Tmall Global to Distribute More Imported Fresh Products

Tmall is an e-commerce platform in full development, created in 2008 by Taobao. The company was acquired by the Alibaba group in 2011, and split into 3 distinct units :

• Tabao
• Tmall
• eTao

The platform differs from Taobao because the latter focuses on the consumer-to-consumer relationship (C2C), and from eTao which is only a search tool for shopping.

The objective of the site is to perform even better in business-to-consumer (B2C) relations. Tmall enables Chinese consumers to be connected with retailers from all over the world.
It is the third most visited website in the world with 500 million visitors per month.

To enter more in details in the differentiation between Taobao and Tmall, you can read this article: https://ecommercechinaagency.com/main-difference-taobao-tmall/

Features

• Alipay : An escrow-based online payment called Alipay (service by Alibaba group) is allowing users to pay in total security. In fact, the Chinese trauma of years of financial scams on the Internet can be felt, they are now very suspicious when it comes to entering their bank details on the web. Therefore, it is essential for them to protect the payment with this functionality.
• Instant messaging : With Taobao, consumers have become accustomed to being able to communicate with each other. That’s why Tmall has set up an instant messaging system that allows consumers to chat with the seller. Once again this allows the communication reassure the consumers, by the way, about the quality of the product, its characteristics, or its origin.
• Tmall Partner agency : The Tmall platform is complex and requires a lot of organization. Companies hire an entire team dedicated to it. These teams bear the certified name of Tmall Partner agency (TP).

New logistic feature

Indeed, the Chinese population is getting richer. The search for quality and conscious consumption is growing. Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of their purchases on society and the environment.

They are looking for quality products, especially in their plates!

It is for these reasons that Tmall is bringing itself up to date by questioning its logistics.

The company decided to sell the fresh products that the consumers are looking for. To do so, Alibaba Group has created a supply circuit for China for “sensitive” products. These are products that require more precautions because they must be kept under a certain temperature in order to be preserved. This affects pharmaceutical products but also food.

This initiative will be essential for :

• Agri-food companies wanting to export to China
• Chinese consumers seeking access to products not produced on their territory

A great opportunity for agro-industries

• Are you a food company?
• Do you want to export?
• China is the best opportunity you could seize!

As mentioned above, Tmall is the third most visited site in the world, and from now on it opens its doors to food vendors.

How to sell food in China?

If Tmall gives you an opportunity to distribute your fresh produce in China, there will be work beforehand. Distribution is at the end of the sales process. There are several steps that need to be done first.

Sell on Tmall and marketing strategy

On the one hand, Chinese consumers are therefore increasingly strict about the impact of the products they buy on themselves as well as on society in general.
On the other hand, they increasingly seek to be connected. It is now on the Internet that, exchanges are done, and especially trade.

This means that the marketing strategy for the Chinese market must be digital.

Here are some technics you can had to your digital strategy in order to export in China

E-Reputation is Key for China Ecommerce

If no ones know you and users are unable to find anything about you on Baidu (Chinese Google) you can be sure that your eCommerce success story in China won’t happen. There are a few things you can do to build your e-reputation and credibility in China.

A Chinese website

You will need to build a brand new website. This site will be the face of your business in China. If you don’t build it the right way, the message you want to convey will be misunderstood, and you risk losing notoriety.

Firstly, you need to write the whole content in Chinese and not in English or any other language. Chinese consumers have a multitude of sites on which to shop, if yours is not written in their language, they won’t waste a minute trying to translate it.

As mentioned, Tmall has implemented an instant messaging feature on its site. That’s exactly what you should do. Once again, the Chinese are chat lover. It helps them gain confidence in the brand and the product.

Then, it is the form that will have to be modified with a rather imposing visual content. In China, websites are flooding users with a very particular visual, and that’s what works! Thus, colors, slogans, everything that is done to attract the eye also attract their attention.

Open Wechat and Weibo Verified Account

Once your WeChat or Weibo account has been created you will need to use the network that this will bring you. To gain visibility, a QR code is automatically created when you create an account. This one must be visible! It must be highlighted on the first page of your site.

As you will have understood, there are “rules” to enter the Chinese market. However, this is complicated, but not impossible! These standards are important to respect in order not to fake it as soon as it enters the market.

Don’t freak out !

GMA helps you overcome this lack of experience and information.
We have worked on numerous case studies, with partners facing complex situations.
As a consequence, do not hesitate to contact us so that we can share with you our know-how in Chinese digital marketing.

Learn more about Tmall in this following article :

How to sell on Tmall Global ?