(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Franchising remains a powerful path for overseas brands to expand in China without carrying the full operational burden. However, success hinges on adapting franchise models to China’s digital-first consumer behavior, localized brand expectations, and rapid regional growth. This article provides a tactical roadmap to develop a winning franchise sales strategy that fits the China market.
1. Localize Your Franchise Offering by Region
Customize for Tiered Cities:
A one-size-fits-all franchise model rarely works in China. Develop different franchise tiers for Tier 1–2 cities versus lower-tier cities, with variations in product mix, price sensitivity, and store layout.
Offer Regional Product Variants:
Empower franchisees to localize 20–30% of their inventory to align with regional preferences (e.g., spicy flavors in Sichuan, wellness products in Shanghai).
2. Standardize Brand and Sales Playbooks
Unified Sales Training:
Provide comprehensive online and offline training on pricing, positioning, and customer experience, so franchisees can deliver consistent sales performance.
Content + Tech Toolkit:
Equip franchises with editable campaign templates, CRM integrations, and livestream protocols to run national and local campaigns seamlessly.
3. Drive Demand with Platform-Specific Visibility
Franchisee Mini-Programs:
Allow each location to run its own WeChat mini-program page with location-specific offers, local delivery, and chat-based service.
Searchable Franchise Locator:
Use Baidu and Meituan advertising to help customers find the nearest franchisee—boosting foot traffic and online-to-offline engagement.
4. Implement Centralized Data & Feedback Loops
Sales Performance Dashboards:
Track store-level conversion rates, AOV, and SKU velocity to support franchisees with targeted coaching and supply chain planning.
Customer Feedback Pipelines:
Build systems to collect feedback from all franchise locations to refine products, marketing tone, and regional go-to-market strategies.
5. Case Study: An Australian Organic Beauty Brand Expands via Franchise in China
With strong traction in Hong Kong and Australia, an organic beauty brand entered China through a franchise-first model. They selected partners in Nanjing, Chengdu, and Qingdao and rolled out a consistent visual identity, livestream event calendar, and in-store WeChat CRM system. Each store customized a subset of SKUs and ran regionally popular offers. Within one year, the network generated a 4x ROI with strong loyalty from health-conscious consumers.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
info@pltfrm.cn
www.pltfrm.cn
