Royal Mail announced today that it is joining the Chinese e-commerce boom with the launch of its shop front on Alibaba’s Tmall Global e-marketplace, providing Chinese consumers with increased access to premium, authentic and high quality British products.

Royal Mail Group Chief Executive Officer Moya Greene unveiled the new initiative at the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, China.

The solution will offer British retailers and exporters an accelerated opportunity to access the China market. It will remove the challenges that many companies would otherwise face in getting their products into the hands of Chinese consumers, including promotion on Chinese e-commerce sites, local customer support service, customs duties, documentation, shipping and logistics.

For China’s 302 million online shoppers, Royal Mail’s new shop front on Tmall Global will offer a selection of distinctive products for purchase by renowned British brands including Brompton Bicycles, with delivery to the doorstep. The platform is expected to go live towards the end of March.

Royal Mail Chief Executive Officer Moya Greene said: “Royal Mail’s new shop front will help support British retailers and exporters expanding into the China market, fulfilling the strong demand of Chinese consumers for authentic, high quality British goods. “Online shopping, and the connection it facilitates between retailers and consumers is a key channel to develop sustainable trade between China and Britain and we are excited at the prospect of offering UK companies a new and streamlined way to increase the accessibility of their products to Chinese consumers.”

Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams said: “We are excited about the opportunity to sell a range of Brompton Bicycles on Royal Mail’s new Tmall Global Storefront, which will provide easy access into the China market and a direct connection with Chinese consumers.”

China is the largest economy by purchasing power parity and the biggest internet user base in the world. Online shopping has grown exponentially in China, with e-retail sales increasing by 42 per cent in 2013 to $305.2 billion.

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Source: Royal Mail Group