it is mostly higher volume purchases. Almost all the stalls are setup by the factories around town. So the manufacturers go to huaqiangbei to take a look at the

it is mostly higher volume purchases. Almost all the stalls are setup by the factories around town. So the manufacturers go to huaqiangbei to take a look at their samples and find out their prices. If you go in there just trying to buy a handful of ICs they dont really want to do business with you. You have to tell them you are looking to get samples or making a prototype and will be back for a much larger order and then they will be much more likely to help you out. They also dont talk about in the article but most of the malls there are separated by floors. On some floors it is all consumers electronics like tablets and pcs then on other floors it is all parts and components. So you can really see the whole manufacturing chain represented in these malls. The components are sold on one floor and the finished goods they are put into are sold in another floor