The British Museum's online store on China's e-commerce platform Tmall.
Digital outlet proves popular with shoppers
Online shoppers in China can get their hands on souvenirs from London’s British Museum after the world famous institution launched an online shop for its products through Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall, putting it in competition with the likes of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The online store opened in early July and on its first day attracted more than 30,000 followers, according to Chinese technology media platform 36Kr. By July 26, the store had clocked up 147,000 followers.
The store sells mobile phone shells, tapes, erasers and other items with various themes, including the Egyptian pharaoh. (Photo from the British Museum's Tmall store)
With there being huge demand for British products in China, Chinese social media users are happily snapping up the products. A majority of the souvenirs have sold out including an Egyptian-style printed glass and a sports bottle with an image of the London skyline.
Shoppers have given the facility an enthusiastic welcome. Weibo user Bubi said: “They come for my wallet, can’t stop buying lots of interesting things” with another, Ami, adding “It is incredible”. On Twitter, Ran tweeted, “The British Museum just opened their Taobao store, and the price is surprisingly low.”
The store sells mobile phone shells, tapes, erasers and other items with various themes, including the Egyptian pharaoh. (Photo from the British Museum's Tmall store)
Local media in China also commented on the London museum's presence on Tmall, with one writing, “For both domestic museums and overseas museums, it is a must to develop in the cultural and creative industries. The Palace Museum now has its strong competitor in Taobao.”
The British Museum in London’s Bloomsbury district attracts millions of visitors every year, and it is hugely popular with Chinese tourists.
It has a worldwide reputation for staging spectacular exhibitions, and in 2007 it played host to what was at the time the largest ever overseas loan of figures from the Museum of the Terracotta Army and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shaanxi Province.
The store sells mobile phone shells, tapes, erasers and other items with various themes, including the Egyptian pharaoh. (Photo from the British Museum's Tmall store)
Last year, the favor was returned with an exhibition entitled The British Museum: A History of the World in 100 Objects being held at the Shanghai Museum. National Business Daily reports that souvenirs worth more than 3 million yuan ($ 441 million) were sold at the exhibition.
The merchandising partnership between the British Museum and online retail giant Alibaba, which owns Tmall, was announced back in 2016.
The store sells mobile phone shells, tapes, erasers and other items with various themes, including the Egyptian pharaoh. (Photo from the British Museum's Tmall store)
"It is an exciting prospect for the British Museum to be working with a company of Alibaba's stature as part of the Museum’s product licensing campaign," said Craig Bendle, manager of merchandising and licensing at the Museum.
"The British Museum is a museum of the world, for the world and this program provides a unique opportunity to share the Museum through both online and physical store activities."
