'Made in China' is no longer inferior, but who knows? - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein

Chinese brands like Alibaba, WeChat and JD.com still face the perception they deliver inferior products when going global, says business analyst Shaun Rein, author of The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order. They mainly focus on Chinese consumers who know better, but the barrier exists for global expansion, he tells the South China Morning Post.

The South China Morning Post:

By offering shipping to countries outside China, the e-commerce sites are giving Chinese brands an opportunity to expand internationally. Foshan-based furniture maker Linshimuye and domestic electronics brand Joyoung are just two well known Chinese brands using e-commerce platforms like Tmall to expand to other countries. 

One of the barriers facing Chinese brands going global is a perception that the “Made in China” label means inferior products, according to Shaun Rein, the managing director of China Market Research Group and author of The War for China’s Wallet. 

“The reality is that in many categories Chinese brands are as good or even better than multinational companies,” he said, adding that the global strategy for most local brands is to piggyback on sales channels from Alibaba and JD.com to reach end consumers outside China.

More in the South China Morning Post.

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