China's e-commerce spawns new patterns to boost consumption

New consumption patterns are evolving in China's e-commerce sector as social media platforms offer specialized online shopping services to attract more consumers, injecting vitality into the country's online retail sales.

Traditionally, buyers would first search for goods and then place orders on online shopping platforms, but social media platforms have brought in another way to attract customers.

The "interest e-commerce" mode on Douyin, China's short-video and e-commerce platform, has shown the potential to lure prospective buyers with its video and streaming content.

In this mode, while watching livestream on Douyin, users may come across videos introducing goods that pique their interest. By simply tapping on the screen, they can jump to a shopping webpage to purchase goods displayed in the video, creating a seamless shopping experience.

The "interest e-commerce" mode does not neglect the quality of goods but rather piques the users' interest in them. The snappier approach also grants the products more exposure and reinforces their brand image, according to Douyin.

Thanks to this shopping mode, as of April 2022, the number of users shopping on Douyin increased by 69 percent, the search for goods surged by 217 percent, and the repurchase rate increased by 76 percent, all on a year-on-year basis.

Kuaishou, another Chinese short-video platform, has also developed its e-commerce strategy with a unique user community. Here, live chat rooms serve as a connecting point between consumers and shop owners.

"In live chat rooms, shop owners can quickly understand consumer demands and interests as well as introduce goods and services," said Wang Yiqing, who works with Kuaishou.

"Livestreaming hosts, consumers and shop owners share their daily life and are drawn to communities they feel familiar with. Approachable communication and a sense of participation are more engaging compared to simple product description webpages," Wang added.