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Online shopping for daily necessities in China is set to become mainstream

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Online purchases of daily consumablesin China is expected to undergo steady growth as more consumers aged 30 and above shop over the internet. A Tokyo employee of Wandou, which ranked as one of most downloaded shopping apps in China in June. Photo: Bloomberg

Alice Woodhouse

Published: 7:43pm, 26 Oct 2016Updated: 11:01pm, 26 Oct 2016

Online sales of packaged foods, alcoholic drinks and personal care products in China are expected to continue its explosive growth trajectory, thanks to a key demographic that is relying more on e-commerce for their daily necessities, a survey has found.

A survey of 4,600 people across 16 Chinese cities by consultancy OC&C found more consumers aged between 30 and 50 said they would turn to online shopping for shampoo and other daily necessities in the coming six months than those aged between 18 and 29.

Jack Chuang, partner, Greater China, OC&C Strategy Consultants, said convenience and price were factors in the shift to online shopping.

“The growing middle class want to save money on everyday consumables so they can use these savings towards a better lifestyle including for dining out or buying international fashion brands,” Chuang said.

Alibaba expects to surpass the record US$14.3 billion in sales it made on Singles’ Day in 2015 . Photo: Bloomberg

China’s online spending on fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) -- the category spanning infant formula, to soft drinks, and beauty products --stands at more than US$25.3 billion, up from US$1.4 billion in 2010, according to Euromonitor International.