Case Studies

Key takeaways A brand-new product has no industry yet. Searching by product name returns silence; searching by its processes returns factories. The vetting question that separates real capability from a sales pitch on custom work: which processes are in-house — lamination, die-cutting, edge finishing — and which are outsourced. Sample cost and lead time are […]

Key takeaways Supplier D didn’t whisper it. It was in the written quote, in the column where I ask how the goods clear customs: “grey-market customs clearance.” A shortlisted supplier, on a branded industrial product, telling me in writing that the route was grey. That line is the reason this article exists. Most buyers never

Key takeaways I spent one afternoon contacting more than 30 Chinese kidswear factories on Alibaba. By evening I had an answer for my client, an Australian organic kidswear brand: the factory you are looking for does not exist at your quantity. Then I recommended we cancel the contract and refunded his milestone in full. This