Ecommerce in China reports 137.2% despite recession

A report released by Analysys International, a domestic research firm, showed that the trade volume of China's e-market in 2008 grew 137.2 percent and made 122 billion yuan ($17.84 billion). This growth rate is the highest since 2006. The company tied the outcomes to both, the Chinese Internet users' increasing online spending and traditional dealers becoming more Internet concentrated. 

The company also showed that ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) of China's C2C market had raised from 520 yuan in 2007 to 760 yuan in 2008.

Another research company, China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), found out that China had 298 million Internet users by 2008, 25 percent of which were online shoppers. For comparison it should be stated that 71 percent of Internet users in the US are online shoppers.

Analysys International has also provided data regarding transaction volume of China's C2C market reached 31.17 billion yuan in the fourth quarter of 2008, which shows an increase of 144 percent from previous year and a 22 percent increase from the third quarter. The total number of goods listed online increased to 181.7 million in the last fiscal quarter, 14 percent higher than in the previous quarter.

The company suggested that the goods delivery were still low last year due to the Sichuan earthquake and the Beijing Olympic Games. This year the results are expected to be higher as China’s 4-trillion-yuan economic stimulus plan is expected to boost construction on infrastructure such as roads and railways.