Navigating through all of the many, many ways buyers can interact with sellers, both at the B2B and B2C levels, has probably never been harder at any time in my business career. The pandemic didn’t help but there are so many ways to do business today including a rising number of platforms that remove the in-person experience: seeing and feeling new products from trusted brands along with talking face-to-face with a knowledgeable salesperson.
That said, one of the faster growing phenomena out there is the idea of consumers (some retailers too) buying directly from China from e-commerce marketplace sites like Shein, Temu and even TikTok Shop. From seemingly out of nowhere their business has exploded and millions of shoppers are now buying tens of millions of products – 685 million packages from China last year through services like this according to one estimate.
It is a low friction way to buy, I have to admit. Prices are low, shipping is free or practically free and it’s fast: you often get your delivery in a matter of days, not weeks.
But there’s another old saying about you get what you pay for. Ordering from unknown suppliers on the other side of the world means you are dealing with companies you’ve never heard of. You have no idea if it’s a reputable vendor or somebody operating out of their bedroom. There are no brands or well-known names so you can’t judge the quality or workmanship of an item. And if you find once you get it that it’s not exactly what you expected and you want to return it, that might be a whole lot easier said than done.
There’s also the whole issue of knockoffs. I’ve heard from many vendors and retailers that what they often see on some of these sites are clearly copies of their products and that is disturbing to be sure. Product piracy and rights are very important considerations and must be respected.
Our friend Ashley Alderson of The Boutique Hub has been posting to social media about this phenomenon in words that should give all of us pause. She points out the economic dangers of dollars no longer circulating through retail and the hazards of supporting manufacturers who may not have any design integrity nor value intellectual property. She also points out that retail (and consumer habits) should be based not on a race to the bottom dollar but on unique products, quality and even community.
We couldn’t agree more. The history of retailing has been one of constant change and new ways to sell and buy. These are just the newest twist and they may turn out to be the latest thing...or just the latest flashes in the pan. As with any new way of doing business it’s up the buyer to do their homework and make sure this is really how they want to interact with sellers. But it’s also up to the retailer (and those of us who support her) to create a valuable connection and support them for the long-term. That’s something to which we remain committed.
As long as I seem to be quoting old adages this month, I’ll add one more: caveat emptor. Buyer beware.
Cindy Morris,
CEO, Dallas Market Center
