One of the biggest benefits of utilizing Alibaba.com for your business needs is how easy it is to globally source any product you want.

If you need items that are ready to ship, you'll find thousands of suppliers that can deliver quickly and reliably. If you need a product customized to your personal design, you'll be able to find Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) from all over the world. If you don't have a design and need a supplier to help design your equipment, you can find thousands of Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) that can make your dream become reality.

With more than 150,000 suppliers from more than 200 countries and regions, there's nothing you can't source through our platform, but first you need to know the fundamentals of globally sourcing products.

In this installment of our Digitization Sprint for Retailers, we'll walk through the ins and outs of globally sourcing products for online retail. Whether you need something that's ready to ship or you need your dream idea to become a real product, we'll teach you what you need to know to globally source products safely, reliably, and efficiently.

We begin with the 5-step process of how to source on Alibaba.com. Here you'll learn how to search for products, find suppliers, place orders, receive shipments, and more.

How end-to-end sourcing on Alibaba.com works

Once you understand how sourcing on Alibaba.com works, we'll break down the differences between Ready to Ship products and customizable products.

Ready to Ship versus customized products on Alibaba.com: What’s the difference?

After learning about the different types of products you can source, it's time to vet suppliers. Here you'll find the top questions to ask a supplier before finalizing a contract.

5 questions to ask a seller before placing a B2B order

Once you've found the supplier you want to work with, you have to negotiate the best contract terms for your business needs. In this section we'll walk you through the steps to send an effective inquiry letter.

How to send an effective inquiry on Alibaba.com

Here we'll explain how to request samples from your supplier before placing a wholesale order.

How to request samples before placing a wholesale order on Alibaba.com

And in our last section we'll teach you some tips and tricks for negotiating wholesale prices before finalizing your order.

How to negotiate wholesale prices on Alibaba.com

Make sure to check back to the Digitization Sprint for Retailers later this week for our courses on Shipping and Logistics, where we'll go over import checklists and teach you what you need to know to import your products like a pro.

In the meantime, please visit our "More Resources" section at the bottom of this page to get more insights into global sourcing. Learn how to source quality personal protective equipment (PPE), and read success stories and watch videos from online retailers who have used Alibaba.com to globally source products successfully for their online businesses.

More Resources:

Sourcing, selling, and everything between on Alibaba.com

Digitization Sprint for Retailers

How to source quality PPE with Alibaba.com hosted by Industrial Equipment News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnIW80ijzoQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmmjrQl6LOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdWN5rPMBDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEsEflC8vdo