China is well-known for its global eCommerce export and has become the largest eCommerce economy in the world. Today a constantly increasing number of consumers in China are ordering online from International webstores and marketplaces abroad, looking for high quality items in for example fashion, life-style, cosmetics, health and food products. Inbound China eCommerce can be the next business destination for international retailers and brand manufacturers.

For new entrant merchants, exploring or planning to make the first steps into China with 1.3+ Billion consumers, there are multiple questions to be answered and decisions to be made. Where to start and how to prepare?

At eCommerce InterConnect we have the international experience, services and partners available to select from and to implement the best-fit operations. We offer this with minimal upfront investment, including scalable growth options to create future proof implementations. We have realized international and intercontinental eCommerce fulfilment lanes for multiple international eCommerce marketplaces, retailers and webstores.

A Scalable & Modular Fulfilment Solution

There are multiple service options and two core delivery models we provide with our service provider network in China. Together with our customers we select the best fit, including value added services where relevant. Customers can seamlessly grow from one model into a next model based on business development over time.

Pre-launch topics where we assist our customers in:
• Market feasibility study: Is there a market for my products at the right price level?
• Legislation: What are the rules and pre-requisites to sell my products in this market.
• Selection of target markets, marketing, campaigns, which social media to use.
• Selection of the best fit marketplace for the merchant's products. There are multiple platforms like Tmall, JD.com, Shangpin, Past.hk etc. What is the best fit and do the products match the criteria for the platform?
• Website or web-store in local language.
• Localization of products and Customer Services.
• Include payment and delivery methods commonly used and suited for the region.
• Tax and Import duties and processes.

I. Services to enroll & operate Webstores at e-Marketplaces in China

The merchant will have to enroll at a China e-marketplace in the Chinese language, accept Chinese payments, operate the website at this marketplace and provide customer services via for example we-chat. With our selected service providers we provide these services from enrollment including full operations and after sales support with no or minimal upfront investments.

Our Webstore services:
• Enroll the merchant and its webstore at the target Chinese e-marketplace.
• Translation and localization of webstore to make it fit and attractive for Chinese consumers.
• Enable payments and transfer.
• Webstore Operations.
• Customer Care & Pre-sales support.

II. Cross Border Transit model: Proven service with minimal risk and tracked deliveries

Foreign merchants like retailers and webstores who are new to this region, will most likely want to contain their risks and synchronize the investments with their revenue development.

Our logistic services:
• Merchant will pick & pack the goods at their warehouse in country of origin at the time that the Chinese consumer has placed the order.
• Collection & Consolidation at the Transit Gateway location.
• Line-haul (Air and Road options or combinations) to destination country.
• Customs handling (Postal and Courier options).
• Last mile: Home or Pick Up delivery. End-to-End parcel tracking.
• Handling of sales tax and custom duties.
• Options for Returns, Cash on Delivery.

III. Bonded Warehouse & Cross-Border fulfilment model: Reducing delivery costs and rapid last mile

The second logistic model is based on using a near border bonded warehouse in Hong Kong to which the products are shipped and stored. Merchants can also use this model for fast moving items whilst long tail products are shipped using the cross-border transit model.

Characteristics:
• Merchant has neither legal entity nor agency in China.
• The inbound line-haul to our bonded warehouse is typical in a cost economic manner like deep sea or train as T1 Cargo. We are able to provide this line haul service or the retailer/merchant can organize this themselves.
• Products are received in bulk into our bonded warehouse and stored. Products remain in ownership of the merchant/retailer.
• We pick & pack the products at this bonded warehouse when the consumer places her/his order in the merchant's webstore.
• Outbound line-haul to destination in China.
• Customs handling (Postal and Courier options).
• Last mile: Home or Pick Up delivery. Parcel tracking from fulfilment warehouse.

Our service provider network is based on services by market leaders in their segments. We provide our customers with the optimal and most efficient webstore and logistic fulfilment solutions to China as their new business destination. This includes clear KPIs and service provisioning in a scalable and modular manner.

Here you can download our services one pager "To China with eCommerce InterConnect".

 

Would you like to learn more about eCommerce InterConnect, our way of working and what we can do for you? Just contact us and we are keen to tell you more and explore with you what we could do for your organization.