Updated: Jun 19, 2024
In China, young urban households residing in higher-tier cities with higher incomes represent the largest group of e-commerce shoppers. These are households with incomes exceeding RMB 7,000 per month. Online purchases made by this tier of young urban households belonging to Tier 1 to Tier 3 cities contribute 53%,58% and 52% of online retail revenue. Check out our infographic, “Chinese Online Shopping Trends”, to know more about the online shopping trends in China per household and other pertinent details.
Infographic by- GO Globe Hong Kong
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Percentage Of Households That Made An Online Purchase At Least Once A Year
Year | Tier 1 Cities | Tier 2 Cities | Tier 3 Cities | Tier 4 cities | Tier 5 Cities |
2011 | 34% | 19% | 17% | 18% | 13% |
2012 | 41% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 18% |
2013 | 47% | 31% | 28% | 26% | 20% |
Online Purchase Frequency Per Year Per Household
Year | Tier 1 Cities | Tier 2 Cities | Tier 3 Cities | Tier 4 cities | Tier 5 Cities |
2011 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
2012 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
2013 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
Around 80% of shoppers shopped online about 4 times a year, which contributed to 40% of China’s total online spending. Gonzo’s Quest.
Men were found to spend significantly more on individual items than women. On average men spent RMB2,163 as apposed RMB1,314 spent by women.
28% of respondents opted for online shopping to find something unique. This percentage increased to 41% for people aged 25 or less.
Major Concerns Of Online Shoppers In China
Major Concerns | %age |
Authenticity of items sold online | 78% |
Not being able to test out products before buying them | 70% |
Fears that products shown online would differ from those delivered | 48% |
After-sales services | 41% |
Complicated return procedures | 37% |
Group buying (called Tuan Gou in China) experienced the fastest growth among all the main types of internet usage. Group buying increased up to 68.9% in 2013.
Revenues from online purchases on international sites by the Chinese increased to RMB74.4 billion (US$12.5 billion) in 2013, from RMB12 billion in 2010. This figure is estimated to reach RMB 140 billion (US$22.68 billion) in 2014.
Online payments increased by 17.9% in 2013 and drove huge growth in online shopping.
Mobile shopping via smartphones and tablets accounts for 28.9% (almost 1 out of every 3 internet users) of the total online shopping population.
Online travel reservation is the area that has experienced the second fastest growth, among all of the areas of Chinese internet usage. Online travel reservation revenues have gone up by 61.9% in 2013, when compared to 2012 revenues.
Top 10 Provinces By Estimated Number Of Online Shopping Orders In 2013
Province | Number Of Orders (In Thousands) |
Guangdong | 956958 |
Jiangsu | 644764 |
Shandong | 575499 |
Zhejiang | 574933 |
Hebei | 411171 |
Henan | 371169 |
Hubei | 338386 |
Fujian | 338122 |
Hunan | 329912 |
Sichuan | 324188 |