{"id":10417,"date":"2022-06-14T07:30:19","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T07:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=10417"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:39:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:39:47","slug":"how-has-the-pandemic-changed-the-way-people-in-china-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-has-the-pandemic-changed-the-way-people-in-china-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways the pandemic changed how people in China shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can retailers in China navigate the long-term impacts of Covid-19? How can businesses better relate to Gen-Z consumers and use technology to speed up the consumer journey? Insights from KPMG<\/strong> shed light on how businesses in China can meet the challenges of a retail ecosystem dramatically reshaped by a global pandemic<\/h2>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the retail industry forever. Consumers are buying online more than ever before, and when they are shopping in-store, they expect the offline experience to be integrated with the apps and websites they\u2019re using at home. Retailers have not only been forced to respond to growing digital engagement, but also increasing demands for authenticity, sustainability and brands that demonstrate a strong sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe retail brands who have best survived this rapid transition are those who have proven agile in their response to the growing demand for digital engagement,\u201d says Alice Yip, Head of Consumer and Industrial Markets, Hong Kong, KPMG China, commenting on a recent research report. The report, entitled \u2018Retail\u2019s Realignment: The Road Ahead for Omnichannel across the Greater Bay Area,\u2019 offers insight into six key trends that are reshaping retail in China.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Five key China retail trends<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Shopping behaviours have changed for good<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There have been significant changes to the way consumers shop. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been a rapid acceleration of the migration of consumers from physical to digital retail channels. KMPG\u2019s report found that since the beginning of the pandemic, 50% of Hong Kong consumers and 59% of those from Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities \u2013 e.g., Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai \u2013 in mainland China feel more comfortable shopping online.<\/p>\n

Consumers have developed new purchasing habits, with many shoppers choosing not to return to physical stores. Around a quarter of the consumers surveyed by KPMG said they could live without physical stores.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coronavirus is a catalyst, but it is not the critical factor \u2013 the consumer is. They want to change because the online model is significantly superior to the offline model in terms of choice,” says Ricky Wong, vice president and group CEO of HKTVmall.<\/p>\n