Market entry strategy for exports to the United Kingdom

Our local teams plan & execute

If the United Kingdom is a relatively unknown market for you, you need a clear market entry strategy. This may be different from the strategies you have used so far, as the market structure and the competition is different.

Alliance experts helps you to develop your market entry strategy on the go. We scan the market, launch your product and grow your sales, constantly monitoring the responses and improving your approach.

50 +
Clients helped
1 +
Price comparisons done
0 +
Countries
$ 0 k
Saved on costs

Oppportunities for international business in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is one of the larger economies of Europe, although not being part of the EU any more.

As of 2024, the United Kingdom’s population is estimated to be approximately 67.96 million. The population has shown a modest growth rate of around 0.35% from the previous year. It has a diverse set of overseas born populations, with the largest contributing countries being Poland, India, and Pakistan.

The UK has a mixed economy, which is the sixth-largest national economy in the world by nominal GDP. It is characterized by a highly developed and market-oriented sector. The largest city and capital is London, which is a major global city and financial center.

Being an island nation, the British have always been very open to trade and while Brexit brings some uncertainties, it also offers opportunities for the United Kingdom to reconnect with markets outside of Europe.

DISTRIBUTE THROUGH LONDON AS A THE MAIN MARKET: BUT THERE IS MORE

Obviously London is the place to have your flagship store or to find many buyers for luxury products. But for B2B services or general products it may be wise to start in a different city. This way you can test the market and build a good position first with less competition. Let our team advise you.

In the UK, we work from Manchester with experienced business development specialists. Manchester has a long and illustrious history and was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Today it is a thriving, modern city and the UK’s second city for foreign investment.

SELLING YOUR PRODUCTS ONLINE IN THE UK

In general, there are two ways if you want to sell your products online in this market:

  1. Through an open platform like Amazon, Ebay or Rakuten where you can set up your own shop
  2. Through a (specialised) online distributor, who will buy your products and sell them on its website.

Selling on a platform like Amazon involves listing your products on that marketplace, which allows you to reach a large number of potential customers who are already shopping on the platform. As a seller on Amazon or other platforms, you are responsible for managing your inventory, shipping products to customers, and providing customer service. The platform charges fees for its services, including a referral fee and a fulfilment fee if you choose to use the platform’s fulfilment services.

On the other hand, selling through an online distributor involves partnering with a company that specialises in distributing products to retailers or other sellers. The distributor will take care of the logistics of getting your products to retailers or other customers, such as warehousing, shipping, and handling returns. In exchange for their services, distributors typically charge a fee or take a percentage of the sales. For a detailed comparison of platforms, have a look here.

Why enter the market in the United Kingdom with us?

We know the market from inside-out

We work with local teams, who already know the market, speak the language and know the business culture.

We are active in over 30 countries

We can compare different markets and as we can help you in all of them, we only favor the market that may work out best for you.

You Reduce your risks

We help you avoid cultural misunderstandings, compliance issues, and other risks associated with entering a new market.

Try our services in the United Kingdom

Our structured approach: scan - Launch - Grow

The best way to learn about a market is to start reaching out and adjust your sales pitch on-the-go. This is what we do in our Scan-Launch-Grow approach. 

1st month

We scan the market

We dive into your product and what sales strategy has worked for you in other countries. We show you offering to various potential distributors or customers to collect feedback. And we review your competition so that we can determine the best market entry strategy. 

2nd month

We launch your product

Together with you we develop a first pitch for your target group. We extend our long-list of potential targets further and start reaching out, getting to the right decision makers and pitching your product. And we discuss the results with you, in order to optimise your strategy further.

3rd and next months

We grow your sales

We keep searching for new distributor candidates or clients and reach out to them. We also follow-up on previous contacts we had and on leads that you bring in. We introduce you to interested parties, but we can also support in meetings or close deals on your behalf. Every month we review our results.

Customer Experiences

” Outstanding service! Found the perfect partners in within a few months. Our international sales skyrocketed thanks to their expertise. “

Mehmet Aksoy

RR Engineers

” Alliance experts has helped us with clear insights in a market which was relatively new to us. Even under difficult circumstances they found good dealer candidates. “
Alliance Expert found distributors for Harley Davidson

Vitello Benevetti

Harley Davidson

” Invaluable local insights led to great distributor matches. Their approach revolutionized our market entry strategy. Highly recommend! “
Francis Huang

Francis Huang

Würth

” Alliance Experts strongly supported our growth in African markets. Innovative, effective strategies, and superb communication. “
James Martin

James Martin

Brabantia

” Alliance Experts’ tailored strategies boosted our Europe market presence phenomenally. Exceptional service, highly recommended! “
Jing Zhang

Jing Zhang

Kamtec

” During our cooperation Alliance experts showed an effective approach and tracking, professionalism and provided the services reliably and on time. “
Nouraldine Banaeinejad

Nouraldin Banaeinejad

CAN Home appliances

Companies we have helped with market entry strategy

Le Joyau d’Olive
Hydrologic
HCP – the sweetener company
Apart Group
RR Engineers
Topdesk
Verantis
CAN Home appliances
Molarclean
Oklas

We are active in over 30 countries