The rapid development of online trading through marketplaces has brought new challenges to Tiens, an international Chinese corporation that, since 2010, has been selling dietary supplements, cosmetics and household goods in Russia through direct sales. On online platforms, the brand’s products began to be offered not only by official distributors and not only at recommended prices. Anna Trofimenkova, President of the Euro-Asian region of the corporation, spoke to Retail.ru about how the company will protect its interests, as well as about the results of 2023 and new projects .
Source: Tiens
After a turbulent 2022, when many international companies threw all their efforts into overcoming logistical difficulties, in 2023 the challenge for Tiensha in Russia was the introduction of labeling of dietary supplements, which form the core of the company’s product range (labeling of dietary supplements became mandatory from May 1, 2024). “We needed to implement traceability processes for multiple channels: offline and online retail , wholesale and agency sales, and launch labeling for products manufactured in Russia. It was not easy, we worked very hard, attracted both 1C consultants and business analysts to get everything done. Now, I hope, the labeling will help us solve the problem of our products appearing on marketplaces from distributors not authorized by us, at prices that do not correspond to the recommended ones. We, as the copyright holder, have already begun to carry out this work with marketplaces,” said Anna Trofimenkova.
At the same time, the company considers online a promising sales channel and in the second half of 2024, Tiens in Russia plans to launch its updated websites to stimulate online sales and be even closer to a young audience. Another promotion tool for Tiens was the mobile super-application V-Moment, which combines the functions of a social network, messenger, and marketplace. The app features Timo, an AI-powered smart assistant that can create images and write texts. This is a free platform where you can communicate, study (there are training services), play, track sports performance, here you can organize an online conference between Russia and China – our countries had difficulties with this.
In 2023, the Russian division of Tiens became a hub for developing sales in neighboring countries and is now actively increasing exports to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. Local production is also developing: the company employs two specialists who research the Russian production market to find sites suitable for placing orders. Today, five of the company’s products—both dietary supplements and household products—are produced in Russia and exported to other countries.
Tiens' priorities in Russia for 2024 are the introduction of labeling (it will apply to other categories of the corporation's goods), promotion of the V-Moment mobile application, increasing the availability of goods and quality service for Belarusian customers, and the development of e-commerce. “We will bet on our website, but at the same time we will have to develop a strategy for working with marketplaces – to find forms of interaction that will be mutually beneficial,” commented Anna Trofimenkova.
In 2024, Tianshi will also introduce a number of new products, including those designed for weight control and aimed at a youth audience.
Tiens Group: “We will develop the export of Russian goods to China and tourism”
Tianshi reported double-digit business growth in 2022
Dietary supplements have become the most popular product of direct sales companies
Tianshi invests $500 thousand in bringing Russian products to the international market
Anastasia Ageenkova, Retail.ru
