Shopping qualifies as a national past-time in China. Sellers offer many different products at impulse buying prices. Competition is fierce in China with many sellers offering similar goods at different price levels and build quality. Consumers in China use online shopping platforms to get the most for their money.
Online shopping platforms integrate an algorithm to suggest other products based on their previous purchases along the electronic payment applications on their smartphone and the extensive and insanely efficient express mail services. Online shopping in China is dangerously convenient. People only need to choose the product and push the “buy” button. The electronic payment on their smartphone instantly transfers money to the seller and the appropriate express mail company will pick-up their package and send it to the address saved in the consumer’s profile. People can expect to receive their package in, at most, two days.
The system makes getting your package easy, also. Every building complex and neighborhood has a reception center that will send a message when your package arrives. Packages flow like a river in China. “Going to get today’s packages” is part of the daily routine for many residents in China. The online shopping applications also include an easy way to return products. The buyer can contact the seller and a delivery worker will come to your house to retrieve the unwanted product and the seller will refund your money. The “back and forth” can get ridiculous at times, especially with clothing. Sometimes, it is easier to take a loss and learn from the experience. The “too good to be true” test definitely applies to online shopping in China, but sometimes you are pleasantly surprised.
There are three main online shopping platforms in China:
Tao Bao, red box and Chinese character, is the most popular online shopping platform. The prices are mid-range and the quality of the products are fairly reliable.
Jing Dong, the little white dog, is the more expensive of the three online shopping platforms. People assume better quality comes with the higher prices. Shoppers may have a better chance of receiving genuine products and not a “knock-off” product. A “knock-off” is a product similar to a popular brand, but slightly different and lower quality.
Ping Duo Duo, red box with the white heart, is the value option of the three online shopping platforms. The prices are the lowest and the quality is a gamble. If the consumer is diligent in checking reviews, they are less likely to get ripped off or cheated.
Some online shopping platforms are appearing for people to buy and sell second-hand goods. Buyers choose the products and pay sellers with electronic transfers to the sellers. The electronic transfers are not credit cards. The money comes from an electronic wallet that is connected to your bank account. Moving money is quick and easy in China. The seller must pack and ship the goods to the buyer. Traditionally, Chinese people prefer to buy new products and avoid second-hand goods. The market for second-hand goods will take time to gain acceptance in China.
Online shopping platforms offer a surprising range of goods in China. People truly can almost anything online in China. The only restrictions seem to be weapons and drugs. Electronic payment applications making paying online instant. The express mail service will deliver your packages from anywhere in China in around two days. The online platforms also send regular notices when your goods are packed and their current location. Online shopping platforms are very good at fostering a shopping “habit” with residents in China.
Amazon is a similar online shopping platform in the rest of the world, but it doesn’t offer the same range of products. The goods offered on Amazon must be warehoused, so fresh food and live animals can’t be bought and sold like in Chinese online markets. Chinese online platforms connect directly to sellers while Amazon’s warehouses act as an intermediary between the buyer and the seller.
Online shopping has become an integrated part of daily life in China. The combination of instant money transfers and a small army of delivery truck drivers, along with others to transfer and process packages, have created a system allowing people in China to buy what they want quickly, conveniently, and cheaply.
