Online shopping in China: brands need to know these three facts

With a population of almost 1.4 billion, China is a highly interesting sales market for brands. This is because the e-commerce market there will continue to grow strongly in the future - by around 15 percent according to the Ecommerce Foundation's forecast. This offers many opportunities. If online retailers and brands want to be successful in China, they need to cater to local preferences and characteristics. They should therefore know these facts about the mobile behavior of Chinese shoppers.

The preferred shopping device among Chinese consumers is the smartphone. Mobile has long since surpassed the desktop. 92% use a mobile app or browser to make purchases. By comparison, 78% store on a desktop. Mobile usage is highest among younger shoppers: almost all Chinese (98%) aged 18 to 24 shop on their mobile devices. However, shopping via smartphone or tablet is also popular in other age groups: 95% of 25 to 34-year-old Chinese shoppers use mobile shopping, 94% of 35 to 44-year-olds and 87% of 45 to 54-year-olds. Only shoppers over the age of 55 prefer a PC or laptop to a mobile device when shopping online.

The WeChat and Weibo apps are two of the most important platforms for Chinese consumers. WeChat combines various functions such as chatting, shopping and paying in one application and thus optimizes the shopping experience because the customer does not have to leave the app. Weibo is a short messaging service on which videos and photos can also be published. Both apps offer brands numerous marketing opportunities to get in touch with users. As the Rakuten Marketing E-Commerce Report shows, 23% of Chinese people interact with local brands on WeChat and 14% on Weibo. For international brands, the figures are 17 percent (WeChat) and 13 percent (Weibo). However, almost one in four stated that they do not engage with international brands at all. So there is still a lot of potential here if brands succeed in responding to the preferences of Chinese consumers and picking them up on mobile.

The preference for smartphones is also evident when it comes to payment methods: 33% would like to be able to pay with a mobile or digital wallet. One in four, on the other hand, would like to use a credit card. When choosing an online store, pricing is the most important factor for the Chinese (16%), followed by product variety (14%), delivery times (9%) and the availability of local e-payment methods (8%).
 
"In 2020, m-commerce retail sales in China are expected to exceed two trillion US dollars. In order for brands and e-commerce players to be successful in China, it is important that they get to grips with the various devices, platforms and consumer preferences. Chinese people live and buy primarily on the move. It is imperative that brands and e-commerce operators respond to this," says Stefan Bernauer, Director DACH at Rakuten Marketing.