industry Network
Your industry network, your business partner, and your various contacts in the socks industry will be also helpful in finding a reliable sock manufacturer in China. Ask the people around your business network, and they will somehow guide you to a reliable sock manufacturer.
Make a Shortlist of Sock Manufacturers
After the initial searches on various above-mentioned platforms, you will have a long list of potential sock manufacturers. Now you have to cut down the list. Contact various manufacturers and tell them your requirements to short down the long list. Following are the most asked questions:
- Minimum limit of order or minimum order quantity.
- Price per sample
- Production cost
- Time taken for manufacturing
- Payment terms
- How long they have been in business?
- Whether they export in your country or not
Making a shortlist will make it easier to find the best-suited manufacturer for your business.
Verify the credentials of the Manufacturer
Once you have a shortlist of manufacturers, now the last step is to verify the manufacturer’s credentials. Some of the information will be available online, but you have to do thorough research to avoid mishaps. The risk of finding low-quality products and getting scammed by manufacturers is pretty high in China. So you have to be very careful. You need to evaluate the following things in order to verify the credentials of the manufacturer:
- Make sure that they are original manufacturers and not middlemen or trading companies.
- What is the expertise of the manufacturing company?
- Ask for the manufacturer’s business license and registration number.
- Look and verify their quality control certificate.
- Check the manufacturer’s import/export license.
- Ask around the reputation of the manufacturer.
- Audit the manufacturer.
Final Verdict
Finding a reliable sock manufacturer in China is indeed a difficult task. Follow our above guide to find a reliable sock manufacturer in China. Your professional relationship may have some initial ups and downs, but you should maintain good terms with your supplier. Many trading companies also refer to themselves as manufacturers, so beware of them. We recommend the YXsock manufacturer if you don’t want to research your own.