Selling online in China is the preferred choice for many foreigners who wish to export to China. It’s not strange as the market has literally exploded the past years and will continue to grow in the future.
If you plan to sell on Tmall (or Tmall Global), the easiest option is to find a Tmall Partner (TP) who can help you through the process with a running cost each month. Not only are they experienced and have a presence in China, but they can also save you much time and money.
There’s a catch though. It’s not easy to find summarized information about Tmall Partners, about their founders, their management, what clients they serve and what marketplaces they’re active on. Therefore, I’ve written this article where I list some of the biggest and most popular Tmall Partners in China and Hong Kong.
1. Azoya Group export to China
Azoya Group was founded by Alex Huang and Don Zhao in 2013, it’s one of the biggest Tmall Partners in China and has offices in 12 different locations worldwide.
Prior to co-founding Azoya, Alex acted as General Manager of a big IT company in China with responsibility for more than 2000 employees. Don Zhao, on the other hand, has a long experience of working internationally, mainly in the telecom industry. Both of them are well-known in the China e-commerce industry.
The company currently employs more than 220 professionals and has won different awards, for example:
Awarded Multichannel Supplier of the Year by Sigma Healthcare
Marketplaces
Include major platforms like Tmall, JD (Jingdong), VIP, Kaola and RED.
Clients served
Azoya has helped a number of large and medium sized companies, many operating in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. You can also find clients selling food, clothes and more.
Some examples are:
- Sigma Healthcare
- Pharmacy Direct
- Skin Chemists London
- Beauty Price
Locations
Mainland China, Japan, Korea, UK, Germany, Belgium, Taiwan, France, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, United States.
Head office
Shenzhen, China.
2. Web2Asia export to China
Web2Asia is one of the biggest and most reputable Tmall Partners in China, George Godula and Lac Tran co-founded the company in 2006. They have an impressive track record and been quoted in a number of newspapers like the Washington Post, New York Times and Techcrunch. George is also an angel investor and involved in charity work.
The company employs more than 200 people and has won a number of awards over the years, for example:
- Tmall Global Brand of the Year with Hansgrohe
- Tmall Global 2017 Super Brand of the Year with dm Drogerie Markt
- Star-rated Tmall TP Tmall Trade Partner
- Digital A-List Winner 2017
Marketplaces
Include the major online platforms like Tmall Global, Tmall, JD worldwide, JD and Kaola.
Clients served
Web2Asia mainly helps larger and medium sized companies including:
- Procter & Gamble
- Lufthansa
- Logitech
- Starbucks
- Adidas
Head office
Shanghai, Mainland China.
3. Export Now
Export Now is a well-established e-commerce agency which was founded in 2010 by Frank Lavin, former US Undersecretary of Commerce and Ambassador to Singapore. They offers an easy, turnkey solution to US brands wanting to take advantage of the China market to accelerate their growth.
The company currently has 70+ employees and has the highest rating from Tmall for its TP services.
Marketplaces
You can get help to sell your products on Tmall Global, Tmall, JD, JD Worldwide and other eCommerce platforms.
Clients served
Export Now mainly helps small and medium sized clients to start selling in China, some include:
- NFL
- Real Techniques
- Ocean Spray
- Nutiva
Locations
US and Shanghai.
Head office
Akron, Ohio (United States).
4. Gentlemen Marketing Agency
Gentlemen Marketing Agency was co-founded by Olivier Verot and Philip Qian in 2012, they are originally from France and China. Both of them have a long experience of working on the ground in China and managed to build up one of the most well-known e-commerce websites in the country.
Marketplaces
Include Tmall Global, Tmall, JD Worldwide, JD and other platforms.
Clients served
The company mainly helps large and medium sized clients to start selling in China. Some of them include:
- Ferrero
- Volvo
- Vogue
- Hennessy
Head office
Shanghai, Mainland China.
5. Baozun export to China
Baozun is the biggest e-commerce business partner in the industry and currently accounts for 25% of the market. The company was co-founded in 2006 by Vincent Wenbin Qiu and Junhua Wu, the management consists of both foreigners and Chinese nationals.
Baozun was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 2015, which simply speaks for itself.
Market places
Include all major marketplaces like JD, Tmall, Redbook, and Amazon.
Clients served
The company mainly handles clients in appliances, apparel, 3C, home furnishing, cosmetics, automotive, insurance, and fast-moving consumer goods. Examples of clients are:
- BYD
- Brita
Locations
Baozun has a presence in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the United States, and Mainland China.
Head office
Shanghai, Mainland China.
6. 2Open.biz
2Open is a well-known and established e-commerce agency, the company was founded in 2011 by Luis S. Galan Lozano, originally from Spain. Luis has a long experience in e-commerce and previously worked for eBay and acted as the Head of Digital & Commerce Business Development at El Pais.
The company currently has 30-50 employees and was recognized by RTVE, Spanish National Radio and TV, in the category of “internationalization”.
Marketplaces
2Open works mainly with product launches on Tmall and JD (Jingdong).
Clients served
The company serves many Spanish clients, but not excluding other countries. Some examples are:
- Port De Barcelona
- Nestle
- Vigente Gandia
- Lottusse
Locations
Madrid, Spain.
Shanghai and Weihai, Mainland China.
7. Voyage One
Voyage One is an established and well-known Tmall Partner in China, the company was founded by Dennis Zhang in 2002. Being one of the pioneers in the industry, the company has expanded much over the years and currently employs over 200 professionals, serving large multinational clients in the US and other countries.
Dennis has a long history of entrepreneurship and previously founded Devicom in 2002 which managed to reach USD 30 million in revenue.
Marketplaces
The company lets clients sell their products through their own online department store, Liking. Your products can reach the major marketplaces like Tmall Global, depending on your product type.
Clients served
The company mainly helps medium sized and larger clients to sell products in China, some examples are:
- Wella
- Spalding
- Champion
- Real Madrid
Locations
Los Angeles, United States.
Shanghai, Hangzhou and harbin, Mainland China.
Head office
United States (Los Angeles).
8. Cleargo export to China
Cleargo is one of the biggest Tmall Partners in Hong Kong and was founded by Charles Chan in 2009. The company has grown much since its inception and currently has a dozen employees spread out in three different countries: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore.
Some awards won by the company include:
- Best E-Commerce Solution (Silver) – Marketing Magazine’s eCommAs Awards 2017
- Best E-Commerce Marketing Agency (Bronze) at Marketing Magazine’s eCommAs Awards 2017
Marketplaces
Cleargo help foreigners to get access to the major eCommerce platforms like JD, Tmall and others.
Clients served
Cleargo mainly works with medium and large sized clients, for example:
- Kenneth Cole
- Philips
- Gore Tex
- Joyce
Locations
Mainland China (Shanghai), Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.
Head office
Hong Kong
9. TLG Commerce
TLG was originally founded in Barcelona in 1999 and became a global company when opening offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai in 2008. The company was founded by Marius Rossell and currently has around 80 employees. He previously worked at Capgemini where he held different management positions, before starting TLG Commerce.
The company won the TICanola prize during the UAE Awards 2015.
Marketplaces
You can get help to sell your products on Tmall Global, Tmall, JD, JD Worldwide and other eCommerce platforms.
Clients served
TLG mainly helps medium sized and larger clients to start selling in China, some include:
- Lacoste
- Volkswagen
- Muji
- Media Markt
- Herman Miller
Locations
Barcelona, Spain.
Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China.
Head office
Barcelona, Spain.
Some people have a misconception that they can simply go out and find the first best Tmall Partner. But it’s not that easy. Even if the most established brands handle most product categories, you’ll most likely work with a smaller partner in case you’re an SME.
The size of the Tmall Partner
If you’re a smaller company and visit a Tmall Partner who has hundreds of employees, catering brands like Adidas and Levi’s, you’ll probably need to find a smaller partner that charges lower fees as well.
It’s not uncommon that smaller companies get the cold hand or simply ignored by the biggest companies.
Product categories
Some Tmall Partners focus solely on some specific product categories, might it be food, health care products, clothes or electronics. Choosing a Tmall Partner who has a proven track record and a good knowledge about your specific product category is crucial for a smooth launch, to maximize sales and to meet customer satisfaction.
Marketplace
Even if most Tmall Partners have access to other platforms like JD, Kaola and VIP, you need to confirm this up front. While Tmall focuses mainly on clothes and cosmetics for example, JD (Jindong) focuses mainly on electronics and home appliances.
Location of the Tmall Partner
It can be preferable to work with a partner who’s located in the same country, or at least with proximity to where you live. There a number of reasons to this:
a. You are in the same time zone.
b. You can visit the partner in person more easily.
c. Sometimes, you even speak the same language.
d. The partner has probably helped clients from your country and managed product categories that are often exported from that country.
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