Supplymo research edition
Original research from the supply side
12 of 120 first-page rows accounted for 85.97% of the sample's reported monthSold total
The 12 rows in the top monthSold decile accounted for 85.97% of the sample total. The first API result row was not the monthSold leader in 11 of 12 selected searches. This measures returned fields and order, not verified sales or a ranking formula.
monthSold is platform-reported and unaudited. The study cannot call it verified sales, orders, units, revenue or market share.
Liam Cai · Founder, Supplymo
Published 8 September 2026 · Collected 2026-08-04 · Yiwu, China
Evidence figure · Reported-sales concentration
12
of 120
monthSold top decile
- Remaining rows
- 108
n = 120 API result rows. Collected 2026-08-04. Non-random sample: 12 selected searches and 120 first-page API result rows. monthSold is platform-reported and unaudited.
Collected
2026-08-04
Evidence
Version 1 · 120 first-page keyword-search API result rows
Sample status
Non-random · method and row unit stated
Reuse
CC BY 4.0 · 8 stated limits
Study reading
The returned monthSold total was concentrated
All 120 rows returned monthSold. The field summed to 25043070 across the sample, with a median of 16640.5. The maximum returned value was 8876681 and the minimum was 41.
The 12 rows in the top decile accounted for 85.97% of that total. The single largest row accounted for 35.45%. These are arithmetic properties of the returned field, not audited revenue or completed orders.
Within each selected search, the median leader share of keyword-level monthSold was 43.6%. The sample is non-random and first-page only, so that concentration cannot be generalized to all 1688 products or categories.
Study reading
API result order was not monthSold order
The association between API result position and within-keyword monthSold rank was 0.0828. In 11 of 12 searches, the first returned row was not the row with the largest monthSold value.
That difference does not explain why the API ordered the rows. Relevance, promotion, personalization and other inputs were not observed, and a marketplace is under no obligation to sort by monthSold.
The study also cannot establish what a rendered website, logged-in session, other API client or later request returned. Its claim stops at one read-only API snapshot.
Study reading
How a buyer can use the result
Keep monthSold attached to its source field and collection date. Use it as one platform-reported clue, not a sales certificate or forecast for the exact SKU under review.
Compare candidate offers on the same product specification, MOQ, quantity and packaging. A high returned value does not confirm that the activity belongs to the buyer's target variant or that the proposed order terms remain available.
Before payment, verify the product, supplier, quote, evidence and destination-market requirements. Popularity-like fields can prioritize review but cannot replace those checks.
Research boundary
What this study cannot tell you
- BoundarymonthSold is platform-reported and unaudited. The study cannot call it verified sales, orders, units, revenue or market share.
- BoundaryThe study compares one API result order with one returned field. It does not reveal ranking inputs, prove a defect or establish rendered-page order.
- BoundaryThe 120 rows cannot be verified as 120 distinct offers or suppliers because the retained source contains no offer or seller identity.
Questions readers ask
Read the finding without over-reading it
What is the one-line finding?
In a Supplymo non-random sample of 120 first-page API result rows across 12 selected English searches on 1688, the 12 rows in the top monthSold decile accounted for 85.97% of the sample's platform-reported monthSold total; the first returned row was not the keyword's monthSold leader in 11 of 12 searches. monthSold is an unaudited API field, not verified transactions or market share.
Was the first returned row usually the monthSold leader?
No. In 11 of 12 selected searches, the first API result row was not the row with the highest returned monthSold value.
Are these verified sales figures?
No. The official schema labels monthSold as 30-day sales, but Supplymo did not audit its unit, formula, denominator, update timing, return treatment or relationship to completed transactions.
Does the study explain the 1688 ranking algorithm?
No. It records an association of 0.0828 between API result order and within-keyword monthSold rank. Ranking inputs were not observed.
Were these 120 different suppliers or offers?
That cannot be established from the retained source. Offer and seller identities were removed, so the rows cannot be verified as 120 distinct offers or de-duplicated by shop.