Sourcing & importing | Markindus

The sourcing problem, seen from the buying desk

Finding a factory has never been easier. Making sure it will deliver the right product, at the right quality, on time and in line with European regulation, is another matter. Between matchmaking platforms, local agents and samples that do not match production, an unprepared buyer takes a real risk sourcing directly without a dedicated structure.

Markindus has done this trade since 2006, and the maker network we work with was built and filtered over twenty years of collaboration: we know who keeps their commitments, on which product families, and on what terms.

Asia and Europe, by product

Our factories are spread mainly across Vietnam, China and India, with a few European makers and, occasionally, North Africa. None of these origins is a reflex. A terracotta seed sprouter, a wooden nest box and a kitchen utensil are not made in the same place, and the country is chosen on the product, the target price and the volumes, not on habit.

Importing controlled end to end

Markindus is the importer, not a matchmaking middleman. We take on the whole chain:

• maker selection and negotiation, based on your specification;
• sampling and sign-off on the piece before launch;
• production monitoring and factory quality checks, backed by independent audits before shipping;
• compliance with the European standards applicable to each product family, from food contact to children’s items;
• transport, customs clearance and delivery in France to your terms.

Importing is a mountain for anyone not set up for it. Loading the container, the ship, the documents, customs clearance, final delivery: each step has its rules and its lead times, and a mistake costs weeks of delay. Many companies prefer, rightly, not to build this trade in-house.

We take the financial risk

That is the fundamental difference with an agent. We buy the goods, we pay the factory (bearing the currency risk) and we pay the transport, upfront, on our cash. You are invoiced on delivery in euros. Except for large orders requiring a very specific production (for which we ask for a 30% deposit at order), between the moment production starts and the moment the truck arrives at your door, the money tied up is ours.

You order from a French company, you are delivered and invoiced in France, and the importer’s liability is carried by Markindus.

This control of the chain matters especially on seasonal products. A Christmas range or a wine-fair campaign cannot take delay: production, transport and customs clearance are set around your shelf date, not the other way round. That is the rhythm we have worked to since 2006.

A single point of contact

Every decision on your project goes through the same team, based in Lyon: product decisions, sample approvals, production hiccups, logistics scheduling. You do not go through a contact in France who relays to an office on the other side of the world. The person who answers you is the one following the factory.

The products themselves do not detour through Lyon: they leave the factory and go straight to you.

To assess a sourcing project, contact the team.