Artificial plants last long and come in various sizes and colors. They have become the ideal choice because of their low-maintenance, exquisite beauty, and convenience. Users can choose different styles of these faux plants for decorations in homes, offices, and commercial areas. Moreover, when they are placed in various events, numerous groups will enjoy their benefits.
If you intend to import artificial plants and wonder where to wholesale the best quality artificial plants, read on to find out how to choose the right artificial plant supplier.
— Specific what you need
The most suitable suppliers can offer you products or services that match or exceed the demands of your business. So, when sourcing for suppliers, it’s best to know what your business needs. And make sure what you want to achieve by wholesaling, rather than simply buying what suppliers want to sell you.
Making sure you know what you need is one of the essential points. Don’t choose those products that don’t match your requirements. Know well the difference to your business between strategic suppliers and non-strategic suppliers. A strategic supplier provides essential products to your business, such as high-value raw materials. At the same time, non-strategic suppliers provide low-value merchandise.
— Focus on the material of artificial plants
When you source artificial plants, the first question is what kinds of raw materials are used for manufacture.
If you want real-touch plants, maybe a silk plant is a great option.
You can try plastic if you want both cheap and realistic plants.
When it comes to aquarium gardening, plants made with silk can bring natural feelings, much like natural plants.
After that, you need to make sure of the quality of the material. For example, most artificial plants are made of plastics. However, some manufacturers without conscience may use recycled PE or other cheap plastic instead of fresh new PE.
Another Tip: If you are also concerned with the environment and human health, please confirm whether the products contain heavy metal elements or other toxic chemicals.
— Consider what kind of plants you are looking for.
If you know the type of product you want to wholesale, you may want to hit a supplier directory to see which suppliers offer what you want. Here are some of the most popular varieties of artificial plants for your reference.
1. Easy-To-Move Artificial Potted Plants
Like nature plants, potted artificial plants are easy to move. Because of their flexibility, they are suitable for homes, hotels, parks, streets, gardens, courtyards, offices, etc.
Typically, the potted faux plants series include Desk-top Potted Leaf Plants, Hanging Potted Plants, and Floor Leafy Potted Plants. Each category has its own unique feature and usage.
2. Classic Artificial Boxwood Plants
Boxwood plants are often considered the most economical option for screening, which can be placed in various stations. Offices can use connected box hedge mats to distinguish between work, rest, and reception areas.
Artificial boxwood panels with denser leaves than similar products create a cleaner and quieter space. For most landscape projects, boxwood plants are more than just foliage to shield the area. Many landscapers use innovative styles and gorgeous colors to complete different themes.
3. Rich-Shaped Artificial Topiary Plants
From ancient Roman times, the topiary plant is a kind of horticultural practice to maintain their appearance. But, people have to prune the leaves and branches of trees to keep the effect. Topiary plants gain much love from most people because of their rich styles. They are popular not only in theme parks but also in commercial areas.
Topiary trees come in 4 popular varieties:
· Artificial topiary ball plants
· Artificial spiral trees
· Artificial pyramid trees
· Heart-shaped topiary in pots
— Check if the supplier is expertise in your product type and target market.
A reliable supplier is more likely to be familiar with quality issues related to faux plants if they have experience manufacturing a similar plant. Search for suppliers that can identify and fix problems before small problems affect a large portion of the order.
If the manufacturer is expertise in exporting to your target market, they will be familiar with your local legal and quality requirements. You can verify where some suppliers export by checking their company profiles online.
Most manufacturers only specialize in producing a single product category or type. Suppliers claiming to have a wide variety of products are most likely vendors or trading companies, not factories.
You can ask the following questions to check your prospective suppliers’ experience:
1. Where does the supplier export most of their products to?
2. Is the supplier familiar with your place’s legal requirements and rules?
3. Does the supplier have a reliable network for raw materials, production inputs, and components for the artificial plants?
4. Does the supplier obtain industry-specific certificates for artificial plants?
Those questions above can help verify the suppliers. If a prospective supplier can provide reliable references with contact information, that would be great.
— Check their production capabilities
Most wholesalers understand the essence of looking for suppliers who can actually manufacture the product they demand. In fact, many wholesalers focus more on production capabilities than other factors. But checking a supplier’s production capabilities is more complicated than simply talking to suppliers you found online.
How can you make sure a supplier can meet your standards? If you can visit and audit the supplier’s quality system, that will be the most reliable way to verify a supplier’s production capabilities. But, many importers may not be sure what to look for during a visit or may prefer to avoid the cost of going abroad to the supplier. Then, a third party can be the ideal solution. They can help you to audit the factory’s quality management system based on a specific standard.
— Ask for samples
Be careful when you intend to order bulk plants from online websites. You can not precisely verify the size, quality, and texture of plants from several pictures. You’d better ask the company to send samples to you. After installing samples to see their actual effect, you will not face the trouble that may be caused by subsequent dissatisfaction.
A quality product goes a long way in the relationship between you and your suppliers. The method to verify product quality is not hard to conduct. That is reviewing product samples before mass production. Ask your suppliers to send product samples before moving forward with mass production. A sample helps you to check the quality of the products. And you can confirm whether the manufacturers’ production output matches your standards. You can also send the samples to a lab for testing to learn more about the products. If you are working with a third-party inspection company, they can review samples every time for you locally to save time.
— Evaluate their communication ability
Cultural and language differences can present challenges for importers searching for overseas suppliers. You’ll benefit significantly from cooperating with a supplier that’s easy to communicate with. Effective communication can avoid various issues ranging from product specifications to production deadlines.
The first mark of effective communication is if the suppliers have English-speaking staff. You’ll probably want your supplier to speak English during your communication if you don’t speak their local language. There should be someone capable enough to keep in contact with customers in English. Your supplier must often understand well your product specifications and other aspects of an order. If you send your supplier a long, detailed email without replying, you may find they don’t entirely understand it. It is common for factories to have the sales staff with a basic understanding of English. But it’s rare to find a supplier with a member who speaks English well. Suppliers without English-speaking members probably don’t export much to foreign markets.
The second factor of effective communication is that it is open and direct. What makes a supplier easy to communicate with isn’t just their English-speaking ability. The way a supplier communicates often causes problems rather than language difficulties. No one wants to work with a supplier that withheld information from you because it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.
For example, you may have reached a delivery date the supplier later discovers they can’t meet. But instead of immediately letting you know, they may wait for you to ask about it yourself. The best communication with suppliers is open and direct. They understand you may have made promises to your own clients. And they know it doesn’t help to keep you in the dark about a bad situation. If there’s a change to the status, they will tell you immediately.
— Make sure the supplier can cooperate with a third-party quality control
A third-party inspection has been a standard requirement for most importers. It can help the importer to clarify product requirements and point out defects to prevent customer returns. A quality supplier will comply with importers’ demand to have outside inspectors verify the goods before delivery.
If a supplier rejects third-party quality control, it usually causes concern. Some manufacturers may try to deliver the goods quickly before you have a chance to raise concerns. Such suppliers may be trying to hide some issues from you.
— Verify their problem-solving ability
The level of customer service and expertise is vital as this will give a good indication of what they will do if there’s a problem. Moreover, your team will need to work with them, which helps if they get along. Having a professional at your disposal that can solve any problem is invaluable.
Admitting a mistake may be difficult for some suppliers. Suppliers with responsibility will solve the quality problem and work forward to address it quickly. They may implement stricter quality controls or revise work instructions to prevent the same issue from appearing in the future. But suppliers without responsibility will not be likely to face the problem. A supplier that won’t admit to their mistakes can hinder your ability to meet product requirements and delivery time. Responsibility is a crucial characteristic of a reliable supplier.
A solid and successful relationship will benefit both you and your supplier. Let your suppliers know how important your business is to them. Then, the suppliers will make every effort to provide the best service possible to you.
Finding suitable suppliers can make or break your artificial plant wholesale business. Finding a supplier that is easy to work with and will supply you with the best products is essential. Considering these nine factors of a quality supplier will help you to determine whether it is best for your customers, your supply chain, and your business.
