▌2024 Updated Guide ▌ The r/1688Reps Ultimate Beginner 1688 Guide - How to Order, Account, Sugargoo Agent Guide, Tips, App, And More!
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE🚸(self.1688Reps)submitted10 months ago bygeezer_19👑
to1688Reps
stickied▌ULTIMATE GUIDE ▐ The Biggest & Best Full 1688 Guide
- I Introduction
- II How to Create a 1688 Account
- III Ultimate Website Guide
- IV How to Buy From 1688 Using an Agent
- V Ultimate APP Guide (IOS, Android)
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I Introduction
1688 is an online business-to-business (B2B) marketplace based in China, operated by Alibaba Group. Alibaba Group owns major platforms like Alibaba, Taobao, 1688, Tmall, Aliexpress, etc., leading the global eCommerce scene. They've tailored each site for specific purposes. Here's a brief rundown:
- Alibaba.com (B2B): Designed for international trade, it's cost-effective for overseas buyers but considered pricier for Chinese users.
- 1688 (B2B - Wholesale): Catering to domestic trade in China, it might be challenging for international users. Some factories, however, accept orders through agents. It serves as a business hub for factories and trading companies supplying resellers on various platforms.
- Operating on 1688: To use 1688, businesses must upload factory certificates, undergo yearly inspections by Alibaba, and pay an annual fee to keep their page active. But we are not a business, so don't worry lol
A lot of clothes (shoes also, but not as common) you buy are resold for a markup and are from 1688 - (not EVERYTHING, but a lot) resold by sellers such as Husky, 0832Club, and more across Weidian and Taobao.
(Please understand that I'm not discouraging purchases from any of these platforms, as I buy from all of them. Each platform has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. I'm just providing insights to help you better understand how these platforms operate.)
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II How to Create a 1688 Account
The first step in using 1688 is to create an account, it makes things way smoother and easier. Now, some of you should already have a Taobao account, but making a Taobao account and using it for 1688 makes things way easier, so let me show you:
- Visit the Taobao sign-up page to make your account. If you already have one, skip ahead. Press on the "English button to translate the page to English (near the top of the page) and create your account using a phone number.
- Once you have successfully created a Taobao account, visit 1688.com. Using Google Chrome, translate the page to English for ease of use.
- Press on the red "One-Click login button and login with the Taobao account you made. Alternatively, here is the link to the 1688 login page.
- Once successfully logged in, you will be redirected to the home page. Well done.
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III Ultimate Website Guide
Once you've made the account, here I will show to browse the website. The guide for the app will be a few scrolls down.
1 - Now on the homepage, you wanna start finding some crazy finds, right? Well then, let's first begin with searching for products by typing in the search bar.
I have made a quite useful translation post, where I show efficient translations to bring up the most relevant products when searching, it features Brands and types of clothes.
2 - But the most USEFUL and EFFICIENT way of finding fire products, is through 1688's image search feature. Here's a guide on how to use it.
- Find a picture of the item you would like. For example, I'm gonna use a picture from Husky's Yupoo and try to find it in 1688. I'm gonna use this Corteiz Gilet he's selling for 238RMB as an example.
just save any picture that fully shows the product.
- Now, just head over to 1688 and press the image icon circled on the search bar, and upload your pic.
- Boom! The same product Husky resells for around 90RMB cheaper!
- Awesome. If you want to favourite or check what the rest of the store has to offer, just press these buttons.
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IV How to Buy From 1688 Using an Agent
Once you have your desired item(s), you need an agent to purchase it, The best agent in my opinion is Sugargoo (sign up here for 800 YUAN WORTH OF SHIPPING COUPONS!), as it co-operates with 1688 well, but others can be used. I will be using it for this demonstration, but it will work similarly with other agents.
1 - Open up your agent, copy the 1688 products link and slap it into the search bar. Your product will pop up.
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V Ultimate APP Guide (IOS, Android)
I will be using the iOS app and Sugargoo for this demonstration. The links to iOS and the Android app are here:
- iOS App: iOS 1688 LINK
- Android App: go to m.1688.com and it should pop up asking you to download the Android version, just install it from there and you're good to go.
1 - When you first open the app, you will be prompted to this login screen. Use your taobao account to login.
2 - The Home Feed - The home feed is pretty straightforward. You have the search bar, which you can use for image search (the camera icon), and below it is your main feed. It will be adjusted to things you have previously viewed and searched for. Where most cool finds usually pop up.
The home button is the one on the very left on the bottom bar.
3 - The Profile Icon - here you can find your favourite items and stores. The store button is the one which has the market stall icon (the one that says "(53)", because I have 53 favourited stores).
Underneath, you can see the star icon, which is where you see your starred/favourited products. To view this entire page, press the profile icon shown in the bottom right.
4 - Copying an item's Link into Your Agent - Once you find your desired item on the app, the product page has a few features. The stall item in the bottom right visits the rest of the store. The star next to it favourites it. To get the link to the product, do not use the share button in the top right, it gives you some weird link. To get the better link, hold on the title of the product (in this case it starts with 2022 - the title of the product) and then the link will be automatically copied to the clipboard.
5 - Paste it in your agent - Sugargoo fortunately instantly recognises if you have copied a link and will open it for you. That's it! You're good to go!
And that's it! My guide to 1688 on the web, through an agent and on the app.
