nstagram is not the only platform where e-commerce flourishes, Xiaohongshu is a Chinese platform that has been using marketing tools to generate e-commerce
advancements.
Experts from the field say that when it comes to high-end products sales have started to see a breakthrough as the year has proven to be difficult for the retail industry. While the industry has been at its lowest point, in order to draw customers’s attention, brands have been using heavy discounting on platforms such as Alibaba’s Taobao and PDD Holding’s Pinduoduo. However, Xiaohongshu focuses on an aspirational lifestyle that attracts users who are not price-sensitive.
"Brands really value a following on Xiaohongshu, because the consumption power is totally different," said Suya Wang, an general manager from Early Data. Even more so, Reuters reported that some brands such as L’Oreal and Tapestry’s Coach have recently opened their stores on the platform, investing in partnerships and collaborations with influencers that present the products.
"There is a better chance of us being discovered by the right consumers because this is where people go to research female-oriented lifestyle products," said an investor in the brand Enya, Melody Zhao. Talking about introducing the brand on Xiaohongshu e-commerce, early next year.
It is also worth mentioning that Xiaohongshu was late on the live-streaming sales trend in China, as it all started with Alibaba’s Tmall and Byte Dance's Douyin, incorporating the purchasing functions into the game.
Subscribe to our newsletter
The influencers from the platform tend to have a quieter tone to the conversations when speaking to their viewers, differentiating themselves from fast-talking and high-energy hosts from other platforms.
President of Ms Min, an independent Chinese designer brand that sells sweaters, Ian Hylton, said that the growth from the platform was not expected. The sudden growth is due to their mention in a live stream from the Chinese actress Dong Jie.
"We never approached Xiaohongshu as a selling platform, it was a place to tell our stories and to raise brand awareness," he said. "But when Dong Jie talks about Ms Min, we can sell hundreds of units of an item following a single livestream," Hylton said.
By
Adam Brown
•
December 16, 2024 3:00 PM
.webp)
.webp)
