Alibaba and AliExpress are both eCommerce platforms that belong to the Alibaba Group. They differ in the audience they cater to. Alibaba is a cross-border B2B directory type platform while AliExpress is a cross-border B2C eCommerce marketplace.
Strade.Global is a revolutionary cross-border B2B eCommerce marketplace that blends the best of both Alibaba and AliExpress while adding its unique flavor through exciting and useful features for buyers and sellers.
On the outlook, Strade seems to be a direct competitor to Alibaba rather than AliExpress. However, with its myriad set of features and tools, Strade sets itself apart from the competition and aims to make global B2B eCommerce seamless and safe for hundreds and thousands of buyers and sellers from around the globe.
What is the Difference Between Strade and Alibaba and AliExpress?
There are quite a lot of things that set Strade apart from its competition. While AliExpress is not an explicit competition to the platform, the fact that it is talked in the same vein as Alibaba makes it worthwhile to compare it to Strade.
- Interaction Between Buyers and Sellers
As a B2B platform, both Strade and Alibaba allow interactions between buyers and sellers. The chat feature is available on both platforms to facilitate trade between buyers and sellers.
However, the key difference between Strade and Alibaba is that Strade has a shopping cart functionality. So, if buyers are happy with the discounts they see from sellers, they don’t have to negotiate prices and simply add products to their cart and shop like they do on retail eCommerce sites.
AliExpress on the other hand does not have a chat functionality and since it is a B2C marketplace, it functions similarly to Amazon and eBay with no option to contact sellers.
- Minimum Order Quantity
Merchants on Strade usually do not require a large minimum order quantity for placing orders.
That being said, manufacturers can give better discounts if orders are placed in sizeable quantities. This means that buyers get bigger discounts on larger purchases. Alibaba requires a minimum order quantity for placing orders.
AliExpress does not require a minimum order quantity for orders. Since it is a B2C, retail marketplace, the prices of products are higher than on Strade and Alibaba.
- Private Labeling
Strade allows private labeling. Wholesale buyers can buy in large quantities from sellers around the world and modify/customize the products to sell again to retail customers. Strade has wholesale suppliers from around the world, including the USA, UK, Canada, Greece, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Italy and many other countries. Alibaba also allows private labeling where wholesale buyers can customize the products received from original manufacturers.
However, Alibaba unlike Strade has most of its suppliers from China while Strade has its sellers from around the globe. AliExpress does not allow private labeling. Buyers cannot modify/customize the products and all sellers are from China only..
- Secure Escrow-type Payments
Both Strade and Alibaba incorporate secure escrow-type payments. This means that buyers and sellers are both protected against fraud. Sellers can confidently ship products knowing that buyers have paid the money and that it is held in an escrow-type account. Buyers are confident that their payment is only released to the seller on successful confirmation of receipt of goods.
AliExpress uses Buyer Protection as a money-back guarantee program to protect buyers from losing their money. Buyers can contact sellers and apply for a refund if they are not satisfied with the products. AliExpress offers mediation services in case the dispute between buyers and sellers is not resolved.
- Startup Cost
Strade offers the best startup cost for wholesalers among all wholesale platforms. It allows small artisans and manufacturers to sell wholesale globally without initial setup costs.
By offering a platform for small manufacturers, Strade reduces the bar for small suppliers globally from economically weaker regions to offer their unique products to a global audience.
There is a huge demand for special regional products from countries like Vietnam, India, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Strade with its lowest startup cost makes it extremely friendly for sellers from countries in Asia and Latin America to set up their wholesale stores and offer their products globally.
Alibaba requires a Gold Supplier Membership that costs at least 2000 USD along with ad spends for keyword targeting to reach global buyers. This is quite expensive for small and medium-sized manufacturers.
AliExpress is free to set up for sellers. However, AliExpress charges a commission between 5 to 8 percent for the items sold on the platform.
- Shopping Cart
Unlike most wholesale platforms, Strade has a shopping cart available for easy checkout. All suppliers on Strade have upfront discounts on their products listed on the website which buyers can see. If buyers are happy with the quantity discounts offered by the wholesale seller, they can simply add the required number of products to the cart and proceed to checkout.
There are no negotiations needed and both buyers and sellers can easily complete the trade. Alibaba does not have the shopping cart functionality. This means that there is no easy checkout option. Wholesale buyers have to contact the supplier through the chat functionality on Alibaba’s website. Negotiations have to be made before arriving at a deal. This process can take days and even weeks before a deal arrives, payment is made, and goods are shipped.
AliExpress being a B2C eCommerce website has a shopping cart for buyers to add products and proceed to checkout. No negotiations are possible.
- Dropshipping
Unlike most B2B platforms, Strade offers businesses the potential to dropship products to customers. This means that wholesale buyers on Strade can transition from a B2B to a B2B2C model wherein they drop ship products directly to retail customers.
Alibaba does not have dropshipping capabilities. Buyers have to fulfill retail orders themselves. AliExpress offers dropshipping capabilities wherein resellers can ship the products directly to their customers when they receive an order.
- Financing Options
Strade is working on offering integrated financing for both buyers and sellers on its wholesale marketplace. This is extremely beneficial for both parties to complete large trades with ease. Alibaba only offers financing options for buyers on its platform.
AliExpress has Pay Later option for buyers to buy now and pay at a later time. Buyers can also make payments via credit cards and convert them later into EMI options with interest rates determined by the buyer’s bank.
- Inspections
Strade is also integrating inspection services into its platform. Buyers can choose to order product inspections from the dashboard via available 3rd party inspection companies.
This gives buyers the confidence that the products they purchase are as described by the seller. Alibaba also offers inspection services. Buyers can pick inspection companies to check the products before they are shipped to the destination.
AliExpress does not have inspection services and covers buyers through its Buyer Protection program. Since the average order value on AliExpress is not as high as that on Strade and Alibaba, Buyer Protection can adequately protect buyers during shopping.
- Low Currency Exchange Rates
The Currency Exchange Rate is a problem for global buyers. A high currency exchange rate can mean that buyers pay significantly more than the order value of items. Strade offers low currency exchange rates and saves a lot of money for wholesale buyers on the platform.
Currency exchange rates are markedly high on Alibaba and AliExpress when compared to Strade. Strade aims to revolutionize the global B2B marketplace by bringing the big positives from B2C marketplaces to B2B. While being in a clearly different league than Alibaba and AliExpress, Strade constantly adds new features to make global wholesale trade easier for buyers and sellers.
As more and more sellers and buyers are onboarded, Strade steers clear of competition by making cross-border B2B trades seamless and safe for all.
