In this guide
How does 1688 dropshipping differ from buying UK stock?
With individual customer dispatch, each customer order travels from China to that customer. With UK stock, a batch travels to a UK warehouse and later customer orders need a separate fulfilment service. For either arrangement, ask when stock is purchased, where it is held and who handles packing, delivery and returns.
Name the recipient before choosing a route
WorldFirst’s UK dropshipping guide separates customer ordering, supplier purchasing, China receipt and parcel dispatch. Start your plan by naming the delivery recipient: an individual customer or a UK warehouse receiving stock. Ask who performs later customer fulfilment. An agent’s purchasing role does not define that destination.
Establish when stock is bought and where it waits
A per-customer arrangement may use stock purchased and held in China, or procurement may begin after a customer order. Ask which applies to your proposal. WorldFirst’s New Zealand guide distinguishes final-customer dispatch from shipping to a fulfilment warehouse and recommends checking single-item handling capability. Record who commits to stock, who pays for storage and what the agreement says about unused units. Ask who confirms available quantity before accepting further orders.
State where the stock will wait
For each proposal, record when goods are purchased, where they are held and who authorises release. Confirm which recipient and delivery scope the provider has quoted.
Compare actual proposals using a responsibility sheet
This original worksheet asks questions for each proposed provider. Fill in named parties, inclusions and unresolved points. A model name alone does not establish which work is included or what it costs.
Scroll sideways if needed. Keyboard: focus the table area and use the left and right arrow keys.
| Responsibility | Individual customer parcels from China | Batch stock sent to a UK warehouse |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase and stock commitment | Buy after each order or hold purchased stock in China? Who pays for unused units? | Who approves and purchases the batch before later customer orders? |
| Customer-order handling | Who receives order details and confirms SKU, quantity and address? | Which UK party receives orders and picks the stocked items? |
| Packing and checks | Who checks and packs each customer parcel, and against which instructions? | Who checks the batch, prepares inbound cartons and approves release? |
| Tracking and receipt | Who sends parcel tracking and handles a delivery exception? | Who provides freight records, books receipt and reconciles received stock? |
| Charges to record | What handling, storage, packing and revised-dispatch charges apply? | What batch freight, receiving, storage and later pick-and-pack charges apply? |
| Customer return location | Where may a customer parcel return, and who records the next action? | Where are customer returns received, and who decides their stock status? |
| Supplier remedy | Who takes evidence to the supplier and records its proposed response? | Who links a defect claim to the purchased batch and follows up? |
Make each customer-order handoff explicit
Name who sends an order, who acknowledges it and who resolves missing details before dispatch. Agree the supported order-transfer method and the record that confirms acceptance. Check who can approve a substitution or address change. For UK stock, the receiving warehouse and later fulfilment operator may be different parties. Confirm their handoff and how received quantities become available for customer orders.
Make each dispatch handover explicit
Identify who receives the customer order, prepares the goods and confirms dispatch. Base delivery promises on the handovers and service terms actually confirmed for your proposal.
State which goods each check covers
Ask whether checks concern a supplier batch, stored stock or a packed customer order. Agree the references, scope and reporting owner for that work. Name who reviews exceptions and approves dispatch. A batch inspection and a check that a parcel contains the ordered variants answer different questions. Confirm the packing instructions for the chosen movement before approving the work.
Base customer promises on confirmed handoffs
Before stating availability or a delivery expectation, ask who confirms stock and which dispatch and transport arrangements have been accepted. Keep purchase, readiness, dispatch and receipt events separate in the plan. Identify the contact for a missed handoff and agree when an unresolved issue needs your decision. Update customer-facing information when the underlying arrangement changes; a product listing alone cannot establish the whole delivery plan.
Separate customer returns from supplier remedies
Record the agreed customer return location, authorisation contact and evidence needed to decide what happens to returned goods. Keep any supplier defect claim as a separate case with its own response and agreed action. A returned customer parcel does not establish that a supplier has accepted reimbursement. Compare the full proposed handling scope and charges before choosing an arrangement.
Specify the destination for a batch stock shipment
For a batch shipment, send the goods, expected quantities, UK receiving address and warehouse instructions. Identify who will handle later customer orders. Individual customer dropshipping requires a separately confirmed arrangement.
Questions before you order
Does dropshipping mean no stock has been purchased in advance?
Ask the provider. Its arrangement may involve pre-purchased stock held in China or buying after a customer order. Confirm the purchasing trigger and stock commitment in writing.
Does consolidating 1688 orders include customer fulfilment?
Confirm that separately. Combining supplier goods for a batch shipment does not establish who processes later customer orders, picks items or sends individual parcels.
Does 1688 Overseas UK offer individual customer dropshipping?
Our described scope covers agreed batch purchasing, China-side checks and handling, and UK delivery. Confirm individual customer parcel fulfilment separately with a provider that accepts that work.
Related visual references
Look more closely at the storage, handling and transport settings that inform an order plan. Each photograph links to its original source.
Sources & further guidance
- WorldFirst UK: 1688 dropshipping guide (customer-order, purchase and dispatch stages)
- WorldFirst New Zealand: How to dropship from 1688 (final recipient and single-item handling questions)
The UK and New Zealand sources describe operational distinctions. The comparison worksheet is our original guidance and needs answers from the providers involved in your proposed arrangement.
Product acceptance, inspection scope, charges and delivery arrangements need to be agreed for your order.
