BHL Unleashes its Brand in the Greater Bay Area with New Retail

‘Health supplements and skincare products are absorbed directly into our bodies, so safety and quality are paramount. Gaining customer trust in your brand is hard work and takes time. It’s not something that happens overnight; it requires integrity and the consistent delivery of high-quality products,’ explains Kit Wong, Founder and CEO of BHL. Established in 2010, the company adopted the values of ‘natural and healthy’, sourcing top-quality health supplements and skincare products from around the world. In the years that followed, BHL built up a loyal customer base and opened a group of stores in Hong Kong.

Following a decade of success for BHL, the COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented operational challenges for the company. As lockdowns were introduced around the world, supply and logistics chains were disrupted, leading to huge hikes in transport costs. The company, which relied on imported goods, was facing the predicament of having no goods to sell. But in 2021, BHL found a way to turn the crisis into an opportunity. Leveraging their product expertise and the customer base they had been accumulating for a decade, they launched their own brand of natural and safe skincare and haircare products made in Hong Kong from locally sourced ingredients. These new products quickly became popular with BHL’s customers, securing the company’s transition from mere distributor to brand owner.

BHL was aware of the enormous potential of the consumer market in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and saw that social media and new retail models were flourishing in the digital economy. To benefit from these trends, BHL introduced a business model that combined online and offline channels. On one side of the coin, the company launched its own online store, using third-party e-Commerce platforms for cross-border marketing. On the other side, it opened a physical store in the Baiyun District of Guangzhou, where customers could have a personal consultation and try out different products for themselves.

BHL also actively harnessed a range of social media channels to promote the brand. In March 2024, the company recruited tech talent from the Qianhai area of Shenzhen to enhance its cross-border e-Commerce platform, strengthen its online marketing strategies, and streamline cross-border logistics.

Many Hong Kong businesses that use cross-border e-Commerce to expand into the Greater Bay Area encounter difficulties with settling payments, and BHL was no exception. HSBC’s GBA Payment Connect gave BHL an efficient, cost-effective solution for cross-boundary fund transfers, enabling smooth allocation of funds to support the company’s operations in mainland China. HSBC also facilitated BHL’s collection of payments through PayMe, streamlining the payment process for customers and incentivising spending by offering regular rewards. On top of that, HSBC’s flexible onshore and offshore financing solutions provided BHL with timely financial support, complementing the company’s resource allocation in cross-border logistics, talent management, digital marketing and smart technology.

As well as dealing with cross-border banking and funding processes, Hong Kong businesses have to navigate differences between Hong Kong and mainland China in terms of regulations, tax systems, and consumer culture. ‘HSBC regularly holds seminars to help businesses grasp the latest market trends and business insights, providing highly practical information for Hong Kong companies like BHL that are operating cross-border businesses,’ says Kit. ‘HSBC Relationship Managers are also proactive about understanding and following up on our needs, offering comprehensive support that ranges from banking to business growth.’

Christina Ong, Managing Director, Head of Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Hong Kong, HSBC, commented, ‘In 2023, China’s online retail sales exceeded RMB15 trillion, making it the world’s largest online retail market for 11 consecutive years.¹ With the rise of the middle class in the Greater Bay Area and the continuous evolution of consumer trends, HSBC will continue to leverage our extensive network and dedicated team of experts in the Greater Bay Area so we can provide market expertise and innovative cross-border banking solutions to BHL and other Hong Kong companies, helping them to connect with opportunities in the region and create successful brand stories.'

Building on the company’s product advantages and its loyal customer base, BHL is committed to boosting its brand presence through digital marketing and collaborating with other businesses in the Greater Bay Area. BHL also plans to embed environmental concepts and smart technology into its manufacturing processes, establishing a more sustainable and valuable company in the long term.