In 2012, the number of China online shopping users reached 220 million, far exceeding 150 million in the U.S according to eMarketer. It is estimated that there will be 423.4 million internet users who make at least one purchase in 2016.
In 2011, China B2C e-commerce market (including online retailing and travel booking) was USD55.37 billion, and the growth was 103.7% compared with that in 2010. In 2012, the total transactions will reach USD107.5 billion, exceeding that of 2011 by 94.1%.
China is the second largest B2C e-commerce market in Asia, only second to Japan. China will likely surpass Japan and replace UK to be the second in the world.
These statistics represent both challenges and opportunities for foreign brands. China has great potential in online consumptions. Local enterprises are taking control of market shares in most online channels like search engines and social media, which foreign brands are not so familiar with. Also, the problem of fake and inferior products, price wars and rising supply chain cost could make new entries more difficult.