Key trends in Chinese B2B marketplaces – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok dives into China’s B2B marketplaces and their latest key trends, including the top-10 platforms trying to get hold of the global market, at her website Chozan. “Trust is becoming a brand asset. Alibaba’s Trade Assurance, DHgate’s escrow, and Yiwugo’s secure payments provide buyers with additional protection. Video reviews, verified supplier programs, and standardization efforts help reduce fraud while ensuring shipments clear customs smoothly,” she writes.

Ashley Dudarenok:

Cross-Border B2B Trade Growth

China’s export-led e-commerce boom is still accelerating. In 2024, cross-border e-commerce exports increased by 16.9% year-over-year, driving trade volume to 2.71 trillion yuan (approximately USD 373 billion).

This surge widened trade deficits in importing countries, fueling scrutiny of the de minimis loophole that exempts low-value shipments from tariffs. Yet demand remains strong, driven by low prices, a wide variety of products, and faster shipping times.

Innovation Across Chinese B2B Platforms

Chinese B2B platforms are evolving into tech-driven ecosystems rather than static directories. Recent upgrades include:

• AI-driven sourcing: Alibaba, Made-in-China, and TradeChina.com now use AI to match buyers with verified suppliers, analyze intent, and forecast demand.
• Social commerce models: Pinduoduo’s group-buying concept and Temu’s gamified shopping are adapted for bulk B2B orders, letting businesses unlock discounts through collective purchasing.
• Payment security: Escrow and trade assurance programs, now standard, release funds only after confirmed delivery has been made. This reduces fraud and builds buyer confidence.
• Virtual and hybrid trade shows: Global Sources and HKTDC host online exhibitions alongside physical fairs, enabling remote supplier meetings and contract negotiations.

AI, Data Analytics, and Digitalization

Artificial intelligence now extends beyond product recommendations. Platforms. TradeChina.com integrates price-tracking dashboards, while Yiwugo leverages video reviews to highlight trustworthy sellers.

Digital tools also streamline collaboration. In-app messaging, video calls, and document sharing reduce reliance on email, while digitally stored contracts and invoices simplify audits. These features make B2B trade more transparent and efficient.

Supply Chain and Logistics Transformation

Fast, predictable delivery has become a competitive edge. Platforms are investing heavily in localized logistics networks:

• Temu builds warehouses in the US and Europe and recruits local sellers to ensure 3–7 day delivery.
• Alibaba’s Cainiao offers end-to-end logistics with customs clearance and order consolidation.
• DHgate simplifies small-order shipping and expands express options.
• TradeChina.com integrates freight forwarding and customs brokerage, while Yiwugo focuses on bulk shipping solutions.

These investments reflect a clear shift: logistics is no longer just infrastructure, but a core differentiator in B2B competition.

Regulation and Trust

Stricter global regulations are reshaping digital trade. The EU Digital Services Act and the US moves to restrict duty-free imports are pushing platforms toward greater compliance. Many now enforce KYC checks, export-control screening, and real-time customs data integration.

Trust is becoming a brand asset. Alibaba’s Trade Assurance, DHgate’s escrow, and Yiwugo’s secure payments provide buyers with additional protection. Video reviews, verified supplier programs, and standardization efforts help reduce fraud while ensuring shipments clear customs smoothly.

Much more at her website Chozan.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers’ Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

Why influencers are key for B2B marketeers, but not enough – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

B2B influencers are a key marketing tool in Asia, says Hong Kong-based marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok, but they are not enough on themselves, in Campaign Asia. “At its core, every B2B decision is made by people, not companies, and tapping into their emotions, challenges, and aspirations is key”, she says.

Campaign Asia:

Ashley Dudarenok didn’t intentionally set out to be a B2B influencer, but felt a strong need to educate and consult her B2B clients who were exploring opportunities in and with China. She started publishing insights on LinkedIn about eight years ago and has since grown her network to around 100,000 connections.  She believes the ‘business to humans’ (B2H) approach is the most effective B2B influencer marketing strategy. “At its core, every B2B decision is made by people, not companies, and tapping into their emotions, challenges, and aspirations is key,” says Dudarenok. “Educate, don’t sell: B2B audiences respond to insights-driven, educational content that solves their problems. Influencers who focus on providing value rather than pushing products are the most effective.” But while B2B influencer marketing is effective when executed correctly, Dudarenok adds that it’s not sensible to rely on influencers only. “It might always be a smart strategy to build a KOE (key apportion employee), often the boss of the business who becomes a thought leader versus just paying someone else for promotions. Or do both. Do not rely on influencers only,” she advises…
“At its core, every B2B decision is made by people, not companies, and tapping into their emotions, challenges, and aspirations is key” – Ashley Dudarenok, founder of ChoZan

More at Campaign Asia.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

How Tencent is reinventing itself as a B2B platform – Matthew Brennan/Ashley Dudarenok

 

Matthew Brennan and Ashley Dudarenok

China’s digital landscape is changing fast. Internet watcher Matthew Brennan and marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok discuss how internet giant Tencent is reinventing itself as a B2B platform, and much more.

Matthew Brennan and Ashley Dudanenok are both speakers at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need them at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more innovation experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

How Tencent moves to B2B - Matthew Brennan

Matthew Brennan

Tencent watcher Matthew Brennan has an in-depth look at how the recent reorganization of the internet giant reflects on the internet in China, especially how the company that became big through WeChat and B2C moves towards a more industrial approach, he writes on his weblog at China Channel.

Matthew Brennan:

“From the management side, the biggest challenge we face is internal organization. Right now Tencent needs to get better at doing B2B.” – PonyMa, Tencent Annual Internal Staff Meeting 2017 Dec 15^th. 

This quote is from the annual Tencent internal staff meeting last year, it shows the higher management have been aware for a considerable time that change in organizational structure and strategic focus were necessary. Pony Ma when he has given public talks over the past year, they have mostly been focusing on the areas of B2B business most often mentioned would be Tencent’s smart retail solutions. 

It seems that higher management has decided that the development of Tencent’s B2B solutions will decide the future potential of the company. B2C business has peaked as the number of mobile internet users has passed its rapid growth stage. User growth for most major internet companies has declined considerably. 

Yet when doing B2B internet business in China, Tencent will undoubtably find themselves competing with their arch rival Alibaba and this competition will be tough. Alibaba unlike Tencent has B2B in their blood. From the early days their company started out with the incredibly tough job of making sales of their internet services to factory owners who’d never heard of the web before. Persuading them of the merits for this new way of gaining clients without meeting them in person. 

“Many people said we only have ‘B2C’ in our DNA. B2B is not in our blood. I don’t believe that. I think that every evolutionary successful species holds characteristics that weren’t there at the beginning but were evolved over time.”- Martin Lau, Tencent Internal Staff Meeting 2017. 

Tencent’s traditional strength throughout it’s 20 years of existence has always been in B2C. They have a proven understanding of how to monetize large user bases. They have access to the deep social graph of Chinese internet users and they are consistently able to produce products that Chinese consumers love to use. 

Apart from investment income, Tencent’s main profit model today is to accumulate new users, cultivate their usage habits over time, and make profits eventually through games, user fees, and advertising. This monetization could be said to be a long and indirect process. By contrast, the revenue earned from B2B businesses appears to be more direct and the clients are often stickier. Once the relationship is established, transactions will continue, and the income is more stable than B2C.

Much more at the China Channel.

Matthew Brennan is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on China's internet? Do check out this list.