Offline stores turning alluring for online sites

CHINESE e-commerce firms are embracing offline channels after they posted a strong increase in the 618 sales campaign.

JD’s on-demand delivery platform JD Daojia said gross merchandise volume added 4 times from a year ago on June 18 as it connected with nearly 100,000 offline supermarkets and retailers in 40 cities on the Chinese mainland.

JD’s online sales from June 1 to June 18 totaled 159.2 billion yuan (US$24.6 billion), and as high as 90 percent of orders fulfilled by JD were delivered within 24 hours.

US retail giant Walmart, which holds a stake in JD.com, saw sales quadrupled via JD Daojia as online payment and the widespread delivery network ensures the buyers get their purchases delivered to their doorstep.

Suning Commerce Co said transaction size as of 6pm local time on Monday added 1.2 times from a year ago and the best selling merchandise included smartphones, food and beverage and air conditioners while consumer preferred top brands Apple, Haier and Midea.

Suning also said that sales revenue from its neighborhood stores and convenience stores grew 30 percent.

Alibaba teamed up with over 70 shopping malls nationwide and offered coupons for offline shoppers, and its brick-and-mortar affiliates including InTime, Hema Supermarket and RT Mart supermarkets also took part.