Giovanni Fabiani shoe factory lands on Tmall Global, Alibaba’s online portal. Here he opened its first digital flagship store. “It is now a necessity in order to survive” explains the entrepreneur from the Marche, who gave his company his name. An investment estimated at 150-160,000 euros a year to try to challenge the crisis. The Chinese market has always been rated as difficult for SMEs, but it has now become vital. And Tmall, with its over 750 million users, is an effective gateway. Giovanni Fabiani himself talks about it in this interview.
Giovanni Fabiani lands on Tmall Global
Tmall, a choice or a need?
I would say a necessity. An investment to try alternative ways to survive.
What kind of investment are we talking about?
Altogether, around 150-160,000 euros per year. In addition to out-of-pocket costs, a marketing plan is required to be present on the platform. And a presence in China for assistance, consultancy and after-sales services. In addition, the company structure must be adapted to be able to ship each single pair.
Do you propose an ad hoc collection for the Chinese market?
No. We choose the ones we believe are the most suitable models for that market.
It wasn’t easy
Was it easy to join Tmall?
Not exactly. The first contacts date back to over a year ago. Then all the checks and controls on their part. I think we have been somewhat facilitated because we have been exporting to China for several years. We started selling last September.
What are the esults?
We knew the early days were going to be tough, because you are an illustrious nobody on inside Tmall. It is not easy to sell as someone may think, especially if you are not a well-known brand. It is getting better now, but we are at an early stage anyway. According to our estimates, it would take at least 20 pairs sold per day otherwise it is not worth being there.
While the Russian market collapsed, you invested in the American market and now the Chinese one…
I’m also tired of making investments. I think every entrepreneur is doing them right now. The problem is that there is no consumption. We do not go out, we are relegated to the house and we just need a small wardrobe.
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