(
China Daily) 09:30, October 30, 2014
Email|
Print|
Comments twitter facebook Sina Microblog reddit Be it made-in-Germany kitchenware or infant formula from the United States, Chineseshoppers can now place orders directly from overseas online shopping platforms owned byAmazon.com Inc as the e-commerce giant steps up efforts to boost its market share inChina.
Six Amazon platforms in the US, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Italyhave officially opened for sales to Chinese consumers, who have shown growing appetite foroverseas brands and products.
The plan, announced on Wednesday by Amazon China as part of its strategy to boost salesduring China's upcoming Double 11 online shopping festival, is seen as a counterattack toChina's e-commerce king Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, which also pinned its hopes on a"globalization" strategy to break its sales record of 35 billion yuan ($5.73 billion) achievedon Nov 11, 2013.
Niu Yinghua, vice-president of Amazon China, said the multinational e-commerce companyhopes to capitalize on its rich overseas product portfolio and extensive network of suppliersto drive growth in China.
According to Amazon China, customers from China can choose from around 80 millionitems on the six overseas platforms. The purchased goods would be delivered to Chinawithin three days by an express delivery service after completing the necessary customsprocedures.
Niu from Amazon, which runs 13 different sites around the world with online shoppingservices covering 67 countries and regions, said many Chinese e-commerce players want toboost their overseas online shopping business by building partnerships with overseassuppliers.
"No matter how fast they do and how hard they try, it still takes time for them to achievewhat we've achieved," she said, adding Amazon China owns the biggest number of overseassuppliers among direct sales online platforms in China. The company offers 620,000different items from more than 6,000 foreign brands.
Alibaba, which accounts for a combined market share of 80 percent in China's business-to-customer and customer-to-customer market, said earlier this year that more than 200overseas merchants from more than 20 countries have confirmed participation in itsDouble 11 event.
Vanessa Zeng, a senior analyst at Forrester Research Inc, said that it is obvious thatAmazon is trying to power up its e-commerce market position in China with its cross-border strategy.
"The Nov 11 online shopping festival is a good stage for Amazon to showcase its globalreach," Zeng said. However, the lower traffic on Amazon platforms and its different webdesign may not go down well with Chinese buyers, she said.
According to iResearch Consulting Group, Amazon accounted for only 2 percent of China'stotal online market in 2013, which put it in fifth place.
Statistics from Internet consultancy Analysys International show overseas onlinepurchases in China jumped from about 10 billion yuan in 2010 to more than 80 billion in2013.
But Neil Flynn, head equity analyst at Shanghai-based Chineseinvestors, a leading financialanalysis firm of US-listed Chinese companies, said Alibaba will be the most successful e-commerce firm during the upcoming online shopping festival.
"It's very difficult for Amazon to get a strong foothold in China because of the dominance ofAlibaba and JD.com Inc. Amazon has good logistics networks in the larger cities, such asShanghai, but away from these cities, the domestic giants have a clear advantage," Flynnsaid.
"Consumers are used to the styles of Alibaba and JD.com, and the only way for Amazon totake business away from them is to offer better deals," he said.
(Editor:Ma Xiaochun、Huang Jin)
Email|
Print|
Comments twitter facebook Sina Microblog reddit Related reading
Video: English appreciation of China and Chinese booksDigital is just part of the new reality, the new normal for publishersAmazon sued over in-app chargesAmazon to bring AWS to ChinaChina to include App Store, Taobao, Amazon in supervision planAmazon's Kindle to be launched in China in JuneApp store to Kindle interest in deviceChina Telecom signed deal to sell phones onlineAmazon's billion-dollar tax shieldKindle Paperwhite: Amazon's new amazing e-readerWe RecommendU.S. air force transport planes row up on basePost-85s female pilots and their missionCentury-old public bath closes door in BeijingShocking! Photos of Chinese fighters revealedWorld's most intimidating nuclear weaponsStandard faces for each countries in the worldNetizens fall in love with champion swimmer Ning ZetaoVibrant 21-year-old and her own Cheongsam brandFashion style: Faye Wong vs Cecilia CheungName:
