Revolution...with Chinese characteristics.

by Shruthi Anup Kumar (India)

I didn't expect to find China

Hong Kong maybe embroiled in a fight to preserve their ideological beliefs. Mainland China however is caught up in its own revolution. An astoundingly different one. Technology, Delivery Service and Consumerism. The society maybe cashless but only in the 'paper' sense of the word. Every year, as 11.11 comes around the corner the people of the nation have warmed up, stretched out and are ready to flex those thumbs for the consumer showdown that Single's Day is all about. Discounts, pre-sales, post sales, every tried, tested and untested marketing and sales strategy is on display to lure you into the virtual shopping mall of E-commerce. It is truly a consumer's market at its finest. None of which would be possible without a solid strategic technological foundation laid down by Jack Ma and his E-commerce genies at Alibaba. One that can carry the thumb weight of billions of consumers setting their E-wallets on fire! According to the live transaction tracker at the Alibaba headquarters, Single's Day sales raked in 10 billion dollars an hour after the launch of sales in 2018. Needless to say 2019 jumped over that well set bar by raking in 12 billion dollars in the first hour, challenging 2020 with a sweet profitic smile. Never had I witnessed consumerism of such epic proportions. The only thing more astounding than that number is the network of the humble-but might run you over, Kuaidi or delivery/courier services. Despite carrying the title of the world's largest when it comes to volume of deliveries made according to Time Out Beijing, China's courier service feels the pain on Single's Day. They bare the largest burden of all while they rattle through the city maze: ensuring the right parcel reaches the right person, especially since they bring the same amount of happiness as a Christmas morning. Now that, Santa, is pressure!