China: a trend setter in the world of retail?
According to statistics published in the official journal of Paris Retail Week , 94% of Chinese people (compared to 77% of Americans and 74% of French people) want to be free to make a purchase at any time, wherever they are (on public transport, at work, at home, during their leisure time). In addition, 91% of Chinese people (compared to 57% of French people and 65% of Americans) think that chatbots – conversational assistants – will make their lives easier. Finally, 91% of Chinese people (compared to 80% of French people and 71% of Americans) are more attentive to the impact of the products they buy (environment, energy, waste). The Chinese are by far the first to follow new retail trends , and even to impose them, no wonder they occupied a very important place at the European Global Event for Retail Professionals.
Amazon 's two main competitors, Alibaba and JD.com , were present, not only as exhibitors but also as speakers. The retail strategies they propose are (slightly) different from each other: Alibaba claims to have gone beyond omnichannel and defends its flagship concept, New Retail , while JD.com follows the logical pace of strategies and adopts Smart Phygital .
As exhibition stands, Alibaba and JD.com have established themselves thanks to their in-store innovations , especially with touchscreen displays . The concept is to be able to test as many products as you want digitally , without trying them on physically. For example, one of the displays offered cosmetics and makeup products. You simply had to stand in front of the display as if it were a mirror and select the products and shades you wanted to see on your face. Even if this tool is not essential in a store, it can be a good idea and allow for online-offline relays . With the help of this display, there is the possibility of trying a large number of products, from the brand of your choice and avoiding the inconveniences associated with beauty products.
China definitely has a different pace when it comes to innovations in the retail world compared to the rest of the world. During his conference, the Alibaba representative challenged the audience by proclaiming that, compared to China, Europe has remained in the "stone age of payment solutions." China has super-apps such as Wechat or Alipay , which allow users to do everything: buy, transfer money, read articles, etc. Basically, these are two applications to replace all those of competitors like Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp, etc. which are banned in China. Certainly, Wechat and Alipay represent digital and technological advances , but above all they target a closed and very little regulated circuit, preventing other major players from having the same pace.
