Chinavasion | China Gadgets BlogWholesale Electronics and the Gadget Business

By Severine Dumon

To be a successful dropshipper you need to get three things right. The product, your wholesale supplier and the right dropship method. You are starting your online shop and you have found the right company to dropship from the best products and the most competitive prices. Now you have figure out which shipping method will be the most suitable for you. At Chinavasion you can choose between Airmail through Hong Kong Post, or international courier companies including DHL FEdex and UPS. And before you can compare each of these methods you need to know what each of them entails.

What is Airmail?

Almost everybody knows what airmail is, it’s the express service offered by post offices around the world. And in the cases of China wholesale dropship services like Chinavasion, the preferred provider is usually Hong Kong Post. Hong Kong post can deliver products worldwide provided it is a small package that weighs less than 2 KG. Posting things tends to be cheaper than by sending them by courier. The ‘express service’ part of airmail is express when compared to standard post… and we all know how long that takes. As a result the shipping time will be a bit slower than couriers and the delivery time can be from 7 to 15 days to and sometimes even longer depending on the destination and the time. However, as items are small (less than 2KG) they are less likely to be stopped by customs than something sent through a courier. Items shipped by airmail are also less trackable. You’ll be able to see when they’ve left Hong Kong, and you may or may not be able to see where they are once they have been processed by the post office but between those times they are ‘off the radar.

What are couriers?

Couriers are companies that take single or small amounts of freight all over the world through their own infrastructure of planes and trucks.

They are privately owned companies they have huge logistics facilities all around the world. They are well known internationally. In terms of price they are more expensive than Airmail

DHL Fedex and UPS are some of the express couriers that Chinavasion uses.

Transit time is fast from China to your delivery destination. Delivery by courier to your , or your customers’, door normally only takes 3-5 days.

These companies offer all on their website a detailed tracking information.

Thus you can follow every step of the delivery from the moment the package leaves China till they arrive at their intended destination.

So which is better?

In my experience of working at Chinavasion I have come to the following conculsions…

Trackability Couriers are better than airmail when it comes to tracking your package.

A package sent by airmail can be tracked from the day it is sent from Hong Kong but will only be visible when it has arrived in your country. Then you will be able to track the parcel from your local post office.

A courier will offer detailed tracking information all throughout the delivery process.

Delivery Time Couriers are also faster than airmail for getting packages to customers. Couriers are speedy and will usually deliver in less than one week.

Airmail is a bit slower than courier, however can make up a little time going through the customs shed as the package are smaller the few chances for the package to be delayed by customs officials.

Price Airmail is by far the cheapest shipping method. Speed and trackability have a cost this is why couriers will be pricier.

So in essence which shipping method you choose for your dropship business will depend on your business model and your customer service plan.

If you are offering the lowest prices then airmail might be an accepted option, provided you give your customers the lead time it is likely to take.

If you are offering speedy delivery and the best service you might be advised to pay a little more and get items sent by courier.

Another option could be to let your customers decide which shipping option they want to choose.

So which do you prefer faster shipping, better tracking or better price answer now in the poll below…