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If you’re noticing the internet traffic is particularly busy today, or that people around you are clicking on their phones more than usual --dont be surprised. Cheng Lei checks out what this shows about the future of China’s ecommerce.
Singles day, is also dubbed “hand-chopping day”, because the deals on the day are so addictive one may over-spend. With such serious shopping, understandably, the competition is cut-throat.
Standup.
This may look like a weaponry show, but in fact, it’s a rewards display for jd employees who excel during the November sales extravaganza. Drumming up ?? like this is just one of the ways Chinese ecommerce giants are going all out for the biggest battle on the ecommerce calendar.
JD’s trump card this year --is selling through social media platform wechat, owned by Tencent.
"It’s really exciting this year because enhanced partnership with tencent," Zhang chen, SVP, JD.COM, said, "qq mobile, to give our merchants marketing solutions, put jd in front of over 1 billion people."
help merchants get better ROI, target ppl interested in your brand, ROI better. Reduce consumer burden, it’s wasting your time. Our understanding or market trends, solution for merchants and consumers.
JD’s bigger rival, Alibaba, has a different ace up its sleeve -- its tie-up with brick and mortar retail giants Suning and Yintai.
"Important highlight, 100000 stores celebrating together." Ying Hong, Marketing Dir, Alibaba Tmall, said, "About 180000 shops sign up, online and offline together. Suning’s shops will become singles day service outlets. User experience, services."
The benefits of combining online and offline shopping can be numerous.
"Four major synergies to capture. Product sourcing. Different portfolio from offline and online, ensure best assortment." Jason Ding, partner,Bain & Co, said,"Second, inventory and logisticis. Online, broader range to wider areas, offline, more in larger cities, integrate warehouse. Ensure efficient deliveries. 3 customer service. Show up online and offline. Consistent service. 4. Underlying, data. Drives all the decisions, pull everything together. IT system coordinated."
Another trend is towards social commerce, making shopping fun. To that end, Alibaba forked out big bucks to put on a star-studded show at the Water Cube, during which shoppers can join in with interactive activities.
Alibaba’s Singles Day sales were 9 billion dollars last year," Ying said, "what it is this year is not that important. This is my fifth year, for me, fun is an important KPI. My current bosses, Alibaba CEO Zhang Yong, chairman Jack Ma, have set no hard KPIs for this event, just fun, they want people to enjoy.
JD--not to be outdone, had its own concert event to celebrate Singles Day.
"Social event. As incomes grow, middle class emerging," Jason Ding said, "want to enjoy the process, shopping integrated with entertainment. A lot of activities created around singles day. Not just buying, social, entertainment. Enjoy shopping experience."
An important shift in Chinese online shopping habits -- is buying global. Cross-border ecommerce is expected to jump 40% this year to a trillion yuan.
"The reason buying global is trend, ppl want authentity," Zhang said, "why do people buy formula from Australia, quality, that’s the trend. We opened australia mall, japan mall, international malls. Growing rapidly."
"This year we’ve already gone from calling it a shopping festival to a global festival," Ying said, "this reflects the upgrading of our consumption. consumers now want brands, quality, global brands and services to come to china. Singles day is an important showcase for ecommerce, innovations and other facets are all shown here."
The Chinese battleground may be Singles Day, but just two weeks away is Black Friday in the US, Amazon China, Yangmatou and other cross-border ecommerce firms have started touting their promotions to Chinese consumers. Get ready for a whole lot more of compulsive clicking.
中国公共新闻网摘编：GAN JADE |
