Detailed explanation of Tmall International store types and guidance on entry strategies

1. Overview of Tmall International store types

Tmall International’s store types are rich and diverse, including six categories: brand flagship stores, store-type flagship stores, industry store-type flagship stores, specialty stores, specialty stores and Galaxy specialty stores. Different types of stores have different requirements for the merchant’s brand type, number of brands operated, and product categories. Therefore, merchants should fully consider their own brand positioning, business strategies and long-term development plans when choosing store types.

2. Analysis of special store types

Among the store types on Tmall International, store-type flagship stores and industry store-type flagship stores are two types that are easily confused. A store-type flagship store can use legal purchase source vouchers to sell goods in all industry categories, and has greater operational flexibility; while an industry store-type flagship store can only use purchase vouchers to sell goods in its own category and industry, and Brands in non-main industries must obtain first-level authorization before they can be sold. Merchants need to carefully consider their own business strategies and brand positioning when choosing these two store types.

3. Store selection with the goal of building private brand influence

For merchants who want to build their own brand influence and achieve sales conversion, brand flagship stores or store-type flagship stores are ideal choices. Brand flagship stores are suitable for private brand merchants or brand merchants with exclusive authorization letters. They can sell products under the corresponding brand or products corresponding to sub-brands under the group brand. The store-type flagship store is aimed at service-oriented brands, requiring merchants to have direct ownership rights to 35 types of trademarks (R-mark) and have a certain number of offline physical stores.

4. Store selection to achieve sales conversion through the influence of well-known brands

If a merchant hopes to leverage the influence of an existing well-known brand to achieve sales conversion, then a specialty store is a good choice. Specialty stores require merchants to provide a store authorization letter issued by the trademark owner, and can only sell authorized products under the corresponding brand. This method helps merchants leverage the appeal of well-known brands to attract more consumers’ attention and purchases.

5. Store selection with the goal of building industry influence

For merchants who want to build industry influence and achieve sales conversion, industry flagship stores or specialty stores are more suitable choices. Industry store-type flagship stores are mainly aimed at industry service brands, requiring merchants to have operating capabilities in multiple main industries and have a certain number of offline physical stores. Specialized stores require merchants to operate two or more brands of goods under the same category, which helps merchants expand business and enhance brand influence in the same field.

6. Characteristics and applicable merchants of Galaxy franchise store

Galaxy specialty stores are a special store type of Tmall International. There are no restrictions on the types and quantities of goods operated by merchants. They are generally specialty stores for products directly sold by Tmall International or Tmall International brand flagship stores. This type of store is suitable for merchants who want to operate flexibly and are not restricted by product categories.

7. How merchants choose store types

For brands or distributors, opening a brand overseas flagship store is an ideal choice. This helps enhance brand image and expand market influence. At the same time, entering Taobao Distribution and opening the Galaxy Plan to supply Tmall International stores can further broaden sales channels and increase product exposure.

For merchants operating multiple brands, overseas franchised stores are a more suitable option. This type of store allows merchants to operate multiple brands in the same store, which is conducive to meeting the diverse needs of consumers and increasing sales.

International trading companies are more suitable to choose overseas warehouse direct purchase projects and settle in Taobao Distribution. This method can make full use of the company’s international trade advantages, provide consumers with a rich selection of products through the overseas warehouse direct purchase model, and at the same time reduce operating costs.

For merchants who are trying to enter Tmall Global for the first time, applying for a Galaxy store is a low-risk attempt. This type of store does not require merchants to stock their own goods, reducing the cost of trial and error, allowing merchants to test market reactions and accumulate operational experience without bearing excessive inventory pressure.

8. Operation guide for sellers to enter Tmall International

Before settling in Tmall Global, sellers need to meet the following requirements:

  1. The seller must have an overseas corporate entity, which ensures that the seller has legal overseas business qualifications.
  2. Sellers must provide a complete link to the product purchase voucher to ensure the legality and traceability of the source of the product.
  3. The company must be registered for more than one year 35 Original overseas trademark certificate (R standard), which is conducive to creating brand image and protecting intellectual property rights.
  4. Free trade zone companies are not allowed to enter Tmall International.
  5. To apply for a settled company to be a trademark authorizer, the seller needs to submit an exclusive authorization from the trademark owner to the settled company, which is limited to first-level authorization to ensure a clear authorization relationship.

Tmall Global entry skills:

  1. Understand the entry requirements: Sellers need to provide the identity information of the corporate legal person (ID card), pictures of offline physical stores, business licenses, actual offline physical stores or corporate addresses and qualifications. Certificates and other information. The preparation of these materials must be accurate and complete to ensure smooth passage of the review.
  2. Pay attention to investment promotion information: Tmall International mainly enters through invitations, but whether it is invitations or self-recommendations, they need to be foreign companies and brands, which reflects the platform’s positioning and positioning of overseas sellers. Require.
  3. Clear restrictions on entry: The main body is for overseas companies and overseas physical stores. This is the platform’s purpose to ensure the overseas source and quality of the products.

During the settlement process, there are some main factors that affect the review that require special attention:

  • In terms of the authorization letter, make sure that the authorizer of the authorization letter matches the brand owner, and the signatory submitting the authorization letter should be a legal person.
  • The validity period of the product origin certificate cannot exceed six months, and the total quantity of products to be launched must be clearly marked.
  • In terms of document translation, the document must have an accurate Chinese/English version and must be signed by the authorized person.

By in-depth understanding of the characteristics and applicable scenarios of various store types, merchants can make wise choices and lay a solid foundation for successful operations on the Tmall International platform.