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~ Pattern ~

identity within the market. To sell cross-border in China, we help brands to grow and benefit from higher brand loyalty. In
have had to invest significantly in the digital marketing space. the UK, we also see this, our retail staff are qualified to advise
The Chinese consumer is incredibly digitally savvy, so building customers on our products; whilst we have nutritional expertise
our brand online, both on the Tmall platform and off, has been online, nothing quite beats that face-to-face interaction our
critical.” customers get with our store colleagues. The challenge to us is
how we replicate this experience in a purely digital world, such
Which sales channels do you use to sell cross-border? as Tmall.”
“We have taken a marketplaces-first approach to setting up
online sales channels in Asia Pacific. Our products are now Do you have any particular tips for companies that
available on Tmall Global and JD.com for Chinese consumers to want to start selling online and/or cross-border?
purchase. We are also trading on other marketplaces, including “Firstly, get yourself a good local partner. You will require a lot of
Lazada and Shopee in Southeast Asia,” says Tom. local market insight, from government regulation, customs and
taxes, local platforms and consumer behaviour. You can learn a
What would you consider to be a secret weapon when lot and get up to speed much more quickly compared to trying
it comes to successfully selling cross-border? to learn all of this for yourself. Secondly, never take for granted
“It’s simple, our Tmall partner, Pattern. For any cross-border that because you have high brand awareness in your home
market, it is crucial to rely on your local partner to learn what market that it will translate to the same awareness in a foreign
you need to know to help support brand-building whilst also market. You will need to build brand awareness in each market
providing local consumer insights. You need a local partner who you enter.”
you can really trust to be an extension of your business,” Joanna
continues. “Thirdly, take a customer-centric approach to cross-border. Think
about local customers before deciding your strategy, range and
Can you tell us something about the importance of e- pricing, etc. And lastly, stay open-minded and be prepared to
commerce within your company? Did you start selling read more, learn more about the local market. The China market
online from the very beginning? is moving very quickly, so there is always more to learn,” Joanna
“The business is over 150 years old, so naturally, we have not concludes.
always had a significant online presence. However, as with most
retailers, e-commerce is a fundamental part of our business You have been selected as a winner of one of
today. The pandemic has seen a further acceleration in consumer the Cross-Border Magazine Awards of 2021 for
shopping behaviour, meaning e-commerce is as important as outstanding performance in Marketplace Launch.
ever,” says Tom. Can you tell us how Pattern has helped you to
accomplish this?
Nowadays, there are a lot of different trends in e- “Pattern has good knowledge in the food and supplements
commerce and cross-border selling, such as sustain- category in China, and this has helped us to navigate the
ability and transparency. What trends do you think complex operational and trading environment. We have
will take the spotlight in the upcoming year(s)? benefited from Pattern’s marketing experience in China, both
Joanna: “In China, the target consumer range for cross-border with Tmall and off-platform digital marketing and influencer
selling is 18-30. These customers are already used to educating marketing expertise, which all helps us build the Holland &
themselves about international brands and purchasing online, Barrett brand in China,” says Tom. ••
whilst also looking to purchase for their parents. Authenticity
and traceability of products are always front of mind for them,
particularly in the categories we sell with products that they are
ingesting or using on their bodies.”

“For this younger audience, experience consumption is also
important. Consumers want to touch and feel products, and
there are ways that you can enable this with a cross-border
model. Pop-up stores and brand experiences allow them to try
products but still make their purchase online through the cross-
border online store.”

Why do you think these trends will take the
spotlight?
Joanna continues: “In China, this is already a very popular trend,
and it’s called New Retail. Combining online convenience with
offline experience creates added value for consumers; this can

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