oberlo is shutting down

Oberlo is Shutting Down: How to find the best Alternative?

Oberlo is shutting down: one of the biggest Shopify Dropshipping Apps, will officially close for business on the 15th June. 

That’s right, Oberlo is shutting down, and ever since the 12th May it has been delisted on the Shopify App Store.

Back in 2017, the App was acquired by Shopify itself from a Lithuanian startup, and despite having over 100000 active installs, the eCommerce giant decided to call it a day and discontinue the service. 

Why did they decide to terminate the app? Shopify states that the best interests of merchants are the primary concern, and that the shut down of an app is a normal occurrence, in order to provide users with the best solutions for reaching their consumers.

What does it mean for Oberlo users? 

Oberlo is shutting down and the app has been officially delisted, so it is not available for new installs, if you already have it on your store, you can use it until the 15th of June. 

According to the Oberlo itself, after this date, the App will be automatically removed from your store. 

If you don’t want to lose any data, make sure to download all your historical data as soon as possible. 

Once you have all your important data saved up, it’s time to start looking for valida alternatives, and while there are several dropshipping apps that provide the same services as Oberlo, it might be a good idea to move to a supplier who can offer you additional services, such as private labeling and who can put you in touch with some of the best suppliers out there.  

How to choose an alternative to Oberlo 

oberlo is shutting down

Now that the news that Oberlo is shutting down is confirmed, it is very important to choose a valid alternative. 

Some suggest installing DSers, which is a platform that works very similarly to Oberlo, AKA exporting listings from AliExpress to your store and exporting orders. 

It might be sensible, however, to step up your business game, and choose instead a provider who can offer you all the services that your business needs, and more! 

Don’t forget that with the above app, you’d still have to refer your orders to AliExpress suppliers, who would charge you higher prices for your products and who have quite unreliable shipping times, among other things.

What to look for in your new Dropshipping App

Oberlo was introduced to the Shopify App Store back in 2015, and we can safely say that many things have changed ever since. 

Start Dropshipping with Yakkyofy

Back in the day people would open a new store every time a new product trend would arise, however due to increasing ad costs, a growing number of dropshippers have strided away from this system, settling more on creating ONE store with their own brand and providing a service that will keep their customers engaged and returning. 

This is why when you choose  your new Shopify Dropshipping App, you want to improve your services, while still enjoying the ones that you already have. 

You want to find reliable suppliers who can assist you in every step of the way. 

With the APP suggested by Oberlo as its successor you won’t have any say in the quality of the items, you won’t be able to personalize the service (private label items or custom packaging), and you won’t be able to have control on the type of shipping method chosen. 

So let’s see together what are the features of the perfect dropshipping app for your store. 

Get the features you love

Now that Oberlo is shutting down, the first order of operation should be to find an app that provides all the features you are used to. From Automatic Listings to Automatic tracking numbers import. 

Automated product listing

One of the reasons why Oberlo was so successful was because it allowed its users to automatically upload AliExpress Product Listings on their store, so the first thing to look for when choosing your new dropshipping app is the option to import a product to your store in just a few clicks, inclusive of pictures, description, and shipping prices.

Automatic and unlimited order fulfillment

oberlo is shutting down

Tired of wasting time paying your orders? Then it’s time to arrange the automatic order fulfillment. Paying each order separately can become a handful once you start scaling the market, and it can become even a full time activity if you start making consistent revenue and selling a lot of products. 

You need to find an app that allows you to process your orders automatically as soon as your customers pay. 

Careful however, because many apps have a limit on the number of orders that can be fulfilled for free. Find one that has an unlimited number of fulfillments. 

Automatic Tracking Number Notifications

Another feature that can save you a lot of time is the automatic tracking notifications to your customers. Ideally you’d want your customers to know the tracking information on their parcels as soon as they are shipped out.

Sharing the tracking numbers automatically will help you save time on customer care and also help make your clients happy, as they will be able to track the progress of their products independently. 

B2B quotations in Real-Time

Oberlo connected AliExpress listings to your store in just a few steps. Now you must consider that the vast majority of AliExpress is composed of resellers who sell their products directly to final consumers, AKA at B2C prices. 

Keep in mind also that the same products you found can be also found by your customers at a lower price, which means that while you worked hard to advertise your items, and convinced the consumers of their worth, the income will go in another’s pocket. 

It is true, AliExpress has lots of deals for their products everyday but the prices of products fluctuate enormously and this kind of business is not really sustainable long-term.

This is why you need to find a supplier who can source your products at B2B prices in real-time, while purchasing from some of the best Chinese manufacturers directly.

Features that can help boosting your revenues 

oberlo is shutting down

After covering the basic features that Oberlo and similar apps provide, it is time to look into additional features that can help you build your empire. 

B2B Prices Stock Discount

It is very important that you choose a supplier who can source your products at B2B prices.

AliExpress resellers often do not care how many pieces of the same product you purchase and they charge you a flat rate whether you buy 50 or 1000. If you want your business to thrive, you should aim to get a supplier who will make you pay less the more pieces you purchase. This will help you once you start scaIing and increase your margins. 

Bundle sales

AliExpress is a fantastic resource to find new products to offer to your clients, however often different products are sold by different people/companies. This fact makes it impossible to organize bundle sales, and ship multiple products in the same parcel. 

Try finding a supplier who can arrange bundle sales for your products, in this way you will not only make your clients happy but you will also save up on delivery expenses. Two birds with one stone!

Free Warehouse Space

Once you start scaling a product, you might want to purchase a stock of said product.

This can help you save up money on the single product cost, in this way increasing your margins and to cut down on the processing days. 

Nowadays there aren’t many suppliers who offer free warehouse space, since it does cost money to store and manage items correctly. Find a supplier who can store your items for free, organize your inventory and arrange the shipping logistics. 

Pro tip: it is important that you alway know your inventory levels, so that you can keep track and refill it as needed. Find someone who can give you the option of seeing real-time stock level updates..

Personalize your Clients Experience

oberlo is shutting down

It can be quite hard being competitive and getting clients to remember your store and keep coming back to buy, unless you personalize their experience. So how can you make your clients’ purchases unforgettable?

Private Label Dropshipping

The best way to remember a product or a service is to put a brand name to it, aka make your very own private label items. Some suppliers offer personalization options, such as applying your logo directly to your product or producing your custom packaging. If you want your business to be successful long-time you might want to consider investing in building up a proper brand. 

Original Product Photos and Videos

One of the easiest ways to find a product elsewhere is to run an image search on the pictures used. You might have noticed while browsing on AliExpress that many resellers use the very same media for the products they sell. 

However, if you have entirely new pictures: 

  • They will be of a higher quality than the ones of your competitors; 
  • Your brand will look of a better quality;
  • Your clients will have a harder time being able to find your products elsewhere;

Conclusion: The best Alternative to Oberlo

Oberlo is shutting down, but dropshipping is still very well alive. You just need to make sure that your new suppliers/Shopify App will be a worthy successor!  

Now you might be wondering, how in the world is it possible to get all these services without installing tons of different apps, jamming your store and forgetting quick one does what? 

Well that’s simple! 

Because Yakkyofy offers all of the above services and many more!

Are you ready for the future? 

Post tags:

Related articles

Artificial Intelligence has landed on Yakkyofy!

Step into the future of eCommerce with your newest ally! Supercharge your product launches, understand your audience, craft killer marketing strategies effortlessly and much, much more!

New Release: Winning Products Database

Dominate the digital marketplace with Winning Products, the comprehensive database offering 90%+ accurate forecasts for products destined to go viral and become future best-sellers!