Shopping via mobile devices continues to make inroads with consumers while e-shopping is increasingly penetrating Chinas third- and fourth-tier cities, according to a report issued by the independent research firm iResearch, alizila.com reports.
Statistics from the countrys National Bureau of Statistics showed that online shopping in 2014 accounted for 10.7% of total retail sales of consumer goods, posting a double-digit share for the first time. The same reports predicts that, by 2017, Chinas online shopping market will maintain a compound growth rate of about 27%.
As Chinese consumers become more discerning, they are increasingly buying online from big merchants and brands. B2C will make up more than half the market in 2015. Alibaba Groups Tmall.com shopping website expanded its lead in the B2C market in 2014, with a growing market share to more than 60%.
In 2013, Tmall captured 52.1% of the B2C market, while JD.com, had an 18.3% share. Mobile shopping grew at a much faster rate (240%) than the e-shopping market as a whole, with a predicted m-commerce GMV reaching CNY 4 trillion (USD 644 billion) in 2018.
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