Baidu X Amazon Global Store Collaboration: A Brand New Smart Mini Program is Launched for Cross-border eCommerce

Now comes to the last month of 2020. 2020 is definitely a very “special” year for every one of us. COVID-19 and quarantine stay with us for almost the entire year, and it also changed our living habit.

Quarantine, social distancing, cities lockdown, making us not able to go out freely, shopping online has become our routine habit, I mean even more rely on eCommerce than ever before. Lots of businesses change their battlefields from offline stores to online and focus on promoting their brands and products online.

It is proven that the purchasing power in China has fully recovered as it is reflected by the new record-breaking in Singles' Day (Double 11).

Last month, the biggest shopping festival, Singles' Day, ended with a new record of transactions. And 2 days after the Singles' Day, on 13th November this year, Baidu and Amazon CN announced their cooperation in launching a Smart Mini Program on Black Friday 2020. It is not surprising that Baidu did not gain much profit during the Singles' Day Festival as it is not an eCommerce platform. But being one of the biggest platforms in China, there is no reason that Baidu does not join the battle, right?

No matter it is Douyin, Kuaishou, Pinduoduo, JD.com, Tmall or Taobao, basically, their Singles' Day sales have already become an important shopping festival in the Chinese eCommerce market.

While China’s Economy is Growing, Western Countries Are Still Are Facing Economic Recessions Under the Pandemic

Under the pandemic, Black Friday 2020 was the quietest season compare to the previous years.
According to a joint survey conducted by The Economist and some organisations, 77% of American respondents said that they did not plan to go shopping in malls, and 63% of the respondents worried that going to actual stores increase the risk of getting COVID-19.

To avoid the spread of COVID-19 during Black Friday, the US CDC issued guidelines a week before Black Friday, urging consumers to try not to go shopping in crowded stores and to wear masks as well as maintain social distance. The CDC also hopes consumers will choose more online shopping. In this case, online transaction has become the main source of revenue of businesses.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales worldwide were just over, which the 2 shopping festivals are originally a battlefield of several foreign markets, especially in US and European countries. And in China Market, you can say Singles' Day Sale (Double 11) and Double 12 are the Chinese version of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you have missed the “thanksgiving” in Single Day Sale, you can still enjoy the last shopping festival in Double 12.

Baidu Cooperate With Amazon China’s Global Store Launching A Brand New Smart Mini Program

For Baidu, it doesn’t seem to have much market share in eCommerce, if Baidu wants to enter the China e-commerce market, it may not be easy. This is why Baidu cooperate with Amazon by using the Smart Mini Program for “Amazon Global Stores”, to see if the Mini Program could increase the transactions in the overseas market.

The Smart Mini Program focuses on different product categories such as mother and baby, outdoor sports, home decorations and technology. On Thanksgiving Day, Amazon’s Global Stores brought some special offers and discounts to mainland consumers through the Baidu Smart Mini Program. Those offers are even more attractive than which in Singles' Day. At the same time, Baidu will also cooperate with an app called "What is Worth Buying" (smzdm.com), providing the functions of real-time price comparison as well as historical price comparison across the entire network of Black Friday products, users can shop and buy with ease.

According to Lin, Baidu's Smart Mini Program Business Director, said that the cooperation between Baidu's Smart Mini Program and Amazon's Global Stores is a perfect complement and synergy of business environments and functions. The launch of the Smart Mini Programs will provide Baidu users with a more diverse and international shopping experience. On the other hand, it also can be a powerful element to enhance Baidu's mobile e-commerce ability.

Amazon has been trying to expand into the China Market for long. Everyone knows that Amazon China (amazon.cn) and Amazon US (amazon.com) are two independent companies. The current partner of Amazon Global Store is still with Amazon US. Baidu is said to have 1 billion major users and how many of these users are interested in Black Friday sales, whether or not Baidu could survive in the market in Amazon CN, we have to wait and see.

China’s Economy Keeps Booming Even Under and After the Pandemic

The vigorous development of the Chinese economy shows that China will dominate the global economic growth for at least 30% this year and in the next few years.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China reported that the GDP has increased by 4.9% compare to the previous year, even the whole country is threatened by the pandemic, and some cities were being lockdown. The economy of China has already bounced back to the normal range or even better than before.

eCommerce is the main source of revenue in China, thanks to online platforms, people do not need to step out but just need to use their fingertips with some apps, they can buy almost everything they need. Staying at home totally won’t restrict them from shopping but encourage them to shop more.

Promotion Offers Are Coming in Different Online Platforms

Recently, Alipay announced that starting from 1st December, nearly 9-million of physical stores start their promotions on Alipay such as giving consumers shopping e-coupons and products with special discount, the estimated value of offers are almost 10 billion.

The participants include catering, supermarkets, FMCGs, leisure and entertainment, etc. Consumers can use the Alipay coupons when purchasing specific products through some app such as for Koubei (口碑), Ele.me (饿了么), Fliggy (飞猪) , etc. that support this promotion.

Consumers can also search for "consumption coupons" in Alipay during the Double 12 Festival and receive daily consumption subsidies provided by different businesses and Alipay. This promotion period is from 1st December to 31st December. Alipay has split the event into 3 stages; consumers need to team up to share coupons.

China’s eCommerce Market keeps evolving at a quick pace, there are lots of new technologies or inventions being released quarterly or even monthly. You always have to stay tuned in China Digital Marketing!