For online businesses, shipping is huge. In the end, it doesn’t matter how good your products are if they never make it to your customers.
Having your products arrive isn’t the only important aspect either. Products need to be shipped out on-time, arrive at the expected time, and in the right condition.
That's a big enough task for your average business.
But, for dropshippers, who rely on their suppliers to handle everything shipping related, it can be difficult to rest easy knowing that their products will arrive safely. Plus, dropshippers need to factor in their delivery times, which generally tend to be a bit longer than those of established businesses, and provide a reasonable delivery time for their customers.
Essentially, the relationships between suppliers and dropshippers are super important. And it's often difficult to establish trust with suppliers if you can't meet with them face to face, or communicate with them clearly.
Understand Delivery Times for Your Target Countries
Once you know which countries you want to ship to, it’s important to check the typical delivery times so you can set the right expectations with customers and shipping partners.
Getting your hands on this data really is key. You might find that certain countries, like Australia or New Zealand, have much faster shipping than the United States. Or, you could find that Germany and France have slower delivery times than the United Kingdom.
You can use the insight you get from this research to validate your existing ideas about what you want to sell or you can use it to explore opportunities to expand your business to new audiences.
It’s crucial to note that disruptions can happen, so continually do country by country shipping research. There are plenty of factors that can influence shipping times, but this initial step will give you a good idea of the general delivery time trends.
Looking at Specific Supplier Performance
Average delivery times for specific countries is essential data, but it's too broad to identify reliable suppliers alone. AliExpress often puts out reports covering shipping times for its suppliers, so you can start there to figure out how they’re performing.
In the data, you can find the niche that you're selling in, or one that you're interested in trying out, and you'll be able to see the number of suppliers who offer these products.
You'll also see the delivery rates of suppliers within that niche too, which is invaluable data. You can check the number of orders that specific suppliers have received in a seven-days window, and you'll also see the percentage of orders that suppliers have successfully shipped within that period.
If you're already using AliExpress suppliers for your dropshipping business, you can click on the “Search supplier by name” tab, enter their name, and check out their overall performance.
Exploring Your Supplier Options
While AliExpress remains a popular choice for many dropshippers, it's worth exploring alternative supplier networks that might better serve your business needs. Different platforms offer unique advantages depending on your target market and product categories.
Domestic Supplier Networks
One major consideration when selecting suppliers is their warehouse location. Suppliers with facilities in your customers' countries can dramatically reduce wait times. For instance, if you're targeting North American shoppers, working with suppliers who store inventory locally means your customers could receive orders in just three to five days instead of several weeks.
Several supplier platforms now focus specifically on connecting retailers with domestic vendors. These networks typically feature verified businesses that meet quality standards and offer reasonable wholesale pricing. The trade-off is that your profit margins might be slightly lower compared to overseas suppliers, but faster delivery can lead to happier customers and fewer support issues.
Integrated Supplier Apps
Modern dropshipping has evolved beyond manually processing orders. Today's supplier apps can automatically sync your inventory levels, forward customer orders to vendors, and update tracking information without any manual work on your part.
Many of these platforms offer free plans that let you test their services before committing to a paid subscription. You can typically import a limited number of products at no cost, which is perfect for validating product ideas or testing supplier reliability.
When evaluating these tools, look for features like automatic inventory updates to prevent overselling, bulk order processing to save time, and detailed supplier performance metrics to help you make informed decisions.
Niche-Specific Suppliers
Depending on what you're selling, specialized supplier networks might serve you better than general marketplaces. For example, if you're focused on fashion, there are platforms dedicated entirely to clothing and accessories that offer professional product photography, detailed size information, and even options for custom branding.
Similarly, if electronics are your focus, working with suppliers who specialize in tech products means you'll have access to better product information and more knowledgeable support teams.
Evaluating Supplier Quality
Not all suppliers are created equal, and it's important to watch out for warning signs. Be cautious of vendors who charge ongoing membership fees just to work with them. Legitimate suppliers typically don't operate this way. Also be wary of "wholesale" pricing that's available to regular consumers, as this usually means the rates aren't truly wholesale.
Another consideration is minimum order requirements. Traditional wholesalers often require bulk purchases, which conflicts with the dropshipping model. Look for suppliers who understand dropshipping and don't impose minimum quantities, or who are willing to work out alternative arrangements.
Finding Suppliers Outside Directories
While supplier directories are convenient, you can also find great partners through direct research. Try contacting manufacturers of products you want to sell and asking for their list of authorized distributors. Many of these distributors may offer dropshipping services.
You can also learn from competitors. If you suspect another store is dropshipping similar products, place a small test order and examine the return address on the package. This can help you identify potential suppliers to reach out to.
Industry trade shows and conferences are another excellent way to meet suppliers face-to-face, ask questions, and build relationships that can benefit your business long-term.
Building a Reliable Supply Chain in 2026
The dropshipping landscape continues to evolve, and successful store owners adapt by diversifying their supplier relationships. Rather than relying on a single source, consider working with multiple vendors to reduce risk and offer customers faster shipping options based on their location.
Remember that your supplier's performance directly affects your customer experience. Take time to research options, read reviews from other retailers, and start with small test orders before committing to large-scale partnerships.
Whether you're using AliExpress or exploring other supplier networks, the key is to make informed decisions based on reliable information. Your shipping strategy can make or break your business, so invest the time to get it right.
How to Find Reliable Suppliers FAQ
How Do You Find Reliable Shipping Partners for Dropshipping?
Companies like AliExpress provide many suitable options and release insights to help you make the best choice for your business. Outside of partnering with larger platforms, you can research partners using the tips in this article, go to in-person trade shows, look up directories of suppliers, sample potential partners by ordering through them, and act as a customer to see if their customer service is up to your standards.
What Makes a Dropshipping Supplier Good?
There are many factors that make a good supplier, but ones to pay attention to are clear and consistent communication, transparent and reliable shipping, good reviews, sensible policies, and high end-to-end quality.
How Do You Make Sure That Suppliers Deliver Quality Consistently?
To ensure your dropshipping shipping partners and suppliers deliver the right quality, you can order samples on a regular basis as a test, keep communication channels open and transparent as much as possible, and set up a system of auditing that makes sense for all parties involved.
What Do You Do if a Supplier Falls Through and Can’t Make a Delivery?
No matter how reliable a supplier is normally, disruptions can happen. You should always create a contingency plan and partner with multiple suppliers to make sure that if errors do occur, you still have a way to ship to customers. Also, you want to be transparent with your customers whenever there are issues or delays. Customers would rather know what’s going on than wait in the dark.