Chinese shoppers are pushing Amazon Japan sales (AMZN)

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Amazon recently rolled out a Chinese-language version of its Japanese website to aid the growing number of Chinese shoppers who prefer to buy goods from Japan, according to Bloomberg.

Chinese online shoppers are being deterred from domestic e-commerce sites due to the abundance of counterfeit and defective goods often sold on those portals. This has led to increased demand for products in Japan among Chinese consumers, as they look to find high-quality, brand-name goods outside of their home market.

Amazon Japan also introduced lower shipping rates from Japan to mainland China, further facilitating the shopping experience for Chinese consumers. 

The increasing number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has also boosted demand for Japanese products. So far, 3.08 million Chinese tourists have visited Japan this year, which is a 41% increase over last year. Chinese tourists want to be able to buy the goods they see in Japan online once they return to China.

In fact, e-commerce sales from China to Japan are expected to triple by 2019 to $22.5 billion, notes Bloomberg, citing a report from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Alibaba, China’s largest e-commerce site, is hoping to stop Chinese consumers from flocking to Japan and other markets. The Chinese e-commerce giant recently announced a partnership with French insurance agency, AXA, to provide insurance to consumers for products purchased through Alibaba’s e-commerce platform. The partnership is aimed at reducing online shoppers’ fears over counterfeit goods on Alibaba’s website, which has been under scrutiny of late.

In fact, Alibaba’s membership with the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition was suspended after luxury brands like Michael Kors and Gucci America publicly expressed frustration over its counterfeit goods. Through its partnership with AXA, Alibaba likely hopes to ease concerns with domestic shoppers and encourage Chinese online consumers to stay within China, instead of looking to Japan or other foreign e-commerce markets.

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