Royal Mail is expanding the number of British products that are available to Chinese customers via its Tmall Global shop front. The new range includes products from the classic bag designer The Cambridge Satchel Company, health-food specialist Linwoods and natural skincare brand Works With Water.
Tmall Global, part of the Alibaba Group, provides British retailers with a portal to the Chinese market, removing the challenges that many companies would face in terms of language barriers and shipping regulations. Thanks to sites like Tmall Global, China is now the biggest overseas consumer of British products online, accounting for 25% of all overseas online shoppers.
Helen Wylde, director of sales and marketing for Parcelforce Worldwide, Royal Mail’s international parcel division, said. “We’re delighted to expand the range of quintessentially British products and brands available on Royal Mail’s Tmall Global shop front, offering the likes of The Cambridge Satchel Company another way to increase the accessibility of their iconic products to Chinese consumers.”
Janet Wang, head of Europe, Tmall, said, “Alibaba Group is focused on increasing access to the Chinese consumer for businesses of all sizes in the UK and around the world. We recently launched 11 country pavilions on Tmall Global to allow merchants from countries such as the UK, France and the USA to sell specialty items directly to Chinese consumers; Royal Mail was a key participant, helping to make the British Pavilion one of the top three most visited during the promotion. To us, this demonstrates a real demand from Chinese consumers for authentic British goods. For example, Royal Mail has become one of the top sellers of UK baby milk powder on our platform and receives a very high score from shoppers for customer satisfaction, meaning repeat shoppers for the British brands that are joining the Royal Mail storefront.”
Mario Muttenhaler, chief marketing officer, The Cambridge Satchel Company, said, “Our Chinese customers really appreciate our made-in-Britain products and brand ethos so we’re excited to be joining other British brands on the Royal Mail’s truly British Tmall Global store. Leveraging Royal Mail’s trusted brand is another way for us to reach Chinese customers with our range of leather satchels, bags and accessories.”
July 15, 2015