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New Survey Puts Taobao on Top(China IT Watch Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)BEIJING, May 12, 2006 (SinoCast China IT Watch via COMTEX) --The latest survey of Chinese IT research firm CNNIC, China Internet Network Information Center, shows that by March 2006, there were 2 million shoppers on C2C sites in three major metropolitan areas of China. Those areas are Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and their numbers account for 16.2 percent of the total Internet users in China. The report, called "2006 China C2C Online Shopping Survey Report", says that of the three polled cities, Shanghai's online shoppers include the highest percentage of shoppers among all Internet users, accounting for 18.5 percent. And that of Beijing and Guangzhou are 17.5 percent and 11.5 percent respectively. The result shows that the C2C sites in China are in fierce competition, with Taobao.com taking up 67.3 percent of market share, eBay Eachnet 29.1 percent, Paipai 2.2 percent and 1pai 1.4 percent. The survey reveals that the shopping habits of C2C users is different than B2C users. It found that most consumers use C2C sites to buy clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, computers and mobile phone. And female shoppers take a significant role in C2C shopping. The survey was administered by Lu Bowang, a renowned Chinese Internet analyst and senior consultant from CNNIC. In terms of Taobao's latest financial report, Taobao.com saw an online transaction volume of CNY 1 billion last year, taking firmly the first place of China's customer-to-customer websites. This is the first time for a Chinese e-commerce website that has brought sales of CNY 1 billion to pass in a single quarter. Such figure indicates that China's e-commerce market has got into the high gears. Up to now, Taobao has received total online subscribers of 6 million, with more than 7 million of online commodities. And it has become the biggest and safest online shopping website. Chang Songling, director of China E-commerce Association, says that China's e-commerce market has a year-on-year increase of 40 percent, and the number will hit 50 percent in the coming years. Opposed to CNY 800 sales of eBayEachnet, Taobao is slightly ahead of its biggest rival in China's customer-to-customer market. And Taobao even has got a big head start compared to other customer-to-customer websites in Asia such as South Korea's InternetAuction, with less than 5 million selection, and Yahoo Japan, with a commodity category of 5 million. From the outset, Taobao has been sticking free policy, in contrast to eBayEachnetEachnet's charging approach. A large number of eBayEachnet's users have made a turnaround to Taobao so far. Online payment security is the uppermost concern of Internet users. Taobao has come up with securer solutions for its subscribers by joining hands with the big four Chinese state-owned commercial banks. Latest statistics from international research firm iResearch indicates that last year China's online auction marketf saw an increase of 217.8 percent, with a transaction volume of CNY 3.4 billion. And the research firm forecasts that the market will hug an increase of 84 percent by 2008. In face of such potential market, Taobao has been improving each shining hour for further expansion. It has teamed up with Sohu.com, one of the big three Chinese Internet portals. And it also paled up with VISA. From Shanghai Morning Post, Page 1, Thursday, May 11, 2006 [email protected] |