Online babywear retailer Belluna has launched a shopping site targeting consumers in China.

The Japanese retailer is working with Chinese e-commerce company Azoya to run its own website rather than sell on a third-party platform in China.

Belluna’s site carries about 8000 items, including baby apparel and cosmetics from group members BestThanks and Ozio. Products not common in China, such as baby clothes that can be worn as a skirt or pants depending on how they are buttoned, are being offered. Health foods also will be introduced.

Belluna anticipates sales per customer of about RMB10,000 yen (US$89). Around 20 to 30 per cent of charges paid by customers go to transportation and customs duties in cross-border e-commerce, so people tend to buy in bulk, says the company.

Based in Shenzhen, Azoya will handle everything from logistics to customs clearance plus a call centre. Co-founder Don Zhao says his company’s strengths include attentiveness in website design and sales promotion.

Mobile app WeChat, which has 900 million users, will be used as a promotion platform, demonstrating how to use Belluna’s cosmetics, for example.

Another Japanese baby goods company, Akachan Honpo, under Japan’s Seven & I Holdings, set up shop within the Chinese virtual mall JD Worldwide in April, where it sells about 200 items.