Web Wednesday

October 22, 2021

SCMP China Internet Report 2021

The autumn is fast upon us and it’s time to curl up with a warm cup of Tie Guan Yin to learn about the latest SCMP report on the state of the internet in China.

Over the last twelve months, China has not only added 85 million internet users but also cracked down on a wide sway of dominant technology players, erasing US$1 trillion in valuation.

Even with all these worrying headlines, China’s tech entrepreneurs continue to pioneer, launching new business models in AI, blockchain, digital marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, gaming, payment, smart cars and 5G.

You’re invited to join this free webinar at 5-6pm on Wednesday 27th October for a live, zoom-side chat with John Artman, Technology Editor at the South China Morning Post.

Pre-register for Zoom video call details here.

Given that the full report is over 138 pages long, John and I will use the 60-minute interview to focus on the overall consumer economy and how technology is helping to shape it, from addressing new audiences, like the Sheconomy and Sinking Markets, to launching new digitally-savvy brands on the metaverse and expanding into South East Asia.

The interview will continue as a typical "fireside chat" for 60 minutes and then I will facilitate 20-30 minutes of questions; one condition, show your face when you ask the question as it's more compelling to see your expression and hear your voice! See you on Zoom at 5pm on Wednesday 27th October, 2021.

April 28, 2021

TMall Hong Kong Mobile App

The TMall Hong Kong marketplace will be available through the Taobao mobile app. At the very top right hand corner (see orange square), you can toggle between "cross-border" (跨境) and "local" (本地).

The second orange box outlines the categories which, for the moment, cover fashion clothing and accessories (潮流服飾), cosmetics（美妝護理）, electronics （電子電器）, home supplies （家居家品）and snacks (零食百貨).

As you'd expect from any marketplace worth it socks, there are daily promotions and selected stores are brought to the user's attention. This is sure to become the main banner ad!

Upon selecting "local", you are invited to link your accounts and pull all your data, including delivery addresses, across from Taobao to the TMall HK account. You are reminded of all the main benefits:\

7-day "no questions asked" returns (7天無憂退）
Delivered locally (本地送貨）
Free pick-up or delivery on reaching purchase threshold (滿額免運）
Brand authenticity （品牌正品）

Note that, under the big red "register now" button, there is the option to opt-out from sharing your personal data with TMall HK for targeted "advertising activities", which is sure to grow into a healthy source of additional revenues for Alibaba.

Learning from their mainland experience, flash sales will be a major attraction. Expect the daily commute to be full of people snatching up the daily discounts of 50%+ off!

But, unlike many local players (e.g. Fortress), delivery costs will be charged at HK$40 for self-collection and HK$80 for delivery, unless you reach the payment threshold of HK$199 and HK$399 respectively.

Have a go and let us know what you think.

TMall Hong Kong Speaks at Web Wednesday

Hope you're faring well and are enjoying vaccine-induced freedom, at least mentally.

The battle for online marketplaces, which has already hit the rest of South East Asia, is coming to Hong Kong! The Alibaba Group will be launching TMall Hong Kong (天猫香港) in May 2021 and is eagerly recruiting merchants, advertisers and buyers. (See official press release).

For our 133rd Web Wednesday (5-6pm on Weds 28th April), we have the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Gai, Director of Global Key Accounts for the Alibaba Group.

Reserve your spot on Zoom now, pre-register here.

As Chinese internet firms have become the global pioneers in ecommerce, we will cover a wide range of topics, including:

The phenomenal growth of online marketplaces and the role that Alibaba plays, with TMall Global, AliExpress, Lazada and, now, TMall HK.
The evolution of the online shopping experience, from desktop to mobile, static catalogue to live streaming.
The role of a local marketplace and how merchants can benefit from branded stores, recommendations and reviews, sales events, targeted advertising and local delivery support.
Ease of payment, encouraged by spending rewards.
O2O: using e-shops to drive business to offline stores, and vice versa.
Data: who owns it and how to extract value

If you're a merchant looking to set up shop on TMall Hong Kong, either email us or visit the TMall Hong Kong merchant portal, currently only available in Chinese (See screenshot below).

January 14, 2021

2020 Interviews (Podcasts)

WebWednesday · 2020 Interviews @ Web Wednesday

2020 Interviews (Videos)

August 28, 2020

China Internet Report - Deep Dive at Web Wednesday (V128)

You're invited to join us for another "Wirtual Web Wednesday" on Zoom!

With the accelerated Balkanisation of the internet, no better a time to dive deep into life on the internet in China. We'll take a look at the behaviours and habits born of the latest technological advances in China, from love to learning, finance to food, music to medicine and sharing to shopping.

We are honoured to be interviewing Joey Liu, Lead Author of the "China Internet Report 2020 by SCMP Research" and Senior Manager, Strategy & Special Projects at the South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd.

Pre-register here in order to avoid the Zoom waiting room pile up!

Discount for SCMP China Internet Report 2020 (Pro Version)

As a special offer to Web Wednesday members for the upcoming interview at 5pm on Sept 9th (event invite to come), SCMP Research, a new division of the South China Morning Post, is offering a 30% discount for the China Internet Report 2020.