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~ Pattern ~

HOLLAND & BARRETT

“IT IS CRUCIAL TO RELY

ON A LOCAL

WINNER
PARTNER WHEN MARKETPLACE LAUNCH
CATEGORY

SELLING CROSS- POWERED BY
2021

BORDER”

Text: Sanne Leenders // Photos: Holland & Barrett, Pattern
Holland & Barrett is the UK’s leading wellness retailer and one of the largest in Europe. They
make health and wellness a way of life for everyone, with a leading range of their own brand,

innovative vitamins, supplements, specialist food, sports nutrition and ethical beauty brands.
Holland & Barrett operates more than 1600 stores across 18 countries worldwide, including
over 800 in the UK and Ireland, as well as a rapidly expanding e-commerce business. We spoke
with Joanna Zhou, China Manager; Katie Holloway, International Marketing Manager;
and Tom Pamment, Head of International Business Development at Holland & Barrett, to
present the Cross-Border Magazine Award within the category Marketplace Launch and to
talk about cross-border e-commerce topics.

We are excited and honoured to receive the Can you tell us something about the importance of
award. It has been a great year for our first time selling cross-border within your company? And how
“selling cross-border to China on Tmall Global.” has selling cross-border helped your company grow?
“Cross-border allows us as a brand to be quick, agile and react to
What distinguishes your brand or concept from customers’ trends with our flagship global store. Being customer-
others? centric is key; we want to provide solutions that help our
“Established in 1870, Holland & Barrett has been trusted for consumers on their wellness missions. With cross-border, we can
wellness for over 150 years. In China, that British pedigree be flexible in adding new SKUs that appeal to the demands of the
translates to Holland & Barrett being seen as a premium shopper and help on those journeys,” says Tom.
and trustworthy brand. We have a wider range of wellness
solutions compared to other Tmall Global stores. With 12 What are some of the biggest challenges or pitfalls
categories and 100s of products, we offer a comprehensive when it comes to selling cross-border?
range to suit a variety of wellness missions whilst still being a Katie continues: “Unlike the UK, in China, we have no physical
curated range designed to appeal to Chinese consumers,” says retail store presence, and we are a fairly unknown brand. Whilst
Joanna. we have over 1600 locations internationally, the majority of these
are in high-traffic footfall locations, which help build our brand

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