{"id":7134,"date":"2021-02-23T13:46:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T13:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=7134"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:55:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:55:30","slug":"why-amazon-failed-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/why-amazon-failed-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Amazon and Tesco failed and LinkedIn and Dyson prevailed: How to win in China"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>In \u201cWinning in China: 8 Stories of Success and Failure in the World\u2019s Largest Economy,\u201d authors Lele Sang and Karl T Ulrich explore the fortunes of well-known companies in China, including Amazon, Norwegian Cruise Line, Hyundai, LinkedIn, Sequoia Capital and InMobi. Paul French spoke with Lele Sang to find out what set the winners apart<\/h2>\n<h4>Let\u2019s first consider a massive global heavy hitter that failed in China \u2013 Amazon. What went wrong in China given that they seem to have just about everything right elsewhere?<\/h4>\n<p>One of the main reasons that Amazon failed in China is that its flywheel failed to function there. The key components of Amazon\u2019s flywheel include its vast selection of products, low prices and strong logistics network. Yet Amazon\u2019s selection in China was much narrower than its local competitors\u2019 offerings. That\u2019s because Amazon used the \u201cBuy Box\u201d [the company\u2019s algorithm-driven Add to Cart function], which unfortunately was not well accepted by third party sellers, and who ended up choosing to sell through Amazon\u2019s rivals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/lp-cta-general\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7247 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general.png\" alt=\"launchpad CBBC\" width=\"4680\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general.png 4680w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-300x50.png 300w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-1024x172.png 1024w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-768x129.png 768w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-1536x258.png 1536w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-2048x344.png 2048w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-1920x322.png 1920w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-1170x197.png 1170w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-general-585x98.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4680px) 100vw, 4680px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Amazon\u2019s low prices were also threatened when Chinese rivals launched aggressive price wars and created shopping festivals including the famous Singles\u2019 Day. Amazon\u2019s logistic network was outperformed by its Chinese rival JD.com when JD.com built its own logistic network that effectively combined the strength of both Amazon and UPS. That being said, Amazon didn\u2019t possess any resources that gave it competitive advantages.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon also made many mistakes in terms of managerial decisions: It didn\u2019t commit to the Chinese market; its governance structure didn\u2019t grant autonomy to its China unit; its local management team lacked a skillset to compete with Chinese entrepreneurs, and stuck with the same operational model that didn\u2019t fit China.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:2em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/why-your-ceo-failed-in-china\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"dofollow\" class=\"u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b\"><style> .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #E74C3C!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b:active, .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#E74C3C; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u7f6788d2cd0f0bf9eadf89315f0b631b:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } <\/style><div style=\"padding-left:1em; padding-right:1em;\"><span class=\"ctaText\">Read Also<\/span>&nbsp; <span class=\"postTitle\">Why Your CEO Failed in China<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h4><strong>On the other hand, LinkedIn has done well in China. What did it get right that all the other international internet giants have got wrong?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>LinkedIn definitely did certain things right. Learning from other internet companies\u2019 failure in China, LinkedIn created a new operational model: it formed a joint venture with Chinese venture capital firms to gain connections and regulatory benefits; it had its own board, separate from that of the parent company; its China team was offered stock options \u2013 a similar reward system as other start-ups \u2013 and its China president reported directly to the global CEO.<\/p>\n<p>These were good moves and contributed to its smooth sailing initially. Yet LinkedIn\u2019s strategy quickly shifted to building a new product &#8211; Chitu just for the Chinese market. In this way, it voluntarily gave up its only edge, namely the global network, putting it in the same position of its competitors.<\/p>\n<p>Even today, LinkedIn has only partially realised \u201cproduct-market fit\u201d in China. It has been primarily perceived as a high-end job hunting site, but not a professional networking platform. As a result, user retention rate remains low. Whether LinkedIn has done well is still debatable, but we\u2019d like to quote the LinkedIn executive who appeared in the story, saying: \u201cWe managed to beat everyone by still being there (China).\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Amazon\u2019s logistic network was outperformed by its Chinese rival JD.com when JD.com built its own logistic network that effectively combined the strength of both Amazon and UPS<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>Another failure that is instructive for other companies is Norwegian Cruise Line. They were in a seeming boom market, with no well-known local players for competitors, a great reputation &#8230; yet they are no longer operating in China. What happened there?<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The conventional wisdom is that when you go to a foreign market, you need to tailor your offering to local customers. That\u2019s exactly what Norwegian Cruise Line did. It made tremendous efforts to make its ship Chinese: the topsides had a 333-meter-long artwork depicting a phoenix, representing good fortune in Chinese culture. Inside the cruise ship there were Chinese restaurants, Chinese tea houses, karaoke rooms, gaming rooms with mahjong sets, a \u2018tranquillity park\u2019 offering tai chi classes. But despite this, ironically what they did didn\u2019t give them an edge, so instead it backfired.<\/p>\n<p>It turns out that \u201cWesterness\u201d is an attribute that Chinese consumers valued. The cruise industry didn\u2019t exist in China until Italy\u2019s Costa Cruises sent in its first cruise ship in 2006. Cruising remains to many a foreign concept. When Chinese consumers get on a cruise ship, they expect an exotic western-style experience. The China-specific design looked too familiar to attract Chinese consumers.<\/p>\n<h4>You also offer some useful general guidelines for companies to consider when thinking about China \u2013 your so-called \u2018Three Necessary Conditions\u2019. Could you give us an idea of these and why they are so important?<\/h4>\n<p>The \u201cThree Necessary Conditions\u201d include demand, access to the market, and competitive advantages. A foreign company must provide a product or service that meets a demand. And though nearly any need that exists in one\u2019s home market exists in China, consumer preferences can still vary. For example, given the culture difference, the demand for online professional networking is not yet evident, that\u2019s part of the reason that LinkedIn hasn\u2019t reached its goal in China.<\/p>\n<p>The foreign company also needs to make sure that it is allowed to operate in China. Some categories of businesses are closed to foreign companies. Some categories require a Chinese partner, and sometimes a foreign company can sidestep the restrictions, as some internet companies did in our book.<\/p>\n<p>The last condition is a potential source of competitive advantage. Ultimately all competitive advantage arises from controlling some resource or asset that helps deliver a solution to customers and that cannot readily be acquired by rivals. We call these resources the firm\u2019s alpha assets. Alpha assets may include efficient production systems, brands valuable to consumers, or proprietary products.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:2em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/vince-cable-china-engage\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"dofollow\" class=\"ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74\"><style> .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #E74C3C!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74:active, .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#E74C3C; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74 .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .ue948ab9a747e5e15833840d254f9bf74:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } <\/style><div style=\"padding-left:1em; padding-right:1em;\"><span class=\"ctaText\">Read Also<\/span>&nbsp; <span class=\"postTitle\">Former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable on his new book \"China: Engage!\"<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h4>If companies pass the hurdle of the \u2018Three Necessary Conditions\u2019 then come the \u2018Five Managerial Decisions\u2019 essential to success that you outline in the book. What are these?<\/h4>\n<p>The \u201cFive Managerial Decisions\u201d are actual decisions that managers make in entering China. They are commitment, governance structure, leadership, strategy, and the product.<\/p>\n<p>The commitment required to succeed in China is usually larger than for any other foreign market. But we often see firms fail to realistically forecast the costs required and lose enthusiasm once reality proves more expensive than their projections. Governance refers to the structure and administration of the relationship between the China unit and the parent organisation. This often decides the autonomy the China unit has and whether the China unit can be agile \u2013 important factors for success in China.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbbc.org\/membership\/?utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=focus_cta&amp;utm_term=membership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7180 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2340\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General.jpg 2340w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-300x50.jpg 300w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-768x128.jpg 768w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-2048x341.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-1920x320.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-1170x195.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Red5-General-585x98.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2340px) 100vw, 2340px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Successful leadership at a foreign company\u2019s China unit often requires entrepreneurship. Corporate-savvy managers must be entrepreneurial and also know how to marshal resources and win support at headquarters for their plans. Strategy refers to the top-level plan for entering the market and achieving sustainable success. If a firm has a clumsy strategy, it will likely stumble, even when it enters a booming market with a strong commitment and capable leadership. Last but not least, product-market fit is also essential. This fit can be influenced by consumers\u2019 price sensitivity, their cultural norms and preferences and their alternatives.<\/p>\n<h4>There are no UK companies in your list of case studies, but are there any UK firms, products or brands that have caught your attention in China either as solid successes or terrible failures?<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Dyson has achieved tremendous success in China. The company generates around half of its revenue from Asia, and China is one of its top three markets. It entered China in 2013 and now operates more than 800 stores there. Its vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and stylers are quite popular among Chinese consumers. On Singles Day 2019, Dyson sold 20,000 units of hair dryers in 10 minutes on JD.com and generated more than \u00a310 million sales on Tmall (Alibaba\u2019s e-commerce platform). The company even moved its headquarters to Singapore to be close to its customers. If you use our framework to analyse Dyson\u2019s success, it\u2019s clear that it has checked many boxes.<\/p>\n<p>Tesco would be the opposite. The retail giant came to China in 2004 and struggled to crack the market from that moment on. In 2014, it formed a joint venture with a Chinese partner, combining its 131 stores in China with its partner\u2019s around 3,000 stores. In 2020, Tesco sold its joint venture stake to its Chinese partner and completed its exit from China.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the authors: <\/strong>Lele Sang is a Global Fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a former journalist and editor who has previously worked for Beijing News and Caijing Magazine, covering business and politics. Karl T. Ulrich is Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the CIBC Professor of Entrepreneurship and e-Commerce at the Wharton School.<\/p>\n<p><em>Many common mistakes can be avoided when entering the China market. For access to market intelligence, connections to businesses and government leaders and the chance to network with sector experts, consider joining CBBC. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbbc.org\/membership\/join-now\/\">You can find out more by clicking here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Call +44 (0)20 7802 2000 or email <a href=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-big-is-chinas-electric-vehicle-market-really\/enquiries@cbbc.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">enquiries@cbbc.org<\/a> now to find out how CBBC\u2019s market research and analysis services can provide you with the information you need to succeed in China.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"\/lp-cta-membership1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7248 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"4680\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1.png 4680w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-300x50.png 300w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-1024x172.png 1024w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-768x129.png 768w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-1536x258.png 1536w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-2048x344.png 2048w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-1920x322.png 1920w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-1170x197.png 1170w, https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-membership1-585x98.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4680px) 100vw, 4680px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In \u201cWinning in China: 8 Stories of Success and Failure in the World\u2019s Largest Economy,\u201d authors Lele Sang and Karl T Ulrich explore the fortunes of well-known companies in China, including Amazon, Norwegian Cruise Line, Hyundai, LinkedIn, Sequoia Capital and InMobi. Paul French spoke with Lele Sang to find out what set the winners apart Let\u2019s first consider a massive global heavy hitter that failed in China \u2013 Amazon. What&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7135,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[204],"tags":[340,182,398,2427],"class_list":["post-7134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-branding","tag-consumer","tag-export","tag-paywall"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Amazon and Tesco failed and LinkedIn and Dyson prevailed: How to win in China - Focus - China Britain Business Council<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why did Amazon fail in China? And why are companies like Dyson and LinkedIn doing so well? 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