CONSUMERS on the Chinese mainland are more likely than their overseas counterparts to shop online and this trend will push traditional retailers toward a multi-channel business model, according to a survey.

They are nearly four times as often to make online purchases as those in continental Europe, and twice as often as those in the US and UK, according to the online survey among over 7,000 consumers globally by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a global auditing firm.

Up to 70 percent of the 905 mainland respondents said they shop online at least once a week while 86 percent considered themselves sophisticated shoppers, compared with 69 percent globally.

The mainland consumers buy 60 to 65 percent of their clothing, footwear, books, music and films online rather than in physical stores. Seventy percent of them make online purchases across all categories, compared with only 40 percent of their western counterparts.

PwC said retailers will have to further embrace multi-channel concept and to be successful, they need to fully integrate the physical store, online site, mobile, catalogue and call center to provide a seamless shopping experience.

Carrie Yu, PwC's retail and consumer leader for China and Asia Pacific, said the functions of the physical retail stores may change in the future.

China said it aims to double its e-commerce sales to 18 trillion yuan (US$2.86 trillion) by the end of 2015.

Source:shanghaidaily.com