Freshly Clicked in East Asia

6 November 2016

Tesco's "Freshly Clicked" slogan uses just two words to convey an image of the ideal online grocery shopping experience.  But how far is it possible to go?  Are there any groceries that we wouldn't entrust to an internet order?

One thing I've experienced from many years of living in East Asia is how shopping culture feels different to that in the West.  For example, it's quite normal in Thailand to find shops that are dedicated to a combination of stationary and sporting goods (though not sportswear) – I've never managed to understand why, except to say "that's the way the market has developed".  And there's also the tendency of shops in Chinese cities to cluster together rather than spread out so that, for example, if you want to buy a light fitting you go to the street in the city where all the light fitting shops are. I guess it's no surprise that "what's normal" can mean quite different things for East Asian online shoppers and European ones. 

So, back to "Freshly Clicked" – would you buy a cup of tea online?  How about a freshly killed fish, ready to cook for dinner tonight?  Maybe not in the UK, but you can buy them in China (see screenshots below). 

To be able to order a cup of "bubble tea" online through a third-party site, and have it delivered to you quick enough to quench your thirst needs and still be the right temperature (whether hot or iced) – that's quite a service!  The same goes for ordering fresh fish – the customer is placing incredibly high demands on the provider in terms of speed, delivery time and freshness, and these demands are pushing businesses to new levels of service.

Online grocery shopping is one example of just how high service expectations are for online sales in China and the rest of East Asia (see our Base Formula case study for another example from the FMCG sector). Whatever your product, if you're thinking about selling online in Asia you're going to need expert help.  We can help assess your needs and introduce you to trusted specialist partners who can get you into the right marketplaces, with all the logistical support you'll need.

By Matthew Grandage, Chamber International’s Associate for China Affairs (pictured right). 

Contact him at matthewg@chamber-international.com and follow @ChamberIntChina