Joom has launched the JoomPro marketplace for corporate clients
The new platform will not only connect sellers and buyers, but will also take on the entire process from order placement to delivery: quality inspection and storage in a warehouse in China, logistics to Russia, customs clearance, certification and declaration if necessary, preparation of documents for the bank and currency control, and delivery to the seller’s warehouse.
The process for ordering wholesale batches through JoomPro is turnkey: you simply choose the products, specify their characteristics and quantity, and select a delivery address in Russia. The marketplace handles all intermediate steps: order placement with the supplier, quality inspection and storage in China, logistics to Russia via Joom Logistics (Joom’s own logistics company registered in Hong Kong), customs clearance, certification and declaration, and document preparation.
Joom expects interest from sellers working with Russian marketplaces such as Ozon and Wildberries, as JoomPro will allow them to obtain products at lower prices than from Russian distributors.
For sellers who prefer to work directly with China, JoomPro will provide a more reliable and straightforward channel compared to Chinese B2B marketplaces. JoomPro not only ensures product quality but also relieves clients of the need to negotiate with foreign suppliers. In the future, the marketplace plans to charge a commission for its services, but initially it will operate free of charge.
Currently, the platform offers more than 100,000 product listings in the most popular categories (electronics, apparel, home goods). By the end of 2021, the assortment is expected to grow to several million unique items, primarily due to the addition of direct manufacturers and first-line distributors.
Industry experts and representatives of competing companies give the project high marks. Until now, there have been a few small services with similar functionality, but there has not been a full-scale turnkey wholesale marketplace. If Joom succeeds in implementing the idea in a format that is clear and convenient for sellers, the platform will lower barriers to entry for the business and increase the number of sellers, says Anna Kaleeva, Director of Ozon Marketplace.
However, there are also more skeptical assessments. According to experts, the main challenge for the model is the proper customs clearance of small batches, product certification, and bringing them in line with Russian regulations. In the classic cross-border model for personal use, goods are exempt from these requirements, but for commercial imports, the requirements are mandatory.