From Shenzhen to scale: Why Chinese brands are ready for the next growth chapter

As PartnerBoost’s EVOLVE Summer Summit approaches, I’ve been reflecting on our time at the Spring Summit in Shenzhen earlier this year.

Alongside Luke Matthews, I had the opportunity to meet with more than 50 ambitious Chinese ecommerce brands, all focused on a similar goal: scaling beyond domestic success and expanding into global markets like the UK, US, Europe and Australia. Between insightful sessions, back-to-back meetings and conversations with brands at every stage of their international journey, one thing became clear: the ambition is there, and so is the readiness to take the next step.

What stood out wasn’t just the scale of these businesses, but how their thinking is evolving.

Many have already built impressive international businesses through marketplaces like Amazon, successfully capturing demand at scale. But there’s growing recognition that marketplace success alone isn’t enough to build lasting brand value. 

One encounter there really brought that to life for me. I met with the team behind the phone case I’m currently using, which I bought on Amazon. Despite being one of the top-ranked products with thousands of positive reviews, I had no idea who the brand was until they introduced themselves. The product had won the sale, but the brand hadn’t won my recognition or loyalty. It’s a great example of how brand equity can often remain trapped within the marketplace ecosystem.

As competition increases and acquisition costs continue to rise, brands are looking for greater control over customer relationships, first-party data and, ultimately, their long-term profitability. That’s where the next phase of growth begins.

Increasingly, the conversation is shifting towards direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategies. Not as an alternative to marketplaces, but as a complementary channel that gives brands greater ownership of the customer journey. Building stronger onsite experiences, collecting first-party data and creating meaningful customer relationships are becoming essential for brands looking to establish themselves globally.

The brands that left the biggest impression at EVOLVE weren’t simply focused on driving more traffic. They were thinking beyond acquisition, asking how to engage visitors more effectively, improve conversion rates and create experiences that build loyalty over time.

That’s where the right technology partnerships can make a real difference. Whether through affiliate marketing, onsite engagement or performance-driven campaigns, the opportunity lies in combining international reach with smarter, data-led conversion strategies that help brands grow sustainably.

Looking back, this experience felt like more than just another industry event. It highlighted how quickly the ecosystem is maturing, with brands, publishers and technology partners becoming increasingly aligned around collaborative, insight-driven growth.

With the EVOLVE Summer Summit now just around the corner, it’ll be exciting to see how those conversations have progressed over the past few months. The last event demonstrated that the momentum behind Chinese brands expanding globally is only accelerating, and we’re looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new brands and continuing to explore what sustainable international growth really looks like.

See you there.