Over past few years, the world becomes ever love fair of the internet trading or E- commerce. There are more and more brands including the brands from the fashion industry are doing their communication via social media platform such as Facebook and instagram. Customer recently are more like to discover new fashion brands with just click of smart phone button or tap the keyboard with few steps of viewing, evaluating and purchasing ! It is becoming easier for some of brands even if they were hard to enter to some restrictive countries.
China in somehow belongs to those countries with a lot of rules and restriction for an oversea brand. However, China has currently owns 19% of world population and this is a huge scale of fashion market for the entire brands to try and impose some influence in the fashion market. On the other hand, Chinese customers are always fancy about the all things from western and majority of people who like to surfing on the internet and using the smart phone are from 80’s and 90’s and they are becoming the main stream in Chinese society. In this condition, more and more western brand are willing to try in different ways in order to catch Chinese customer’s attention. In fact, China is becoming one of the biggest online retail markets and it is been known that Alibaba is the number one Chinese E-commerce shopping site right now!
On the hand, Weibo and Wechat have been playing a role of discovering everything worldwide for Chinese people. So as to fashion brand, to enter to Chinese market, this two social media platform can not be neglected.
Before I discuss currently brand which launches E-commerce in China. I would like to dig some preview foreign brand which has had experience on Chinese E-comerce.
YOOX
Way back to 2011, Italy fashion brand YOOX lunched its official online store in China with high- ends products to test if it’s going to be successfully. As result, it has becoming one of the most popular brands amongst Chinese white collars. Recently in July 2014, YOOX has been worked with Wechat to combine the E-commerce and social media in order to expand its market.
BURBERRY
In just 2 years, there are other luxury fashion brands also starting there expansion of
E- Commerce. Burberry for example, when it announced the opening of an online store on Alibaba’s Tmall site the fashion word waved. Because for luxury brand they more prefer to just stick on the traditional store and in order to not lower their brand image. However, Burberry has improved that they didn’t put itself in a bad situation. On the contrast, they gain more Chinese customer and won a position in the Chinese market. How they did it? Firstly, Thanks to Chinese fashion lovers are always being fan of western brands and. Secondly, as to Burberry, the most important thing is to create an online experience which is an integral part of the retail experience. So, for those luxury brand wants to win Chinese customer’s heart can not snub E- commerce sites like Tmall.
TOPSHOP
Topshop has just launched its E-commerce online store in China with collaboration with Shangpin.com (another shopping store but focusing on luxury fashion brands ).compare with Burberry, this brand is only focusing on digital online store rather than physical stores and it is the first international brand which only launches online store in china. Why TOPSHOP has a confident of doing E-retail only? Again, it is all based on Chinese customer’s increasing of preference of shopping online recent years. And what TOPSHOP can deliver to customer are both online shopping experience and Mobile App services. For example, ‘The Mobile Adventure’ by purchasing all the garments via QR code only is going to be the first fashion brand to do so in China.
In addition, the integrating of the online and offline shopping experience will be the TOPSHOP’s strategy. Online: by using the online shop promotion, APP plus Weibo and Wechat sharing the information will enhance the attention and buzz. Offline: to hold just events to introduce the fashion brand.
In the end, I would like to emphasize some key point that a foreign fashion brands needs to know
- E-commerce for any fashion brands cannot be ignored in China
- To find a suitable strategy, either online or both one- line and offline has to satisfy the customer’s shopping experience.
- Social media has a great impact on the today’s fashion business! And you need to have a good image on the social media platform.
To have professionals to help you to achieve the goal for the business in China is very important. Please contact us Gentlemen marketing Agency to give you a best solution !
Written by Fashion Branding Specialist
Elliot Dao
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4 comments
gg_huanyi
Hi there! I would like to know if you have an updated version of this e-commerce list please 🙂