A good import decision can still end in unsold stock. Once the goods arrive the questions change completely: how people find the product, why they trust it, and whether the price you can charge covers what you actually paid. This is a practical look at that second half.
Price from landed cost, not from the invoice
The most common pricing mistake is marking up the supplier’s unit price. That number is only one component of what the product cost you by the time it reached your shelf — freight, duties and charges, local delivery and the portion that arrived unsellable all belong in the figure you price against. Work out the landed cost per unit first, then decide the margin. Our guide on calculating import cost sets out the components.
Take your own photographs
Supplier photos are used by everyone selling the same item, and buyers recognise them. Your own images do two things a stock photo cannot: they prove you actually hold the product, and they show it at a scale and in a setting your customers recognise. A phone camera near a window is enough. Include something for scale, show the packaging, and photograph the part customers will ask about — the fastening, the port, the underside, whatever it is.
Write descriptions that answer objections
Most product descriptions list features. The ones that sell answer the questions a hesitant buyer is already asking: what exactly is in the box, what size is it really, what is it made of, how long does delivery take, and what happens if it does not work. Answering these on the page removes both the reason to message you and the reason to hesitate.
Choose a channel you can actually keep up with
A Facebook page, a marketplace listing and your own site all work — but each needs consistent attention, and running three badly is worse than running one well. Start with the one where your buyers already are, and add another only when the first is stable.
Make delivery and returns explicit
State the delivery time, the delivery charge and what you do about a damaged or wrong item, in plain language, before the customer asks. Vague terms create the disputes they were meant to avoid, and every dispute costs more than the policy would have.
Let early customers do the selling
For an imported product with no local track record, other buyers are the most persuasive evidence you have. Ask satisfied customers for a photo or a short comment, and keep those where new buyers will see them. A handful of genuine reviews outperforms any amount of description.
Plan the reorder before you need it
If a product sells, you will want more — and the lead time to get it has not changed. Watch how fast the first quantity moves and start the reorder while you still have stock on the shelf. Going out of stock at the moment something starts working is a self-inflicted wound, and a common one.
Ready to restock or add a new line? Send us the product requirement and we will come back with what is available.
Related reading: planning seasonal stock and how to buy wholesale from China.