Sourcing is an important aspect of any retail operation, big or small. Keeping track of what your firm brings in, where those products originate from, and how much they cost (among a variety of other criteria) is critical to the success of your organization. Finding the correct platform to monitor sourcing is critical to ensuring that your organization runs as efficiently as possible.
Given the differences in time zones, language difficulties, and a variety of other issues, global sourcing can be difficult. Hence, having the necessary platform to properly manage the inputs and outputs of a business is a step that all retailers should take in order to develop their business.
To provide such a platform, TonySourcing started its journey in the toy sourcing space. Since 2012, Tony Chen was helping global business buyers to import all kinds of products from China such as household items, jewelry items, toy items, etc.
One day, some customers asked him if it is possible to supply them with high-quality kid’s toys with various designs along with better packaging. This is when Tony decided to start his own company – TonySourcing, the company that can supply buyers with high-quality toys and a variety of packaging.
In 2015, team TonySourcing wrote tons of articles and blogs providing insights about different toys in China, their manufacturers, trade info, and many such topics. This improved the company’s reach, and many businessmen contacted him to help them import toys from China.
Most of TonySourcing’s customers were wholesalers and toy store owners. They reached China and visited the TonySourcing toys showroom, checked samples, and then placed orders.
In 2018, TonySourcing uploaded videos on their YouTube channel giving detailed insights about toys. These videos were based on three points – ‘what we do + how we do + what new idea we have’. These videos helped customers to know the procedure of placing orders and importing the toys.
TonySourcing found some customers who were selling toys on online platforms such as amazon. They were looking for a higher lever and were asking for a one-stop supply and customized packaging. So, the company launched TonySourcing AMAZON TOYS PROJECT (TATP).
The sourcing process adheres strictly to the quality control requirements as issued by Amazon as well as the package and label standards. The company also employs the expertise of a professional lab to certify that the products are ASTM F963 & CPC compliant, before shipping them to Amazon FBA directly.
In 2020, due to COVID-19, overseas customers were unable to reach China, so TonySourcing started to make catalogs every two months for customers to check online. Further, the company built up a website to provide details about kids’ products.
Until now, Tony has helped thousands of global buyers across 80+ countries to import toys from China. Tony keeps posting new videos about toys on his YouTube channel (TonySourcing Channel). Tony gets enormous positive feedback from subscribers, and he keeps improving his service to help more and more businessmen.
Bestowing Excellence with Holistic Services
TonySourcing provides the following services for buyers as well as manufacturers:
1) Agent Service
In this service, TonySouring works as a service agent to guide the buyer to visit the wholesale market in China. In this way, customers can check the sample directly and place an order. Once the order is placed, TonySourcing takes care of the rest of the parts like taking follow-up, payment, QC, warehouse, and shipping. This service helps buyers to buy a full container with various items.
For now, TonySourcing has built up an online catalog and product webpage so the client can directly order online without visiting China, TonySourcing arranges a one-stop supply.
2) Toys Sourcing Service
This service is for an online seller business, the buyer just sends the product info detail to the TonySourcing team. Then the team searches for the manufacturer and provides the factory quote to the buyer. The company charges a small amount of service fee (5-10%), to help the buyer confirm the order with supply, sampling, order, payment, QC, and shipping.
The Internet’s Influence
Searching for a suitable manufacturer can be a time-consuming task. However, more and more manufacturers are now using the internet to advertise their products, aiding searches and choices easier. The internet also helps manufacturers to develop new designs of products.
“The emerging 5G wireless technology will only boost the businesses in the future. It will help the sourcing industry, and the buyer will possibly know the product in a better way without any physical inspection. Today, technology is limited to videos or live streaming, but in the future, virtual gadgets such as Metaverse will play a crucial role in every sector,” says Tony, sharing his opinion on why it is important for manufacturers to leverage new technologies.
Overcoming Adversities
Previously, TonySourcing was asking the client to come to China for the inspection of samples and then place an order. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, overseas buyers are finding it difficult to travel. So, the company became the customer’s eye. Even if customers are not physically there, TonySourcing provides them with all the potential information about the product.
First, the company collects all the customer requirements, then pick up good items from its 5000 manufacturers + 3 million toys and makes a catalog for clients to check. This catalog is updated after every two months to provide clients the details about new products.
Words of Advice
Tony advises the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the toy manufacturing space, saying, “Research the niche market and its customers thoroughly and remember that the market trends always change with the time. Hence, it is important to have a core industrial knowledge before marketing your products. Then communicate with your customers frequently to know about new technologies and trends.”
The Next Chapter
TonySourcing aims to expand its sourcing product showroom in 2022 and will also upgrade its services. Along with providing sourcing services to help buyers get the right product, it will also help to give more solutions for toy selling. “We will cooperate with display manufacturers to give several solutions for the product package, display method, and so on. We will do everything to help buyers to improve their businesses.”
