Be A ‘Daigou’ And Earn Some Extra Money In China!

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Daigou (代购 dàigòu (English: /ˈdaɪˈɡoʊ/); also 海外代购 hǎiwài dàigòu), is an overseas personal shopper – here a person outside of China purchases commodities (mainly luxury goods, but also sometimes groceries) for a customer in mainland China, as prices for luxury goods can be 30 to 40 percent higher in China than abroad.

Chinese Daigou purchases are often from luxury brand boutiques in major fashion cities like Paris, London, New York City, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. Some Daigou operators use Weibo and WeChat to communicate with their clients. At a basic level, a Daigou makes his or her money by charging a small fee to the people buying the products. Some Daigou even use their garages as their stock warehouses, and hire several people to do their customer service. But there are now those who have grown their businesses into mini empires.

More than a million people globally are now working as Daigou, according to some estimates. Most of these online shopping agents are almost exclusively from mainland China, and are young migrants, international students, or housewives looking for flexible ways to help cover their daily spend.

Wouldn’t it make an amazing business opportunity for expats to earn some extra money?

‘Made in China’ is a global phenomenon, with loads of daily products in the world manufactured in Mainland China. The price difference between can be huge when it comes to some electronic accessories like phone cases, cables, and daily supplies like women’s accessories.

Phone cases: Amazon: $14.99

In China: Could be lower than $1 with fair quality.

Charging Cable: Amazon：$12.99 with MFi certified.

In China：$5.15 with MFi certified.

Hair Hood Band: Amazon：$8.99

In China：$0.08

How about becoming a Daigou for your friends and customers back home? 

Taking experience from Chinese Daigous, it’s easily done by charging a small fee on top of the shipping cost, or raising the overall price. 

Some Daigous travel themselves from time to time to transport the goods, some ship the goods back to their friends and family. And for those whose Daigou business is getting bigger, they may rent a warehouse and hire people to manage and look after the customer service. It’s perfect for students, housewives and freelancers to earn some extra money as it doesn’t take up too much time.

Do you have any money-making ideas of your own after reading this article? Leave your comment here and share with others, you may able to find someone to work on this idea with you!!

Check out our article: 10 Ways to Make Some Extra Cash in China

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