What Chinese consumers buy through cross-border e-commerce

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The graph below shows the results of a survey on products purchased by Chinese consumers through cross-border e-commerce in 2019.
"Cosmetics and beauty-related products" was the most popular at 40.6%,
followed by "toiletries" (38.2%) and "health products" (35.8%).
Makeup-related products are the most popular purchase among Chinese consumers, and on occasions such as "W11" (Singles' Day) held every November 11th, products from Japanese manufacturers are announced along with the best-selling cosmetics.

Fig.04

Inbound tourists, who have declined significantly due to COVID-19, are turning to cross-border e-commerce
There is a close relationship between inbound tourism and cross-border e-commerce.
According to a report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in a past survey of Chinese consumers conducted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), in response to the question "Why did you purchase a Japanese product through cross-border e-commerce?", 40.4% of consumers answered "Because it is a product that I purchased when I was traveling in Japan and liked," in the August 2017 survey, revealing the reality that Chinese tourists like the products they bought as souvenirs while inbound and then make repeat purchases through cross-border e-commerce.

In many cases, the use of cross-border e-commerce china whatsapp data by Chinese consumers began with souvenirs and other products that Chinese consumers saw and purchased with their own eyes during their stay in Japan, and then shared with friends and relatives. However
, in 2020, even though the spread of COVID-19 made it impossible for Chinese consumers to visit Japan, cross-border e-commerce use increased.
This is thought to be because the spread of COVID-19 made it difficult for Chinese consumers to visit Japan, and instead, inbound demand increased as Chinese consumers at least purchased Japanese products through cross-border e-commerce to get a substitute inbound tourist experience.


Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the number of inbound tourists from China has dropped significantly from 9.59 million in 2019 to 1.07 million in 2020, but it should be seen as if cross-border e-commerce has absorbed or supplemented the retail demand lost due to inbound tourism.
Now that inbound consumption from visitors to Japan has ceased, "Chinese cross-border e-commerce" has the potential to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Fig.05

summary
As seen in the recent case of cross-border e-commerce in China, the movement to make up for lost inbound consumption through cross-border e-commerce is occurring simultaneously around the world.
Western brands are accelerating their expansion into Chinese consumers in particular, and in the future, cross-border e-commerce businesses targeting Chinese consumers are expected to become even more competitive than ever before.