How to Choose an Artificial Flower Supplier in China: Factory vs Trading Company
A practical checklist for importers: how to verify you are talking to a real factory, what to ask about QC, and the red flags that show up before you pay a deposit.
Most sourcing mistakes are made before the first order is placed. This guide covers the checks we recommend even when the supplier is us.
1. Verify the factory, not the website
Ask for the production address, a walkthrough video filmed today, and photos of the packing area rather than only the showroom. A trading company will usually send product photos from a catalogue, a factory will send process photos.
2. Ask how colour is controlled
Colour drift between batches is the number one complaint in this category. Ask how they match colour (Pantone, physical swatch, or dyeing batch records) and whether they keep a retained sample of your last order.
3. Confirm what is inspected and when
A real QC process inspects stems, glue points, petal attachment and packing density. Ask at which stage inspection happens and who signs it off.
4. Test the sample process
Order a paid sample and judge how the sample is packed and labelled. If the sample arrives damaged, bulk freight will be worse.
5. Agree the terms in writing
MOQ, lead time, tolerance on colour and size, packing specification, and what happens if a batch fails inspection should all be written down before the deposit.
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