Paipai launched micro-shop mobile app last month to enable individual merchants to set up mobile online stores on smartphones directly and they could log in the stores with QQ numbers only.
Paipai.com, part of Jingdong from their strategic collaboration with Tencent launched micro-shop platform for both business and individual sellers targeting C2C mobile shopping market in October 2014. Sellers can create mobile store with this platform and share with friends on popular mobile platforms such as WeChat and mobile QQ.
JD.com also integrated its online shopping platform on WeChat. WeChat added a new feature in May 2014 for its official account platform to enable verified WeChat Official service accounts, who have integrated WeChat payment, to set up mobile store easily. Both don’t seem to catch the individual sellers market; that’s where Paipai’s micro-shop comes in play.
Different from other mobile apps for online stores in the market, Paipai mobile selling app registration or login is only for QQ numbers other than mobile phone numbers. In terms of other functions for mobile online stores, Paipai micro-shop owners can display new products, edit their information and then share products in social media, arrange delivery, and receive.
According to Paipai, its mobile sellers receive payment via Tenpay and their seller account can not add bank cards for receiving payments. During the trading on Paipai, once a seller account activates Tenpay account, payment received directly goes to the Tenpay account.
Mobile online stores on smartphones have been booming since the second half of 2013 in China. Koudai has over 12 million mobile stores with over 83 million monthly active users and transaction value of 15.8 billion yuan. Jingdong has Paipai micro-shop and Jingdong micro-shop and they could only be managed on desktop until now that Paipai mobile seller app is available.
Besides, the previous requirement for merchant qualification of Paipai micro-shop and Jingdong micro-shop were higher than others in the market until recently when the bar is lowered to attract more micro-sellers. Paipai’s micro-shop mainly targeted merchants who are already on Paipai e-commerce platform with verified WeChat service official accounts.
The newly-launched Paipai micro-shop mobile app does not require WeChat service official account or verification which can potentially attract many small businesses and individual sellers.