Fashion retailer Urban Outfitters has teamed up with social shopping platform Dote. The pilot scheme looks to allow influencers to host live streamed shopping parties within the platform. The move comes as retailers look to tap into the pull of social shopping using influencers.

WeChat mini programs are pioneering online shopping experiences in China, offering shoppers a fully customisable, seamless in-app experience. Luxury brands are tapping into this function as they attempt to engage Gen Y and Z shoppers interested in experiential shopping.

Selling to China from elsewhere no longer necessarily requires heavy set-up costs and local product registration. Yet it still requires a close understanding of Chinese consumers, how they select products and what makes them tick. So how is e-commerce helping brands to be successful?

A new era of consumption, characterised by an abundance of choice, has redefined the Chinese customer’s attitude to retail. They now expect the same excellent service they receive online in the physical world. So how can brands entering China accommodate a subtle mix of tradition and innovation?