From 0 to $3.6M: A Zhejiang Home Seller’s First Amazon Overseas Year

Starting point: Having products but lacking experience

In the winter of 2024, Lao Chen (pseudonym), the founder of a home furnishing brand in Zhejiang, faced a typical dilemma. His brand achieved an annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan domestically, yet its growth hit a ceiling and profits kept shrinking. Going global became an inevitable choice. Although he had sound products and a complete supply chain, he lacked cross-border operation experience entirely. He had no idea how to access Amazon's backend, ship goods via FBA, or figure out the preferences of overseas consumers. In December 2024, Lao Chen's team entered into a full-service agency operation partnership with Shenzhen 1981 Technology, marking the start of a new chapter.

Breakthrough: 90-Day Preparation, Focus on Only Three Things

After taking over the project, the 1981 team spent a 90-day preparation period focusing on only three core tasks. First, they gained an in-depth understanding of the market. Over three weeks of research and analysis of more than 200 competitor listings, they drew key insights: European and American consumers prefer minimalist designs, while intricate styles see low conversion rates; eco-friendly materials serve as a competitive advantage, with the conversion rate of FSC-certified products rising by 35%; product manuals must be localized, as machine-translated versions carry a return rate as high as 28%. Second, they refined the products thoroughly and finalized the initial matrix of 12 SKUs, including 3 traffic-driving items for customer acquisition, 6 profit-focused items for revenue growth, and 3 premium image items for brand premium pricing. Third, they polished every detail meticulously. They conducted one-by-one optimization and repeated testing covering elements ranging from listing keywords and main image shooting angles to the visual flow of A+ content pages and backend search term placement.

Growth: 12 months, 3.6 million US dollars

The store officially launched in January 2025 with a steadily rising growth curve. It recorded 3 to 5 daily orders on average in the first month, driven mainly by PPC advertising for traffic attraction. In the third month, the average daily orders exceeded 30, and the proportion of organic traffic rose to 45%. By the sixth month, monthly sales surpassed 500,000 US dollars, with three products ranking among the top 50 in their subcategories. In the twelfth month, the total annual sales exceeded 3.6 million US dollars. The core operational indicators are also outstanding: the ACOS of PPC ads is kept below 18%, the return rate is only 3% — far lower than the category average of 8%, the inventory turnover cycle is optimized to 45 days, and all account health metrics remain in good condition with no performance notifications.

Review: Why It Succeeded?

Why did it succeed? Looking back, the product selection logic has been proven effective. Among the initial 25 SKUs, 9 turned profitable with a hit product rate of 75%. The operational SOP is replicable, with standardized processes covering every link from Listing optimization to ad placement. The supply chain delivers rapid response, and the replenishment cycle for factory-direct FBA shipments is only 15 days. Brand-oriented thinking has been implemented from the very start, with consistent focus on brand registration, A+ content pages and flagship store development since day one.

Suggestions: Three pieces of advice for seafarers

Based on this case, the 1981 Team offers three pieces of advice for cross-border sellers: Do not overestimate short-term explosive growth, nor underestimate long-term value. Adopt a 90-day preparation and 12-month growth strategy, and regard patience as an essential quality. Leave professional tasks to professionals: take direct control of product supply chains and entrust operations to specialized teams. Branding is the only viable path. The bulk goods distribution model is outdated, and only branding can build a solid competitive moat.

All you need to enter the overseas market is a proper start.

It took Lao Chen 12 months to grow from 0 to 3.6 million US dollars. He believes the growth from 3.6 million to 7 million will be much faster. On the road to going global, choosing the right partners and adopting the correct strategies leave persistence as the only remaining key. For home brands still on the fence, this story may bring you confidence — you are only one right start away from the overseas market.

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