Stock lots are where a small buyer can look like a big one. You are buying cancelled orders, closed stores and last-season goods from Chinese high-street brands at a tenth to a third of retail — and then selling them at a margin the original brand could not achieve. It is also the easiest place in Guangzhou to lose money, because every sale is final and the lots are never what the seller says they are.
Where to go
Jindong International Clothing City (锦东) in Shijing, Baiyun — Metro Line 8 to Shijing, then five to eight minutes by taxi — is South China's largest centre for branded surplus. Three zones: A and B are higher-end women's wear and outerwear; C is men's, kids, denim and knitwear. Open 09:00–18:00, and be there by 15:30.
Next door, and worth the extra hour:
- Qingfeng (庆丰) — the biggest and roughest. Over 800 mu, thousands of booths, clothes from ¥1–8 a piece and jeans sold by weight.
- Guangda (广大) — more export surplus, mid-priced, you can pick styles rather than take a whole lot.
- Magang (马岗) — the cheapest in Guangdong, and the most inconsistent. Only worth it if you know what you are looking at.
The four types of lot
| Type | What it is | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| 原单原尾 | Genuine cancelled export order, with labels | Lowest — the best lots |
| 品牌撤柜 | Goods pulled from brand stores | Low, but check labels carefully |
| 断码 | Broken size runs | Medium — you can never reorder |
| 杂款 | Mixed styles, mixed everything | Highest — open and count everything |
How to check a lot before you pay
- Count the pieces. Mixed lots are routinely short.
- Open at least 10%. Not the top of the pile — reach into the middle.
- Sort by size. A lot that is 60% one size is not a lot, it is a problem.
- Check zips, seams and wash labels. This is where cheap stock fails first.
- Decide your sell-through price first. If you cannot sell it at three times your cost, walk away.
Rules that protect you
- Never plan on restocking. Broken sizes are one-off by definition.
- Sales are final. There is no exchange, no return, no complaint desk.
- Go in March and August — clearance season gives the best prices of the year.
- Bring a folding cart and cash. Big bags, small notes, WeChat Pay.
- Photograph the lot next to the booth number. If a dispute ever goes anywhere, it goes there with screenshots.
A good first test: buy one small lot of 50 pieces, ship it, and see what actually sells. The second lot is where you make money — by then you know your own sell-through rate.
