If you’ve been in the wholesale closeouts or liquidations industry for awhile then you may already be familiar with popular wholesale trading platform Alibaba.com. However, you may not be aware that Alibaba.com has launched a sister website, called AliExpress, which offers the same opportunity to connect with international wholesale goods sellers but with smaller minimum order amounts than you’ll find on Alibaba.com or other similar websites.

While you may find prices slightly more expensive on AliExpress it can be a good platform for beginners who may not have the cash or credit that is often available to seasoned buyers and business owners. The AliExpress platform could also be considered slightly less risky than placing a large order through regular Alibaba.com merchants, as less money is at play. Of course you will want to follow the same guidelines and safety precautions as you would anytime you deal with wholesale sellers that are unfamiliar to you.

AliExpress does not seem to (yet) have the amount of merchants that you’ll find on Alibaba.com, however they do offer goods in a vast variety of niches, including popular categories such as consumer electronics and apparel.