Setup Douyin Flagship Store

Douyin (Chinese Tiktok) is the most popular short-video and e-commerce platform in China. It proves that a combination of social media and e-commerce could be successful. Actually, it’s very successful and it forces all Chinese social and e-commerce platforms to feature short-video features. All I want to tell you is Douyin is a good Chinese social media marketing tool and sales generation social media & e-commerce platform. You (Overseas Company) should set up a Douyin Flagship store to sell your products to China market.

In this article, I only cover the content of “How to create Douyin Flagship store & Douyin store for Overseas company”. Douyin global store (抖音全球购) is the online store platform for foreign-brands products selling. And the company has to be outside of mainland China.

That being said, foreign company (Overseas company) is welcomed to China market!!!

Table of contents

• What Is Douyin (Chinese Tiktok)
• Douyin E-commerce (Douyin store)
• Douyin Store Types
• Does Douyin Flagship Store Better Than Others
• How To Create Douyin Store Outside Of China
• Launch Your Douyin Store

What Is Douyin (Chinese Tiktok)

You may not be familiar with Douyin (抖音), but I do believe you must heard of Tiktok. Actually, both Douyin and Tiktok are owned by Bytedance. Douyin is a Chinese version of Tiktok, targeting mainland China mainly.

Quick facts

• Founded: 2016
• Founder: ZhangYiming
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• MAUs: 680 million (2022)

Douyin (抖音) is a video-sharing social media platform. With 723 million monthly active users as of June, 2023. it was only for driving traffic to third-party e-commerce platforms in 2018. And then, Douyin launched Douyin store in 2019.

With that said, Douyin is not only a social media platform anymore. It’s an e-commerce platform as well.

We all know that traffic means money on the internet. And no matter TikTok or Douyin drives lots of traffic from social media platforms. Which even forces the biggest video platform YouTube to launch Shorts.

Same to China, the biggest social media company – Tencent, released WeChat Channel. The popular e-commerce platform Taobao, Tmall, and JD featured video-feed in the App.

Douyin E-commerce (Douyin store)

When it comes to e-commerce, Bytedance shows a lot of ambition. From cooperating with third-party e-commerce in 2018, to releasing the Douyin store in 2019. Besides, Douyin released Douyin online supermarket shop in 2023.

Let’s take a look at Douyin Gross Merchandise Volume from 2019 to 2022.

From the data, you can see in 2022, an increase of 76% over 2021. That’s a genuine threat to Tmall, JD (e-commerce platform). After the online shopping supermarket release, Douyin is also a threat to Meituan (美团).

Douyin is like a threatening bomb to both Chinese social media and e-commerce platforms.

Douyin Store Types

Depending on whether you are an online or offline retailer, trademark holder or authorized, and how popular your brand is, etc. Douyin Shop has four store types for overseas companies to choose from. They are Douyin Flagship tore (旗舰店), Retail Franchised Store (专营店), Brand Franchised Store (专卖店), and Douyin Marketplace Flagship store (卖场型旗舰店).

• Douyin Flagship tore (旗舰店): you’re the brand holder or you have exclusively authorized brands.
• Douyin Retail Franchised Store (专营店): operate at least two brands either you are the brand holder or authorized
• Douyin Brand Franchised Store (专卖店): One or multiple authorized brands
• Douyin Marketplace Flagship store (卖场型旗舰店): International online or offline retailers (or exclusively authorized distributor ) with Service Trademark (Classification 35).

The store type can not be changed once your store is launched. And you can apply for the Douyin Flagship store online, but the other store types have to be reviewed after you submit Questionnaire Survey with more detailed info.

Does Douyin Flagship Store Better Than Others

Absolutely, yes!!!

• Trusted Most:

In China online store business. According to Chinese customers shopping habits, Flagship store is the most trusted compared to other store types. Which also means Douyin Flagship store will increase brand recognition.

• Increase customer loyalty:

Getting trusted means getting loyalty buyers. If Chinese buyers are satisfied with your product, they will re-order again and again. They will even share your store to their friends, family or colleagues.

• Increase sales:

The potential customers may hear your brand from other places, like other social media platforms or even just from the Douyin store platform. They will search for your brand or product and the Flagship store always the first one they want to click on. More clicks means more chances to generate sales.

• Protect your Brand

There always are competitors, and some of them might sell your brand’s product without authorized. Chinese users probably didn’t know they’re authorized or not, but they do believe the Flagship was authorized. If the Chinese buyers found that someone sells fake products which disappointed with the fake product. They will report that guy to the platform.

That said, Flagship store is easy to recognize and so much easier to protect your brand (Trademarks).

If you want to open a Douyin Flagship store quickly or a Douyin business account, contact me: chinahelp4u@outlook.com

How To Create Douyin Store Outside Of China

Douyin Global store only accepts overseas companies (Or Hongkong, Macao, and Taiwan) with foreign brands. It’s not available for mainland China companies.

But the overseas company needs a mainland China company as a Guarantee company. If possible, you can register a Chinese company or ask a Chinese agency for help. Email me if you need a Chinese guaranteed company.

The basic requirements for opening Douyin store, in short.

• Overseas company hold trademarks (Or authorized)
• Chinese Guaranteed company (Or Chinese agency)

And then let’s look at how to open a Douyin store.

How to create Douyin Flagship store

Go to the official Douyin Global store application webpage. And then click on “立即入驻”.

And then log in to your Douyin account (If you already have Douyin account). Or Click on “切换登录” to register a new account. (As the official recommendation, it’s better to use (+86) Chinese phone number)

You can also login with Douyin[抖音] account, Toutiao [头条] account or Huoshan [火山] account.

I know you don’t have a +86 Chinese phone number, actually, it’s better to use your Chinese agency’s phone number.

If you can read Japanese, then you can click on the top-right corner “切换语言” to change the webpage language. As for other languages, sorry it doesn’t support.

Need Assistance?

As for other Douyin store type

If you want to open any store type of Retail Franchised Store (专营店), Brand Franchised Store (专卖店), and Douyin Marketplace Flagship store (卖场型旗舰店), you need to submit a Questionnaire Survey with more detailed info. And it’ll take about 7 working days to let you know if you‘re qualified or not.

Because different store types and product categories may be a little bit different. Here I only show you the basic process of applying for the Douyin store.

click “立即入驻” [join now] under the “跨境商家” [Overseas merchants].

Fill out the Overseas Company Info

You can follow the translation below if you can’t read Chinese characters. But I don’t recommend you do this by yourself, only if you can understand the Chinese language very well.

• Overseas company English name: 公司名称
• Company Certificate No. : 登记证编号
• Date of registration: 注册登记日期
• Validity of registration: 注册登记有效期
• Business address: 经营地址

Authorization Info

Click on the “授权代表人声明书” to download the authorization letter and filling out. After that, you need to click the “+” icon to upload it.

• Letter of authorization valid date: 签约授权书有效期
• Authorized person country: just select 中国大陆
• Upload files by: 上传方式
  You can upload files by computer:电脑上传 or by WeChat: 微信上传
• Upload the photo of Authorized person’s ID: 上传身份证照片
• Name of Authorized person: 被授权人姓名
• Authorized person’s ID No. 被授权人证件号码
• Validity of Authorized person’s ID: 被授权人证件有效期

Overseas Bank Account Info

You need to upload an overseas bank account opening certificate or bank statements along with the Chinese translation copy.

Overseas company bank account certificate or statements and translation copy: 公司海外银行开户证明或银行对账单及翻译件

Chinese Company Registration Info

As I said, Douyin requires you to have a Chinese company or Chinese agency to help you with the operation of Douyin Store. And the most important thing is your Chinese company takes responsibility for the products and services.

• Chinese company registration document: 营业执照
• Chinese company name: 公司名称
• Chinese Company Certificate No. : 统一社会信用代码
• Validity of registration: 营业期限
• Business address: 经营地址

Signing officer(法定代表人) of Chinese company

• Signing officer’s name: 法定代表人姓名
• Signing officer’s ID No. : 法定代表人身份证号码
• Validity of ID: 身份证有效期

Statement document of guarantee between Chinese & Overseas Company

Download the template document and fill it out and then upload it.

NOTE: You can download Authorization and Guarantee documents template.

Fill out the store info

• Select Store Type: 店铺类型
• Name Douyin Store: 店铺名称
• Upload Store logo: 店铺LOGO
• Products category:
• etc.

Brand qualification

There are four store types for you to choose from, Douyin Flagship store, Retail Franchised Store, Brand Franchised Store, and Marketplace Flagship store. Different store types allow you to open different numbers of Brand operations in your store.

Store manager contact info

Basically, your store manager is your Chinese company or agency. At least someone is living in China and knows the Chinese language and operates your store.

Submit the application

Click on “提交审核” to submit your application. And wait for the review result.

Bank Account verification

The Douyin platform will send a random amount of money to your account. Wait and enter the amount of money to test your Chinese company’s bank account.

Pay for the deposit

Once all the processes above are finished, you need to pay for the deposit to finish the last step. NOTE: It has to be your Chinese company bank account to make a deposit payment.

Launch Your Douyin Store

You need to design and launch your store. Generally speaking, the Chinese company you working with will help you do all the things for you, like set up store, design, and operate your store.

At least, We are a Chinese social marketing and e-commerce company that provides a one-stop service for overseas companies. If you need any help feel free to email me.

You may also interest in:

• How to open JD Worldwide store
• How to open Tmall Global store
• How to open Xiaohongshu store
• Chinese social media marketing

If you’re the brand holder, I highly recommend you do social media marketing, even advertising properly. It will help increase your brand awareness and generate sales.