BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving shopping event originating in the U.S., has become increasingly popular among Chinese consumers after various e-commerce giants introduced it in China.
According to China Electronic Commerce Research Center data, online retail sales on Black Friday and the day after increased 18 percent year on year in the U.S., reaching $5.27 billion. Meanwhile, the online shopping transaction volume set a record, reaching $3.34 billion.
China’s e-commerce giants performed well, too. Sales volume on Yangmatou exceeded 60 million RMB in just 10 minutes after the Black Friday promotion began, which is six times higher than in 2015. Users spent an average of nearly 3,000 RMB on the website
At 7:02 a.m. on Black Friday, the sales volume of Tmall.com had exceeded the entire Black Friday total from 2015. New buyers accounted for 74.55 percent of all users, of which more than 60 percent were aged between 18 and 35.
Black Friday, originally an offline shopping event, is dominated by e-commerce giants in China. Mo Daiqing, a senior analyst with China Electronic Commerce Research Center, explained that Black Friday's shift to the Internet is a global trend. It is a natural change, as mobile devices have made shopping more convenient for consumers.
Cao Lei, director of China Electronic Commerce Research Center, said the globalization of Black Friday is a manifestation of the overall globalization of economy and trade. (People's Daily Online)