E-commerce is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. On today’s episode of The Small Business Show, we’re joined by Sharon Gai, founder of Culture Fluid, author, keynote speaker, and former Head of Global Key Accounts at Alibaba. Sharon’s book, “Ecommerce Reimagined: Retail and Ecommerce in China,” guides the Chinese ecommerce markets for business people and scholars.
China boasts the world’s largest ecommerce adoption rate, with a $5.6 trillion retail sector. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, brands are investing more in growing online sales. Ecommerce Reimagined: Retail and Ecommerce in China, written from the heart of the largest ecommerce platform in the world, aims to provide context for students and academics interested in learning how ecommerce has shaped the Chinese retail space, as well as meet the growing needs of entrepreneurs and businesses hoping to tap into China’s ever-evolving market.
Key Takeaways:
1. Gai’s dual upbringing as a Chinese native and Canadian-raised led her to write her book about the unique Chinese tech ecosystem.
2. Ecommerce Reimagined discusses the idea that the majority of American firms have gone digital, as well as the omnichannel marketing tactics used by companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Google and how they approach branding and customers.
3. The ecommerce sector has a deliberately designed structure for the “crossover” apps like Temu, TikTok Shop, and Shein.
4. Gai claims that her research on “duel firewalls” served as inspiration for her work: The real firewall is the first; the language and cultural divide is the second.
5. The book’s easily comprehensible language makes it useful for American business owners looking to implement improved ecommerce methods.
6. The key factors in selecting an ecommerce platform are following the traffic of your targeted audience and experimenting with the branding you already have.
7. Gai advises entrepreneurs to look at the current trends occurring in real-time and accommodate their strategies to meet the consumers where they’re at.
“If you’re in the SMB e-commerce space, , take note and use my book to improve your online approach." – Sharon Gai