Chinese Shoppers to Snub American Brands on Singles Day
It looks like Singles Day is going to be a gloomy, fruitless day for American brands as 78% of Chinese consumers plan to snub them and opt for local brands, according to a report by consulting firm AlixPartners.
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The report was based on a survey of 2,000+ Chinese adult shoppers that was conducted last month amid Trump’s allegations against China for its unfair trade practices.
As the trade war between China and the U.S. continues to boil, Chinese consumers display deep patriotism by only embracing products that are made in their country, or specifically, not made in the U.S.
“Chinese consumers… prefer local brands, and the recent rise in pro-China feeling has only pushed this further. Local brands have come of age in China; no longer are they scrappy brands with poor product, design, quality, or weak marketing.” – Jason Ong, Director, AlixPartners
Some statistics produced from the report have highlighted this:
“Our survey shows that 78% of respondents think their consumption of American brands will be impacted, and 70% said the trade war will impact their overall purchasing. More than half of respondents (51%) cited national loyalty as the main reason for not buying American brands, over quality (27%), price (16%) and speed of delivery or customs (6%).” – Retail Phenomenon: What Should Businesses Know Ahead of Singles’ Day 2019?, Alix Partners
Ong made it clear, though, that the Chinese are practical consumers and wouldn’t sacrifice quality just to buy local products.
A US retailer’s loss is another retailer’s gain
While steering clear of American brands, the survey respondents say that they’re definitely shopping for other foreign brands on November 11, particularly those from Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
That is especially true for Chinese consumers living in big cities like Beijing and Chengdu. The respondents added that they won’t skimp on products of high quality. In fact, AlixPartners’ report revealed that Chinese consumers are expected to spend 54% more this year.
This will be the 11th year that Singles’ Day has existed and whilst still not truly adopted in the west, when it comes to numbers it absolutely dwarfs Black Friday, as AliBaba over the years have turned it into a festival featuring concerts and celebrity appearances.
If Chinese shoppers are boycotting US brands, what’s your agenda for Singles’ Day? Tell us in the comments below or over in our Facebook Group.
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Dave Furness
Dave is a Co-Founder of eSeller365. For over 10 years he has been involved with eCommerce with a particular interest in the marketplaces and the huge opportunities available for sellers when utilizing a multi-channel strategy. After a year of being the UK’s youngest eCommerce consultant, he built an education platform called UnderstandingE that showed the world how to utilize Magento as the “Third Generation of Multi-Channel software”.
Dave has also created a YouTube channel dedicated to entrepreneurship and eCommerce as well as a podcast dedicated to mental health awareness. When Dave isn’t working his main interests include learning and playing Chess, researching the Crypto and NFT space, and trying to find the nearest beach.