Internet gift shopping booming in China

By Wang Zhuoqiong and Chen Limin (China Daily) Updated: 2012-10-02 09:22

A booth of Amazon China at the 2012 Shanghai Global Sourcing Fair in June. In September, Amazon China saw a surge in its sales of moon cakes, wine and coupons, which are handed as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. [Photo/China Daily]

But compared with the strong growth of the last few years, the gift industry this year is not particularly vigorous due to the economic slowdown. Many companies and organizations are cutting their gift budgets, said an official surnamed Ao with the China Gift Chamber of Commerce.

"A lot of our members have complained that their sales are not good," Ao said.

Li Yun, a manager at a gift manufacturing company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, said that its profits have declined this year due to the rise of business-to-customer websites, which make prices and costs more transparent.

However the company has still managed to earn more than 5 million yuan a year from making gifts for government organizations, mostly products with Chinese characteristics such as porcelain pieces and silk scarves.

Ao said that many gift companies and agents are gradually becoming redundant as a result of direct online contacts between manufacturers and final customers.

Meanwhile, customers said that the gift industry should improve its levels of quality and creativity.

A manager at a government-related organization, who declined to be named, said that a gift that pleases its customers is not easy to find.

"Our customers have seen almost everything," he said. "So if you want to impress them, you have to give them something unique and useful."

Contact the writers at wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn and chenlimin@chinadaily.com.cn