Sales sizzle ahead of Spring Fest

Zhang Zhouping, a senior analyst on business-to-business and cross-border activities at the Internet Economy Institute, a domestic consultancy, said Chinese shoppers have demonstrated rising demand for diversified, personalized and niche overseas products that represent new lifestyles, and are paying more attention to the value of the products they buy.

Cross-border e-commerce has played a significant role in enriching product supply and bolstering the recovery of consumption, Zhang said, calling for greater efforts to further optimize the list of imported retail goods for cross-border online purchases.

He added that selection of products and logistics are the most important factors Chinese consumers consider while buying imported products. Cross-border e-commerce platforms that can offer diverse products at competitive prices, fast delivery and good shopping experiences will gain an upper hand amid the fierce competition.

"The penetration rate of cross-border e-commerce in smaller cities and townships has been increasing in the past few years," said Chen Tao, an analyst with internet consultancy Analysys in Beijing.

Tapping into the consumption potential and upgrading channels and services in lower-tier cities and rural areas are the key measures required to fuel a recovery in consumption in the nation, Chen said.

Cross-border online shopping via livestreaming videos — a quick way for domestic consumers to find detailed information on overseas products — has become popular among the post-1980s and post-1990s generations of shoppers, he said.

Market consultancy iiMedia Research said China's further opening-up, gradual improvement in logistics and deliveries and rising demand for imported goods will provide a big push to consumption upgrade.

Li Yanchuan, head of Amazon Global Store Asia-Pacific and Amazon Singapore e-commerce, said the cross-border shopping behavior of Chinese consumers has undergone significant changes.

"They are no longer simply purchasing low-priced commodities, but paying more attention to online shopping search experiences, the process of customs clearance, logistics and after-sales service," Li said.

He highlighted that young Chinese consumers, especially Gen Z, think and judge independently while choosing brands, and prefer to pursue niche lifestyles and personalized products.

Li said sales of fishing, skiing, camping and other outdoor sporting equipment have witnessed rapid growth, while virtual reality equipment, hand-drip coffee products, tableware and kitchen utensils with unique designs have been favored by Chinese shoppers in recent years.

Online cross-border shopping orders are still mainly being placed in the biggest cities, but residents in second and third-tier cities have shown rapidly growing purchasing power, Li added.