cross-border e-commerce

A successful brand‑distributor partnership depends on clear communication, mutual expectations and shared expertise For British consumer brands expanding into China, appointing a distributor is a pivotal moment but one that is often misunderstood. Too often, the partnership is viewed as transactional, with responsibility for growth quietly outsourced to the Chinese side. But to distributors in China, what matters most is not just the product, but the relationship. They want UK …

China’s booming cross-border e-commerce market offers British businesses unparalleled access to a vast consumer base. From Tmall Global to Little Red Book, explore their unique strengths, and how to reach the right Chinese shoppers in 2025 Why Cross-Border E-Commerce Appeals to British Businesses For British businesses, cross-border e-commerce into China is a compelling opportunity to tap into the world’s largest online retail market without the complexities of establishing a physical …

China has always been a disruptor in the e-commerce and social commerce sectors. Now, platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu are disrupting established market leaders like Taobao and JD, writes Jack Porteous from Samarkand Global China is the world’s leading e-commerce market, accounting for more than half of the online retail sales in 2021. With a population of 780 million digital consumers, e-commerce sales hit £2.3 trillion. Chinese consumers are also …

In the third of our series on exporting to China, Kristina Koehler-Coluccia from Woodburn Global reviews the main routes to the China market, from e-commerce to distributors  Deciding on the right route to enter the China market is the first step if you want to export and sell into the country, whether that’s through cross-border e-commerce or a local distributor. The second step is to evaluate your market potential. There …

What are China’s main e-commerce platforms? Who buys what from which platform? Are Douyin and Xiaohongshu taking over from Tmall and JD? This infographic answers your pressing China e-commerce questions Created with information provided by cross-border e-commerce company Samarkand Global

One week after Singles’ Day (11.11), the figures for the annual shopping festival show that consumer confidence in China remains strong despite recent outbreaks of Covid-19 caused by the Delta variant, although public coverage was muted due to the ongoing ‘Common Prosperity’ campaign, writes Mark Tanner from The China Skinny Singles’ Day 2021 wrapped up last week, clocking a whopping RMB 540.3 billion (£63 billion) of goods sold on Alibaba …

On 26 October, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) jointly released a plan for e-commerce development during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) The scale and penetration rate of e-commerce in China is already astonishing, and this plan aims to push it to new heights. According to the plan, the volume of e-commerce transactions in China reached RMB …

A new video series produced by Alibaba explores the role China has played in the growth of three British brands, with a particular focus on the challenges of expanding internationally amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this time featuring Sweaty Betty When the pandemic hit and retail stores closed, British activewear brand Sweaty Betty had to ramp up its online offering overnight. Luckily, the brand has always taken a “digital first” approach, …

A new video series produced by Alibaba explores the role China has played in the growth of three British brands with a particular focus on the challenges of expanding internationally amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this time featuring Hawkins & Brimble Hawkins & Brimble started in 2016 after founder Stephen Shortt noticed a gap in the market for high quality and diverse men’s skincare and grooming products. Building the brand around …

With access to over 800 million online consumers, the opportunities of Chinese e-commerce are limitless… if you get it right. Here’s a primer for how to get started in the Chinese e-commerce market China is home to the world’s largest e-commerce market, but navigating it can be overwhelming: where do you even start? Although it can seem very similar to the West, China’s online marketplace is distinctive, and this can …