{"id":7946,"date":"2021-06-11T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=7946"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:52:17","slug":"how-to-adapt-your-business-for-the-chinese-e-commerce-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-to-adapt-your-business-for-the-chinese-e-commerce-market\/","title":{"rendered":"How to adapt your business for China’s e-commerce market"},"content":{"rendered":"

China represents a huge opportunity for small businesses, but it can be challenging to stand out in such a crowded online marketplace. One brand’s successful partnership with Alibaba\u2019s Tmall Global offers lessons for other companies on how to adapt your business for China’s e-commerce market<\/span><\/h2>\n

When British electrotherapy device maker TensCare<\/a> joined Tmall Global in 2018, they were well aware of the potential boost success in China could give to their business. Founded in 1994, TensCare is one of Europe\u2019s largest manufacturers and distributors of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines, a method of drug-free pain relief that uses mild electric currents to reduce pain signals. Another major area for TensCare, and one in which they have extensive expertise, is pelvic floor exercisers for continence management. In recent years, the company has branched out into aesthetic devices, for example, using light therapy to improve the appearance of acne.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just four years on from their Tmall Global launch, China represents over 30% of TensCare\u2019s business. Managing director Neil Wright spoke to FOCUS about TensCare\u2019s rapid growth and how other SMEs should approach their China e-commerce strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"launchpad<\/a><\/p>\n

Get on the ground in China <\/span><\/h4>\n

As soon as TensCare made the conscious decision to enter the China market, they hired a native Mandarin speaker on the ground in China so they could start building a relationship with their trade partner and make sure that nothing was \u201clost in translation,\u201d as Neil summarises. As a result, that strong partnership gave them access to actionable insights and market research that they used to tailor their product offering in China. Since they launched on Tmall<\/a> Global, they have now opened an office in Shenzhen and employed a regional sales manager too.<\/span><\/p>\n