MELBOURNE, Australia, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — An industry-first study by global ecommerce accelerator, Pattern, has shown that despite their surging popularity, Australian consumers hold negative views on the quality of the products sold on emerging marketplaces Temu and Shein.

The major Australian marketplace shopper study uncovered Australian consumers’ perceptions of the seven largest marketplace platforms: Amazon, eBay, Catch, Kogan, Temu, MyDeal, and Shein.

Temu was ranked as the lowest marketplace in perceived product quality at only 7%, followed by Shein, with just 8% of shoppers expressing trust in its product quality. This contrasts with a majority of shoppers saying that they trusted the quality of the products sold on Amazon.

“Temu and Shein have burst onto the Australian ecommerce landscape, attracting large numbers of younger shoppers. However, these platforms still have to play a lot of catch-up to win over Australian consumers, who didn’t rate them highly for product quality, returns, and convenience,” said Merline McGregor, General Manager of Pattern Australia.

“With a transparent product rating and review system built into its platform that educates and builds shopper trust, Amazon has become the most trusted marketplace in Australia in relation to the quality of products it sells. This is an area where Amazon leads the sector at 58%, with eBay trailing at 39%, followed by Catch (25%), Kogan (19%) and MyDeal (11%).”

Marketplaces attract shoppers as cost-of-living pressures bite

As cost-of-living pressures rise, Australian consumers are increasingly turning to marketplaces to research, compare, and purchase. A large majority of Australians shopped on a marketplace in 2023, with a staggering 94% planning to buy from platforms like Amazon, Catch, and eBay over the coming year.

“With strained household budgets, marketplaces are attracting an increasing number of shoppers with their easy-to-use price comparison functionalities and sales events. With its globally recognised Prime Day event gaining popularity in Australia, Amazon has become the leading marketplace for value-for-money purchases, attracting 48% shoppers, followed by eBay at 41% and Catch at 27%,” said McGregor.

Not only are marketplaces attracting higher volumes of shoppers, but they are more likely to secure high income shoppers in 2024. Today, over 80% of $200K earning households shop on Amazon. Even newer marketplaces like Shein attract high income consumers, with 34% of those in the $160–$199k household income bracket buying from the platform in the past 12 months. 

Amazon wins for convenience and returns

Amazon outperforms all other marketplaces in relation to ease-of-use shopping, with 56% of consumers highlighting it was the most convenient platform to buy from, compared with eBay (46%) and Catch (23%).

This can be attributed to Amazon’s Prime membership benefits, where shoppers get free, fast shipping and the platform’s advanced search and recommendation algorithms that personalise the shopping experience.

Given the sophisticated supply chain infrastructure it has established in Australia, 49% of shoppers also said Amazon has the most reliable returns process – significantly more compared to any other single marketplace.

Brands need to be present on platforms with biggest product ranges

Just over 60% of Australian shoppers believe Amazon has the widest product range, followed by eBay at 52%. All other platforms lagged – Catch, 20%, Temu, 17%, Kogan 14%, Shein, 11% and MyDeal 8%. Offering the most product variety and options also buys marketplaces the highest web clicks, with Amazon averaging 75.2 million monthly site visits and eBay 50.9 million.

“It’s no surprise there’s a direct correlation between marketplaces perceived to have the best product ranges and those platforms, like Amazon, that attract the highest volumes of web traffic. Brands need to be present where their shoppers are. While the larger marketplaces may have more competition, they also have the biggest audiences of potential shoppers to target,” concluded McGregor. 

For more information and to download the full report please click here: ‘Australian Marketplace Consumer Trends Report – 2024‘

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Research Methodology 

Pattern worked with OnePoll to survey 1,000 Australian consumers. Responses were collected online, and the survey was restricted to adults who had shopped online in the previous 12 months ensuring there was a representative sample of age, gender and location achieved.

About Pattern Inc 

Pattern is the category leader in global ecommerce and marketplace acceleration. Since 2013, Pattern has profitably grown to more than 1,100 employees operating from 22 global locations – including Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast – to help leading brands achieve accelerated growth on D2C websites and global marketplaces. As well as being one of the largest Amazon sellers in the world, we are also present on Tmall, JD.com, eBay and other marketplaces. We act as the authorised Amazon seller to more than 200 brands globally, buying their stock to sell on the marketplace and taking care of every aspect of their Amazon presence. In 2018, Pattern acquired Practicology, a global digital consultancy and agency with a presence and strong client base in Australia. For more information, visit https://au.pattern.com/.

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Guizhou event showcases ethnic cultures and province’s charming vibrancy

GUIYANG, China, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Publicity Department of the CPC Guiyang Municipal Committee:

Moved by the cheerful rhythm of song and dressed in a traditional costume, Chen Chuanqian, along with many others from different ethnic groups, sang and danced in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China’s Guizhou province. At 9:30 am on May 18, thousands of people from various ethnic groups from all over Guizhou gathered and paraded in Guiyang. Wearing different costumes, they assembled on a parade square, playing a traditional musical instrument known as the lusheng (reed-pipe flute), banging gongs and drums, and singing and dancing.

The parade route stretched more than 2 kilometers in the downtown area and served as a “mobile grand stage” for showcasing the ethnic cultures’ diversity.

Hu Xiaohua, a 56-year-old resident at the front of the crowd, enjoyed the show, saying that “I’m particularly impressed seeing such a grand event in the central urban area.”

The event’s director, Tang Huang, says that, themed around ethnic unity and collective celebration, the carnival not only focused on showcasing the colorful ethnic cultures of Guizhou, but was also aimed to let more people see the open, confident and vibrant side of Guizhou.

In addition to the carnival, Guiyang caters to younger tourists by incorporating various activities like city walks, a unique way to experience urban culture and lifestyle, vintage markets and trendy exhibitions.

Abundant in tourism resources, Guizhou features attractive natural scenery and rich ethnic customs. The province boasts internationally renowned sites, such as the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun and the Xiaoqikong (seven small arches) scenic area in Libo county, as well as diverse forms of ethnic intangible cultural heritage.

With an average altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level, Guizhou has pleasant summer temperatures averaging 22.3 C and more than 55 percent of the province is covered by forests, making it one of the country’s best summer tourist destinations.

The grand parade celebration held in Guiyang was part of the countdown city relay for China Tourism Day, which fell on Sunday and is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Celebrations were conducted in six cities — Guiyang, Chaozhou, Guangdong province; Shenyang, Liaoning province; Shijiazhuang, Hebei province; Ningbo, Zhejiang province; and Ordos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

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BANGKOK, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — One Bangkok, a fully integrated smart and sustainable district jointly developed by TCC Assets (Thailand) and Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Company Limited, has announced a partnership with Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Co., Ltd, Japan’s largest department store group. This strategic collaboration marks a significant advancement for both parties and will shape the future of Bangkok’s retail and office business. The joint venture revolves around two key elements: developing and operating the first Mitsukoshi supermarket and food hall in Thailand and co-investing in One Bangkok Office Tower 4 solidifying One Bangkok’s position as a global destination, which will attract top-level businesspeople, investors, and tourists, both local and international.

Aiming at setting a new standard for Bangkok’s food and grocery shopping experience, providing indulgent world-class selections for One Bangkok dwellers and all food enthusiasts, a one-of-a-kind “Depachika” concept supermarket and food hall will be located within One Bangkok Retail. The acclaimed food destination will span over 4,600 square meters on basement level 1 of the Parade, offering discerning customers an immersive and tantalising culinary experience. Foodies and shoppers can expect a comprehensive range of international and local brands, including high-quality fresh produce, meat, and fish market from exclusive farmer networks, as well as from trusted Japanese producers. On top of the supermarket assortment, the food hall invites shoppers to taste their favourite treats and meals from well-known and never-before-seen Japanese brands, pastry boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. This will bring together fully integrated and superior shopping experiences under ‘The Rhythmic Experience’ concept of the Parade, solidifying One Bangkok Retail as a must-visit destination.

Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Frasers Property Limited, emphasises the significance of this partnership, stating, “We are pleased to forge a strategic alliance with Isetan Mitsukoshi, a globally renowned company with a 350-year legacy. Their decision to bring a distinctive Japanese culinary experience courtesy of Mitsukoshi to One Bangkok will enhance our mixed retail tenants as a key anchor, giving an immersive authentic Japanese tradition and experience to Thai residents and international visitors. Uniquely, our joint venture goes beyond the enhancement of retail landscape but extends to co-investment in One Bangkok Office Tower 4 signifying significant steps towards our vision of creating a new urban core that enhances Bangkok’s business and lifestyle offerings.”

Toshiyuki Hosoya, President and CEO of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., expressed his excitement for the joint venture with One Bangkok that “As we target customers from around the world, Asia is considered a highly significant region for us. Thailand especially has strong ties with Japan and a large customer base which appreciates the quality of Japanese products and shares the values held by Isetan Mitsukoshi’s Department Store and we believe that Bangkok has a high potential to drive the value even further. The One Bangkok project, with its progressive approach in all aspects, including design and sustainability, aligns perfectly with our company’s vision and exemplifies the innovative, forward-thinking development we aim to be part of. By bringing our long-established culture and tradition, we are confident that Isetan Mitsukoshi will enrich the One Bangkok project, offering a unique and valuable experience.”

The partnership between One Bangkok and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings extends to a co-investment in One Bangkok Office Tower 4, underscoring the district’s appeal to global office business, strengthening its ability to attract leading local and international companies with a preference for premium office space, placing high importance on employee well-being, sustainability, and smart technology. This strategic partnership and combined vision of One Bangkok and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings promises to reshape Bangkok’s future as an economic hub on the global stage.

About One Bangkok

One Bangkok is a fully integrated smart and sustainable district in the heart of Bangkok, with an investment value of over THB 120 billion in total land area of 108 rai. Located at the corner of Wireless Road and Rama 4 Road with direct linkages to the city’s burgeoning mass transit systems, One Bangkok comprises workplaces of the future, a new retail loop, luxury residences, five-star hospitality, a world-class LIVE entertainment arena, the presence of art and culture, and vast, welcoming public realm that covers 50 rai of the district. Well-equipped with Smart City and sustainable infrastructure, One Bangkok is the first LEED for Neighborhood Development Platinum project in Thailand and striving to obtain WELL Building Standard for supporting human health and wellness.

About Frasers Property Limited

Frasers Property Limited (“Frasers Property” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Frasers Property Group” or the “Group”), is a multi-national developer-owner-operator of real estate products and services across the property value chain. Listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”) and headquartered in Singapore, the Group has total assets of approximately S41 billion as at 31 March 2024.

Frasers Property’s multi-national businesses operate across five asset classes, namely, residential, retail, commercial and business parks, hospitality, industrial and logistics, residential and retail. The Group has businesses in Southeast Asia, Australia, the EU, the UK and China, and its well-established hospitality business owns and/or operates serviced apartments and hotels in over 20 countries and more than 70 cities across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Frasers Property is also the sponsor of two real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and one stapled trust listed on the SGX-ST. Frasers Centrepoint Trust and Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust are focused on retail, and industrial & commercial properties, respectively. Frasers Hospitality Trust (comprising Frasers Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust and Frasers Hospitality Business Trust) is a stapled trust focused on hospitality properties. In addition, the Group has two REITs listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Frasers Property (Thailand) Public Company Limited is the sponsor of Frasers Property Thailand Industrial Freehold & Leasehold REIT, which is focused on industrial & logistics properties in Thailand, and Golden Ventures Leasehold Real Estate Investment Trust, which is focused on commercial properties.

The Group is committed to inspiring experiences and creating places for good for its stakeholders. By acting progressively, producing and consuming responsibly, and focusing on its people, Frasers Property aspires to raise sustainability ideals across its value chain, and build a more resilient business. It is committed to be a net-zero carbon corporation by 2050. Building on its heritage as well as leveraging its knowledge and capabilities, the Group aims to create lasting shared value for its people, the businesses and communities it serves. Frasers Property believes in the diversity of its people and are invested in promoting a progressive, collaborative, and respectful culture.

For more information on Frasers Property, please visit frasersproperty.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About TCC Assets (Thailand) Company Limited

TCC Assets (Thailand) Company Limited (TCC Assets), established in 2013, is a fully integrated property development company, with a registered capital of 30 billion baht. It is part of the TCC Group, one of the most well-known companies in Thailand. TCC Assets’ investment model focuses on creating added value to assets through product and service development. TCC Assets, subsidiary company, and affiliated company focus on the development of residential real estate projects, office building and retail space, along with hotel business and services related to IT.

For more information on TCC Assets, please visit  www.tccassets.com

About Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. is one of Japan’s largest corporate groups among companies engaged in the department store business with 20 department stores and approximately 130 small to medium sized stores in Japan as well as 25 stores outside Japan under four renowned brands: Mitsukoshi, Isetan, Iwataya, and Marui Imai.  Mitsukoshi has a very long history in retail business since 1673. It was the first company in Japan to declare itself a department store in 1904.By providing reliable quality and service from our long history, we have earned the trust and confidence from customers not only in Japan, but from around the world. In recent years, through a variety of initiatives, we aim to connect our strengths of brands, customers, human resources, real estate, domestic and overseas stores, and business through the power of IT, stores, and people to create the new era of retail business.

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BEIJING, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit on May 22.

It is hoped that all walks of life in the two countries will take this summit as an opportunity to have in-depth exchanges, build consensus, and take active actions to promote personnel exchanges through tourism cooperation, continue China-U.S. friendship with cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and help the San Francisco vision turn into reality, Xi said.

Xi’s message fully demonstrated the importance he attaches to China-U.S. relations, conveyed his expectation to deepen China-U.S. tourism cooperation, and expounded on the significance of tourism cooperation in promoting stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, charting the course for the two countries to strengthen tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

For any great cause to succeed, it must take root in the people, gain strength from the people, and be accomplished by the people. Growing China-U.S. friendship is such a great cause.

Xi has repeatedly emphasized the significance of strengthening non-governmental friendship and people-to-people exchanges in developing bilateral relations between China and the United States. He has interacted with people from all walks of life in the U.S. for multiple times, aiming to foster a new chapter in non-governmental friendship between the two peoples.

Last November, Xi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden met with each other in San Francisco and laid out a future-oriented “San Francisco vision.” Xi proposed five pillars for China-U.S. relations, namely, jointly developing a right perception, jointly managing disagreements effectively, jointly advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering responsibilities as major countries, and jointly promoting people-to-people exchanges, which should serve as the underpinning for the mansion of China-U.S relations.

Tourism is an important bridge for exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of China and the U.S.

China and the U.S. are both proud of their splendid culture and beautiful landscape and people from both countries are keenly interested in learning more about each other and cementing their friendship.

For some time, teams from both China and the U.S. have been working to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco. China-U.S. relations have been generally stabilized, and bilateral dialogue, cooperation and positive aspects in various fields have increased.

A number of relevant projects have been launched, including an initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. The increased exchanges between the Chinese and American societies have deepened mutual understanding between the two peoples and brought them closer to each other.

China and the U.S. are two major countries with different histories, cultures, social systems and development paths. Strengthening dialogue and communication between the two sides, promoting friendly exchanges between the two peoples from all walks of life, and building more bridges of mutual understanding will help eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings and biases.

Expanding tourism cooperation between China and the U.S. will contribute to the exchanges and cooperation between the two peoples, and build consensus for the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

As Xi said in the message, the foundation of China-U.S. relations is laid by the people, the door of China-U.S. relations is opened by the people, the stories of China-U.S. relations are written by the people, and the future of China-U.S. relations will be jointly created by the people of the two countries.

No matter how the global landscape evolves, the historical trend of peaceful coexistence between China and the U.S. will not change. The ultimate wish of the two peoples for exchanges and cooperation will not change. The expectations of the whole world for a steadily growing China-U.S. relationship will not change.

China and the U.S. should work to meet the expectations of the two peoples and the world, and take concrete measures to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, including tourism cooperation. Both countries should build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people exchanges.

China warmly welcomes tourists from all over the world, including American tourists, and will strive to make it easier for foreigners to travel, work and live in China.

China is willing to work together with the U.S. to introduce more measures that facilitate personnel and cultural exchanges.

China also hopes that the U.S. will work in the same direction, increase direct flights between the two countries, promptly adjust advisory concerning travel to China, and facilitate visa applications for Chinese citizens visiting the U.S., in order to create better conditions for mutual visits between the two countries’ tourists.

It is hoped that that the two peoples will make more visits, contacts and exchanges and write new stories of friendship in the new era.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States. The two countries should learn lessons from history, cherish peace, value stability, and uphold credibility, consolidate the foundation and tap into the potential of people-to-people friendship, and turn the “San Francisco vision” into reality, so as to truly stabilize, improve and move forward China-U.S. relationship and inject more stability into the world.

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