Online Wholesale B2B Marketplace TradeGala Makes Buying Even Easier

January 24th, 2020 TradeGala Leave a comment

Chances are you’re already a regular online marketplace customer. With popular sites such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy conveniently bringing together a range of sellers, buying goods through the wholesale fashion marketplace is now as common as popping to the supermarket.

Just as we now think nothing of picking up our groceries alongside a new dress in Sainsbury’s, the majority of us also want to order what we need in one fell swoop online. The popularity of marketplace sites is hard to ignore: Amazon first launched its version 20 years ago and it now makes up over 50 percent of its overall sales – that’s $118.57 billion in 2018 alone. Many shoppers today use it as their first port of call when searching for goods to buy – even before Google.

Over in the independent fashion sector, small brands and retailers selling through such marketplaces is also becoming increasingly popular – particularly with the likes of Farfetch and Trouva gaining household name status. These sites offer access to all the best brands in one place, meaning you don’t have to venture far to find the sort of pieces that were once only available in brick-and-mortar boutiques.

However, when it comes to B2B marketplaces, there’s been a distinct lack of places where boutique buyers can make their in-season and forward order selections. That is, until now.

Step forward TradeGala, the fashion marketplace that connects independent retailers with international brands. Much like visiting a trade show or showroom, the site makes it easy for fashion buyers to source global labels in the same place online. Some of the labels on its roster are also exclusive and can’t be bought as wholesale elsewhere.

Ordering through TradeGala means buying professionals can save time and money. With a simple order process, buyers can make their store selections with just a few clicks, completely eliminating the need for complicated line sheets. It also offers centralized customer service and payment protection – meaning retailers can rest assured that they’re in safe hands. Plus, because the site is in operation 24/7, you can research and choose products whenever it suits you.

For brands, TradeGala offers greater visibility and access to new international markets and the latest technologies with minimal commitment. Smaller, independent brands are able to take their first steps into the wholesale market, which may have previously seemed too daunting. The site launched with 24 brands across accessories, active wear, casual dress, evening wear, and footwear, including Goddiva, City Goddess, Marc Angelo, KDK London, Gypsy Clothing, Gold Lunar, Haus of Deck, Hugz Jeans, Lindy Bop, Looking Glam, Geniris Paris, Glitz Shoes, Paradox London, and VILDNIS.

So, is this the future of fashion buying? It looks highly likely. Marketplaces won’t necessarily replace the more traditional methods of sourcing and purchasing, however, they’re a valuable tool in an ever more competitive industry. The most forward-thinking brands and retailers are already taking advantage of the opportunities on offer – perhaps now is the time for you to consider joining them.
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Visit TradeGala’s official website: https://www.tradegala.com for more information

Archives, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

What Every Business Should Know About Selling in China

September 26th, 2019 Ashley Halsey Leave a comment

Not only is China the most populous country on earth (1.3 billion people), it also has the second-biggest economy in the world by Nominal GDP (14.242 trillion dollars).

As the country has pursued ever more progressive policies to trade (and despite the current trade war between China and the United States) more and more opportunities to sell in the country have arisen to businesses across sectors. If you see China as a potential growth market, here are some of the most important considerations when selling in China.

Seek advice

When looking to enter a foreign market, it is always advisable to seek sage advice, and even look to local businesses who you can partner with. Although you may not wish to go down the partnership route, it is definitely advisable to seek the counsel of businesses who are already operating within the sphere, or groups such as the Global Innovation Forum who often provide free advice regarding penetrating new markets.

This is a smart strategy because selling in China will be totally unlike selling domestically, or in European markets, for example. Any insights that you can garner will be potentially critical to the success of your sales strategy and approach in China, because as is abundantly clear, you will be operating within a totally different market, both literally and culturally.

“The cultural considerations when accessing new markets should never be overlooked. From the way that you brand and market your products to the way that you negotiate with local businesses and retailers, everything you do will be influenced by different rules: rules to which you are unfamiliar. Get the help you need to pass through this difficult phase,” advises Grant Tarrant, a business writer at Writinity.com and Lastminutewriting.com.

Understand Chinese governmental practices and rules

Although the Chinese Government has grown increasingly receptive to foreign businesses working and partnering in China, rules will still be a little conservative in comparison to the Western approach. Make sure you totally familiarize yourself with what you are expected to adhere too, especially when visiting the country and seeking to operate a sales operation from within China.

For example, you will need to understand the levels of bureaucracy that exist to set up a business entity that operates within China. For example, you may need to set up as a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) to operate, and this can be a costly and timely exercise that may delay you implementing your sales strategy. Forming a business plan which pays close attention to all the requirements (and timeframes) of the Chinese state is essential.

Understand your customer

This piece of advice holds for whoever you are selling too, but obviously your Chinese customer base will be different from your US customer base and will have different expectations. For example, haggling is a standard cultural procedure, and Chinese customers demand to know a product impeccably before they buy, so ensure that your eCommerce operation includes high numbers of images and product reviews: this will be expected.

“If you study Chinese eCommerce sites such as Taobao you will see that it facilitates the Chinese custom of haggling down prices. In the West we are totally unfamiliar with this practice as we are satisfied that the price is the price, Be prepared to change your approach accordingly,” says Rachel Walliston, a marketer at Draftbeyond.com and Researchpapersuk.com.

Provide impeccable customer support

Chinese customers have come to expect an extremely high level of customer support from their retailers and will demand this from any new business operating within their sphere. Knowing this, make sure you ramp up support efforts, and that, of course, raises questions regarding how you will do this in a new language and culture. Seeking advice from established entities is again the recommended route, and establishing support centers in the country is also best practice.

Understand the marketing and communication channels

If you go in with a Facebook-based marketing strategy, be prepared to be disappointed. In China the social media platforms are different, for example, WeChat is one of China’s most popular platforms, but barely exists outside of the country. It has been dubbed a ‘super-app’ because it can be used for a multitude of actions, so utilizing such platforms is an absolute must if you wish to successfully penetrate the Chinese market.

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Ashley Halsey is a writer, editor and international business expert who can be found at both Luckyassignments.com and Gumessays.com. She has been involved in many projects in Asia, and enjoys traveling, reading and cultural exchanges.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Giving Customers Choice: The Power of Personalized Delivery in the Age of Amazon

September 11th, 2019 Will Walker Leave a comment

The past five years have paved the way for a new age of retail — where stores have become omnichannel-driven showrooms, checkout has become as simple as a flick of the phone, and teeming competition has driven retailers to create curated experiences for their customers.

Most fingers point at the e-commerce giants, Amazon in particular, for putting pressure on brick-and-mortar stores to compete on convenience and personalization. Particularly around delivery, Amazon changed the game with two-day shipping for Prime members. As retailers have fought back by leveraging their physical footprints to improve fulfillment times with offerings like click and collect, Amazon upped the ante with one-day delivery.

There’s no doubt about one thing: increasing consumer demand for convenience is as important as it’s ever been. The focus has been on enabling same- and next-day delivery, but that’s also been putting retailers under enormous strain and compressing already thin margins.

If you’re solely focused on matching Amazon’s one-day shipping promise, you’re missing the bigger picture. Consumers want more than same-day, next-day, or scheduled deliveries – they want the freedom to choose.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Capgemini found that 73% of consumers think receiving a delivery in a convenient time slot is more important than receiving it quickly. It ultimately comes down to a question of time vs. money. Sometimes customers are willing to pay for something to be delivered in a few hours, and sometimes they’d rather save money and receive it in a week.

Instead of focusing on keeping up with Amazon’s expedited shipping, retailers need to focus on building better customer experiences. From a delivery standpoint, this means creating a logistics infrastructure that can reliably deliver orders when buyers want them delivered. This is accomplished by leveraging multiple delivery models and creating a reliable set of options that includes urgent, same-day, next-day, and more.

For retailers determined to stay competitive, partnering with innovative providers for home delivery and last-mile logistics can add optionality while avoiding the challenges of building out owned asset networks or expanding service with traditional parcel networks.

The bottom line is this: consumers want what they want, when they want it. The maturation of e-commerce has ushered in an era of personalization at scale and growing customer demand for convenient, flexible shopping experiences. Next-day and same-day delivery sit at the center, but customers are ultimately focused on choosing the right fulfillment option for each and every order.

Otherwise, they’ll leave and find the retailer who can.

Will Walker is the Enterprise Manager at Roadie, the first on-the-way delivery service that connects people and businesses that have items to send with drivers already heading in the right direction. Roadie works with top retailers, airlines, and grocers for a faster, more efficient, and more scalable solution for same-day and last-mile deliveries nationwide. With over 120,000 drivers, the company has delivered to more than 11,000 cities and towns nationwide — a larger footprint than Amazon Prime.