Is Alidropship better for long-term brand building or just product testing?

[John Bravo]

Serious question for people who've actually worked with AliDropship.
Most beginners use it to test random products fast. But I'm curious about the opposite approach.
Has anyone here used Alidropship to build a real niche store or brand instead of constantly switching products?
Did you stick to one niche long term?
Did you eventually move away from AliExpress suppliers?
At what point did it stop feeling like "dropshipping" and more like an actual business?
Would you still choose Alidropship if your goal was brand building, not quick flips?
I feel like we talk too much about quick wins and not enough about sustainability.
Curious to hear real experiences - both good and bad.

 

[Leola Taylor]

I've been running one niche store for over a year. At first it felt like classic dropshipping, but once I improved product descriptions, added better photos, and worked on email flows, it started feeling like a real brand. The tool didn't change - my mindset did.

 

[F0x]

I actually used AliDropship to build a niche store, not just test random stuff. The turning point was when I stopped chasing trends and focused on 15–20 products in one category. After about 6-8 months, I moved to more stable suppliers and even negotiated private labeling for a couple of items. That's when it stopped feeling like "dropshipping" and more like a small brand.

 

[AAlejandro]

Same here. AliDropship was just the backend tool - the real shift happened when I cared about repeat customers, email flows, and consistent branding. I still source from AliExpress for some items, but I'm way more selective now. It works long term if you treat it like infrastructure, not a flipping machine.