Buying Direct Vs. Buying locally

Today, more than 225 nations are active in trade, resulting in more than nine trillion dollars (USD) in global business every year. 

As a business owner you already know the importance of reliable and cheap supplier. These days you can choose to buy directly from the source - factory or to buy from middleman - local wholesaler / Importer.
There are Pro's and Con's for both methods which are described below.

For importers, the location of new products, suppliers and supply markets is of paramount importance. Sourcing from the most suitable suppliers requires ability, determination and patience to, for lack of a better phrase, search the world.

Accessing potential supply markets via the internet has become the preferred method of discovery, with significant cost and time economies of scale clearly evident. Business-to-business (B2B) websites lead the way of global trade.

Comparisson Chart (Direct Vs. Locally)

	Buy Direct	Buy Locally	Comments
Price			Local Supplier buys Direct therefore they are a "middleman" and more expensive
Delivery Time			Factory is located overseas therefore it takes longer for the freight and also the actual production time which vary
Availability			Local wholesalers can sell what they have stocked.Factory can just manufacture more upon demand
Variety			Buying Direct can give you more products from one supplier instead diverse your order with several local wholesalers
Product Flexibility			Factory can customize product - Wholesaler cannot.
Product Warranty			Depends on the actual Deal and supplier policy