MMG

02 Jan 2024

Integrates thousands of brands and manufacturers to provide a one-stop solution between merchants and consumers that offer the following guarantees.

100% quality assurance of products
Seven day return policy
After-sales service
Other quality services for shoppers

China’s leading e-commerce Tmall is the most popular online shopping platform in the country. The Alibaba-owned website has more than 700 million monthly users with hundreds of millions of products, both foreign and domestic, being bought and sold.

Global brands and products looking to drive growth in the market need to understand Alibaba’s flagship platform’s fundamental ins and outs to perform successfully.

What do you need to do to open a store on Tmall? Here are the essentials to get started.

Provide proper documents, and ensure the brand will be managed by someone well-versed in the platform.
Research categories: Understanding competitors, the market, and the niche of the brand. Is the brand domestic or international? Keep in mind that Chinese consumer behavior differs from the western world.
Strong relationships with Tmall and JD Category Managers, otherwise known as Xiao’er, are among the most crucial positions at Tmall and JD.com for companies and products. The category manager ensures that all items of a product for sale in a specific category are sold effectively. The e-commerce platforms collect a percentage of the revenue from each transaction made. It is Xiao’er’s interest that a lot of a brand’s products get sold.
Manage the store effectively. There are multiple factors to consider besides operations and marketing management. There needs to be a focus on store platform decorations to promotional activities, to paid search. A dozen factors lead to a successful campaign that drives the brand’s market share, revenue, and profitability in China.
Customer service drives product sales from maybe to yes. Any brand considering to exceed in the market will need to have standardized communication with the consumers by training CSR employees with thorough knowledge of each product and potential issues. Furthermore, an effective and quick logistics system to get products to the hands of the consumers quickly.

With the ecosystem surrounding TMall, agencies and consulting partners can assist brands in launching on the Chinese e-commerce platform, moreover, offer services and solutions fitting to the brand.

These services are excellent for brands that need market data to validate the expansion in the exploratory stage of TMall market entry or the research stage of the platform expansion and require SKU localization and planning support. The assistance also includes building e-commerce, store design, CSR training, and store registration. Moreover, the store management-focused operations, digital marketing, promotion support or moving customers through the funnel, and optimizing the loyalty programs, performance management, data monitoring, and much more.

Choosing the correct assistance can significantly differentiate large and mediocre performances in the brands’ sales results.

To attract more foreign brands and to mitigate some of the complexities when piloting through China’s regulations, in 2014, Alibaba launched TMall Global as a sister site to the domestic flagship platform. This allows international brands to avoid some of the requirements of operating inside China and provides an easier entry into the country’s e-commerce market.

Choosing the correct assistance can significantly differentiate large and mediocre performances in the brands’ sales results.

Choosing the right Tmall partner

Many international brands will recognize the importance of solidifying their Tmall presence during the early researching phase before entering the Chinese market. The path towards a brand’s success will look different for each company. However, to simplify the entry process, it would be wise to understand the values of working with an experienced Tmall partner.

There are many factors when it comes to choosing a suitable Tmall partner for a brand.

Let data paint the picture – Market and competitor data provides clarity to where a brand’s products will perform best, the time of year, the price, and insight into the competitors’ performances. Understanding that consumers place a high value on price, setting products at this competitive pricing may not be the tactic for every brand. Therefore, relevant data can assist many western brands in the particulars of the Chinese market, such as sizing and specific consumer preferences
Paperwork – The right Tmall partner may be the expert on navigating China’s legal and regulatory systems, which differ significantly from the west. Choosing the most suitable TP will help establish the brand’s legal entities in China, ensuring that it complies and liaises with Alibaba’s platform to move through all the paperwork needed swiftly.
Web presence – Having an effective web presence drives conversions and revenue. When setting up a web presence, it is critical to have a Tmall partner who is well-versed in the ins and outs of creating a desirable e-commerce build and storefront design to grow market share and establish professional CSR training. It is essential to put a strain on providing high-level customer support amongst Chinese consumers.
Warehousing & logistics – Small and medium-sized enterprises may have more difficulties than the multi-billion dollar conglomerates when purchasing a warehouse facility. An excellent operational partner should identify a well-trusted logistics partner to secure a suitable facility with dedicated staff for the brand.
Peace of mind – Relying on the right Tmall partner can help mitigate all the cultural and language differences in China’s vast and dynamic market. The Tmall partner is the go-to person with significant hands-on experience in the market and someone who takes their responsibilities seriously with the client and is responsive and adaptable to the client’s needs.
Liaising with Alibaba and Tmall – “Xiao’er” or “category managers” are specifically responsible for the performance of brands in a specific area of business. It is their goal to ensure that brands succeed on the Tmall platform. The Tmall partner will engage with the Xiao’er regarding upcoming events of the Chinese promotional calendar and how brands can position themselves to achieve, analyze data, optimize future performances and category trends to pick up the correct product mix, and much more.

Let data paint the picture – Market and competitor data provides clarity to where a brand’s products will perform best, the time of year, the price, and insight into the competitors’ performances. Understanding that consumers place a high value on price, setting products at this competitive pricing may not be the tactic for every brand. Therefore, relevant data can assist many western brands in the particulars of the Chinese market, such as sizing and specific consumer preferences
Paperwork – The right Tmall partner may be the expert on navigating China’s legal and regulatory systems, which differ significantly from the west. Choosing the most suitable TP will help establish the brand’s legal entities in China, ensuring that it complies and liaises with Alibaba’s platform to move through all the paperwork needed swiftly.
Web presence – Having an effective web presence drives conversions and revenue. When setting up a web presence, it is critical to have a Tmall partner who is well-versed in the ins and outs of creating a desirable e-commerce build and storefront design to grow market share and establish professional CSR training. It is essential to put a strain on providing high-level customer support amongst Chinese consumers.
Warehousing & logistics – Small and medium-sized enterprises may have more difficulties than the multi-billion dollar conglomerates when purchasing a warehouse facility. An excellent operational partner should identify a well-trusted logistics partner to secure a suitable facility with dedicated staff for the brand.
Peace of mind – Relying on the right Tmall partner can help mitigate all the cultural and language differences in China’s vast and dynamic market. The Tmall partner is the go-to person with significant hands-on experience in the market and someone who takes their responsibilities seriously with the client and is responsive and adaptable to the client’s needs.
Liaising with Alibaba and Tmall – “Xiao’er” or “category managers” are specifically responsible for the performance of brands in a specific area of business. It is their goal to ensure that brands succeed on the Tmall platform. The Tmall partner will engage with the Xiao’er regarding upcoming events of the Chinese promotional calendar and how brands can position themselves to achieve, analyze data, optimize future performances and category trends to pick up the correct product mix, and much more.

What is the difference between Tmall and JD.com?

Before deciding to enter China, research is crucial; Tmall and JD.com (partially backed by Tencent) are the country’s two most prominent players in the e-commerce landscape. So, what are the critical differences between the two platforms? From historic tendencies Tmall for fashion, JD for electronics.