Entry Strategies and Distribution Channels of Italian SMEs in the Chinese Market

The present paper explores the internationalization process of Italian SMEs in the Chinese market, focusing on entry and distribution choices, in the framework of facilitating factors and perceived difficulties. The following main research questions were formulated: how do Italian SMEs enter the Chinese market and distribute their products? Which are the main facilitating factors and difficulties perceived by Italian companies selling in the Chinese market? This exploratory study, that is part of an extensive field research, was conducted through two steps: a quantitative research, based on a structured questionnaire; a qualitative research, with open-ended interviews. The findings could provide marketing executives useful insights in developing entry and distribution strategies for SMEs in the Chinese market.