Consumers select products at the Yiwu Selection store in Nairobi, Kenya. [Photo/Tide News]

Yiwu Brands Association from Yiwu county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, announced significant progress in its global brand expansion efforts on Dec 8.

This year, the association has signed agreements for 11 overseas brand collection stores, achieving a presence on all five continents. Stores in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Chile are currently undergoing renovation, with more collaborations planned in 20 countries and regions for 2026.

Since 2023, Yiwu has implemented a strategic plan to push its brands abroad through five main channels: overseas sub-markets, warehouses, showrooms, exhibitions, and online platforms.

As a significant part of the initiative, the Yiwu Selection brand collection store opened at the Yiwu International Trade Market in January, achieving 120 million yuan ($16.97 million) in orders within just five hours. On Aug 29, the first overseas Yiwu Selection store opened in Nairobi, Kenya.

The association now includes 220 member companies across 11 categories such as hardware, home appliances, beauty products, and more.

Beyond brand promotion, the association is helping its members explore international markets. Since May, the group has engaged in trade missions to Mexico, Central Africa, and other regions.

Yiwu will host an international summit in January 2026 to transform its identity from a "global marketplace" to a "cradle of global brands".

"Brand expansion is a shared mission," said He Lihong, the association's president, highlighting the opportunities and challenges in overseas markets. "We will continue to provide enterprises with support in channels, resources, policies, and training, to help Yiwu brands go global."