Yiwu Purchasing Agency Case Study: Helping a Kazakhstan Retailer Purchase Groceries and Daily Necessities

On the afternoon of October 19th, two other export colleagues and I boarded the high-speed train to Yiwu. The rice fields outside the window were golden, but the three of us were frowning in the car – all five Kazakhstan clients who came this time only spoke Russian. What’s even more troublesome is that none of the six people we connected with speak Russian.

It’s over, “Xiao Wang wailed,” how can we communicate

I took out my phone and checked the translation software three times. What else can we do? Just rely on this

I heard that the customer arrived at the Yiwu company yesterday. I am in a group with Mr. Li from the procurement department, and I need to bring two experienced buyers, Irina and Marca, who are around fifty years old. Lao Li has been working in Yiwu for fifteen years, and when he sees me, he says, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve seen many bosses in the commercial city who have more solutions than us.”

Day1 Zone 1 of the commercial city

Lao Li and I were waiting for someone at the entrance of Zone 1 of the commercial city.

“Good morning! “A mechanical Russian voice came from my phone.

Irina and Marka appeared on time. Irina is wearing a burgundy windbreaker and her gray gold short hair is meticulous. Marka was holding an old leather bag, polished to a shiny finish. We smiled at each other and then pulled out our phones at the same time – all four phones were aimed at each other in unison.

They laughed and also greeted each other on their phones. So, we started three days of chicken and duck talk.

The first stop is the sock area.

Old Chen’s stall is filled with samples. Irina touched a pair of woolen socks and said something to Marca. What is the proportion of this ingredient

I handed my phone to Lao Chen, and he said to the phone, “85% cotton, 15% wool.” A Russian translation came through the phone.

Marka shook her head and typed in another sentence: “We want 70% cotton and 30% wool

Lao Chen thought for a moment and said to his phone, “Customization is possible, but the minimum order quantity is 5000 pairs

So, the four of us gathered around two phones, you come and I go. Although it was slow, we managed to secure our first deal. Lao Chen wiped his sweat and whispered to me, “Without some technology, we really can’t do business now

There was a problem when I went to the underwear area.

Marca was dissatisfied with the lace edge of a bra and said a long sentence. The processing of this thread end is too rough and prone to snagging, which makes our customers very picky

I was worried about how to explain it when the boss’s wife directly dialed the factory’s video call. In the picture, workers are busy on the production line. The landlady shouted into her phone, “Bring that lace sample closer

The staff on the other end of the video aimed the camera at the fabric for a close-up. The landlady shouted again, “Adjust the needle spacing a bit, yes, that’s it

Marka and Irina leaned in front of their phones, nodding occasionally. Finally, Marca gave a thumbs up and pressed the order quantity on the calculator.

It’s noon and the client won’t have lunch.

Old Li and I sat with them in the rest area. The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so I tried opening the translation software and typing: “How many times have you been to China

Irina took her phone and carefully typed her answer: “Third time. But first time in Yiwu

That’s how we started chatting on our phones. They have their own store in Tbilisi, mainly selling household items. I want to find some unique products this time. Marca has two children, and Irina’s husband is also in business. Although every sentence had to wait for more than ten seconds for translation, we actually had a great time chatting.

Lao Li quietly went to buy a few bottles of mineral water that Kazakhstans love to drink, and this thoughtful gesture surprised them a lot.              

In the afternoon, while looking at the accessories, we discovered a good idea.

Irina likes a crystal hair clip, but thinks it’s too shiny. I didn’t use translation software this time, but took her directly to the nearby counter and pointed to hair clips of different materials, asking, “Is it shiny or not

She immediately understood and nodded at the matte one.

Lao Li also learned a trick. When discussing the price, he directly pressed the numbers on the calculator and pointed to the sample, and then Marca understood. Sometimes when we can’t come to an agreement on numbers, he takes the boss aside and writes Chinese on his phone, translates it into Russian, and then shows it to the client.

Day2 Football games, the bosses showed off their skills.

The owner of the volleyball stall saw that we had difficulty communicating, so he directly brought an inflation pump and inflated several volleyballs on site. He patted the ball and gestured for the customer to feel the texture. Then they brought in an electronic scale and weighed each ball for them to see.

Marka carefully recorded in her notebook and finally pointed directly to three models, gesturing “OK”.

The holiday supplies area is more lively. Irina held a glowing pumpkin lantern and couldn’t put it down. She directly asked the boss for the price on her phone and computer. The boss is also a clever person, taking out a calendar and pointing to the dates of Halloween and Christmas, gesturing for products for different holidays.

Old Li had a sudden idea and typed “Orthodox Christmas on January 7th” on his phone, translating it for them to see. This careful action made them very satisfied.

Day3 Cooperate seamlessly

In the packaging area, Maca has requirements for the lamination of color boxes. I directly brought three samples with different brightness levels for her to choose from. She pointed to the one in the middle, and I immediately took a photo and sent it to the factory group.

When we finally organized the samples, we packed a whole eight large cardboard boxes. Irina looked at the mountain of samples and said in her newly learned Chinese, “Thank you.” Although her pronunciation was stiff, she was particularly sincere.

When Maka shook hands with us and said goodbye, she stuffed a small packet of Kazakhstan black tea into each of our hands.

The delivery truck has arrived. As the sun sets, the commercial city lights up. Irina finally said a few words, and the phone translation showed, “You are very patient, we will come back

Looking at the distant truck, Old Li breathed a sigh of relief and said, “These three days have been like a battle

I smiled and said, ‘But it’s worth it.’

Returning to the hotel, I received a message from Lao Li: “Next time we’ll be partners again? We can’t waste our efforts on this’ sign language+translation software ‘

I replied with a handshake expression. Yeah, in Yiwu, there are always more solutions than difficulties.

The phone is ringing again, there will be Iranian clients coming next week. I quickly checked the basic greetings in Persian – fortunately, some of them can speak English. This time I can finally relax a bit.In the packaging area, Maca has requirements for the lamination of color boxes. I directly brought three samples with different brightness levels for her to choose from. She pointed to the one in the middle, and I immediately took a photo and sent it to the factory group.

When we finally organized the samples, we packed a whole eight large cardboard boxes. Irina looked at the mountain of samples and said in her newly learned Chinese, “Thank you.” Although her pronunciation was stiff, she was particularly sincere.

When Maka shook hands with us and said goodbye, she stuffed a small packet of Kazakhstan black tea into each of our hands.

The delivery truck has arrived. As the sun sets, the commercial city lights up. Irina finally said a few words, and the phone translation showed, “You are very patient, we will come back.”

Looking at the distant truck, Old Li breathed a sigh of relief and said, “These three days have been like a battle

I smiled and said, “But it’s worth it.”

Returning to the hotel, I received a message from Lao Li: “Next time we’ll be partners again? We can’t waste our efforts on this’ sign language+translation software ‘

I replied with a handshake expression. Yeah, in Yiwu, there are always more solutions than difficulties.

The phone is ringing again, there will be Iranian clients coming next week. I quickly checked the basic greetings in Persian – fortunately, some of them can speak English. This time I can finally relax a bit.

Ready to streamline your next sourcing journey? Contact me, Diamond, and the Sellers Union team today.

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