Our Sourcing Process
Six steps between a factory and your door.
Every product we sell goes through the same workflow — factory visit, sample testing, certification review, contract, inspection, and domestic fulfillment. Deliberately slow at the front, fast at the back: by the purchase-order stage, the structural questions are already resolved.
Step 01
Identify candidate manufacturers
We maintain a database across Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hong Kong, and northern Vietnam. Three to five candidates are shortlisted per product line based on capacity, certifications, and references.
Step 02
On-site factory visit
Our Guangzhou team conducts in-person visits covering production capacity, warehouse conditions, quality control, and worker conditions. Partnerships don't begin from catalogs alone.
Step 03
Sample testing & certification review
Samples are tested against U.S. standards: UL for electrical, CE and RoHS where required, MSDS for chemicals, FDA for food and personal care. Certificates are verified with issuing bodies.
Step 04
Commercial terms & MOQ negotiation
Unit pricing, minimum orders, payment terms, lead times, and tooling costs are negotiated. Bilingual contracts specify defect remediation and shipment-delay terms.
Step 05
Pre-shipment inspection
Every batch is inspected before factory departure — AQL sampling for consumer goods, 100% inspection for batteries and inverters. Defects are logged with corrective actions.
Step 06
U.S. import, warehouse, fulfillment
Goods land in East and West Coast 3PL facilities. Domestic fulfillment runs via FedEx, UPS, and DHL with tracked shipping to 48 states.
Certifications we check, by category.
| Category | Standard | Verified against |
|---|---|---|
| Batteries & power | UL 2054, UN 38.3, IEC 62133 | UL, MET Labs, TÜV |
| Consumer electronics | FCC Part 15, CE EMC | FCC ID lookup, EU DoC |
| Power tools & hardware | UL, ETL, ANSI | Intertek, CSA |
| Home & decor | CPSIA, Prop 65 | CPSC, OEHHA |
| Apparel & textiles | CPSIA, flammability | Third-party lab reports |
| Jewelry & accessories | Prop 65, lead/cadmium | SGS, Bureau Veritas |