Retail Toolkit

New market entry checklist: the 60 items to clear before you open

A working checklist for entering a new Asian market, grouped by legal, tax, supply chain, people, commercial and launch, with the sequence that avoids dead time.

Guide 4 of 9 · 10 min read · Updated 9 August 2026

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Market entry stalls in predictable places: an entity that cannot import, a licence that arrives after the lease starts, or a payment method that is not live when the store opens. This checklist is ordered so the long-lead items start first.

Work through it in the order given; each block assumes the one before it has started.

1. Legal and entity (start first, longest lead)

Confirm foreign ownership limits for your activity, including retail versus wholesale distinctions.
Choose the entity type and register it; confirm minimum capital requirements.
Check whether an import or distribution licence is separate from the trading licence.
Register trademarks before any public announcement.
Confirm the entity can open a bank account and receive card settlement locally.

2. Tax and finance

Register for consumption tax or VAT and confirm the invoicing format required.
Confirm import duty rates and whether ASEAN preferential origin applies.
Set the transfer pricing basis for intercompany supply before the first shipment.
Agree withholding tax treatment for royalties and service fees.
Appoint local statutory audit and payroll providers.

3. Supply chain

Appoint a customs broker and run a test import before the commercial shipment.
Confirm product registration or labelling requirements per category.
Contract warehouse capacity with a start date ahead of first delivery.
Select last-mile carriers and complete integration testing.
Define the returns address and the reverse process before launch, not after.

4. People and premises

Confirm work permit rules for any expatriate roles and start applications early.
Draft employment contracts to local statutory standards, including notice and severance.
Sign the lease only after the licence path is confirmed.
Book fit-out with landlord approval of drawings, allowing for permit time.
Hire and train the store team with at least two weeks before opening.

5. Commercial and launch

Localise pricing and confirm tax-inclusive display convention.
Enable local payment methods, including wallets and instalment options where expected.
Localise the site language, address format and size conventions.
Register the local marketplace or platform storefront if in scope.
Set a launch measurement plan: traffic, conversion, basket, first-attempt delivery success.

6. First 90 days

Weekly trading review from week one with the country team.
Recalibrate the forecast after eight weeks of real data.
Review customs clearance times and adjust cover accordingly.
Formal go or no-go review on the second-store decision at day 90.

Key takeaways

Start entity, licence and trademark work before anything else.
Never sign a lease before the licence path is confirmed.
Run a test import before the first commercial shipment.
Set the day-90 review date at the start, not when problems appear.

Questions & Answers

How long does entry usually take?

Six to twelve months from decision to opening in most ASEAN markets, dominated by entity and licence lead times rather than by fit-out.

Can I test a market before setting up an entity?

Often yes, through a marketplace storefront or cross-border shipping. It gives demand signal without the fixed cost, though the economics will look worse than a local operation.

What is the most common oversight?

Product registration and labelling requirements, which are category-specific and can add months for regulated goods.