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Opening a Tmall Shop: Brand-Operated vs. Partnering with a Tmall Distributor

Entering the Chinese e-commerce market is an exciting but complex step for global brands — and Tmall Global is the premier platform to make it happen. As China’s largest cross-border B2C marketplace, Tmall offers access to hundreds of millions of consumers who actively seek out premium international brands.

But for companies considering a Tmall presence, the big question is:

Should you open and operate your own Tmall store, or work with a distributor/operator who manages it on your behalf?

In this post, we break down both approaches — their pros, cons, and what makes the most sense for your business goals.

 

Option 1: Brand-Operated Tmall Store

This means you — the brand owner — open, fund, and operate the store on Tmall Global yourself, either through an in-house team or by hiring a Tmall Partner (TP) to manage operations.


Pros:

· Full control over brand messaging, pricing, promotions, and customer experience.

· Build long-term brand equity and customer relationships in China.

· Access to Tmall’s full suite of tools (analytics, ads, influencer campaigns, etc.).

· Flexibility to test and scale multiple SKUs, bundles, or product lines.

Cons:

· High startup costs: Tmall Global requires a deposit, annual fees, commissions, and platform onboarding (can easily exceed 

  $15,000+).

· Requires a Chinese-speaking operations team or TP to manage customer service, logistics, marketing, and compliance.

· Complex regulatory and logistics setup — especially for cross-border trade and bonded warehouse fulfillment.

· Risk is 100% on the brand — you fund inventory, ad campaigns, and store operations upfront.

 

Option 2: Partner with a Tmall Distributor (Like Us)

As a full-service Tmall operator and distributor, we take on the responsibility of launching, funding, and operating your official store on Tmall — so you don’t have to.

You sell your products to us at wholesale, and we handle the rest.


What We Do:

· Set up and manage your branded Tmall Global store.

· Handle cross-border logistics and fulfillment.

· Run all paid ads, promotions, and live streaming.

· Manage customer service in Chinese.

· Invest in marketing, content, and store growth.

· Share full performance reporting and analytics with you

 

Pros:

· Zero upfront investment from the brand — no fees, no store setup costs.

· Quick market entry with no legal entity or TP hiring needed.

· We carry the inventory risk and invest in the store’s success.

· Faster scaling through our operational infrastructure and experience.

· Maintain brand consistency and reputation in China

 

Cons:

· You won’t directly control daily store operations (though you'll have full visibility).

· You sell at wholesale pricing instead of retail (but with no risk or expense).

· You rely on the distributor to represent your brand properly (this is why choosing the right partner is critical)

 

Factor

Brand-Operated Store

Distributor-Run Store

Upfront Cost

High

None

Time to Launch

3–6 months

1–2 months

Risk

Brand assumes all

Distributor assumes all

Brand Control

Full

Shared (with approval rights)

Market Knowledge Needed

Extensive

Not required

Revenue Model

Retail

Wholesale

Resource Needs

Internal team or TP

Minimal