Look east for eCommerce: some inspiration from China
By Tamara CaddyYou may have heard it first from Julia – this is the Asian Century…
Undeniably, Asia is ripping shreads off the failing economies in the US and Europe. Economic giant China is storming ahead – now it no longer just manufactures our tech products (like iphones) but has their own growing, ferocious demand for smart phones and tablets. While the fastest growing technology brands in Asia are streaking ahead, western companies are also reaping the benefit of the ‘red’ dollar.
China now delivers Apple the most revenue after the U.S and this continues to grow. When the iphone was launched in China in 2009 – it was then just two percent of Apple’s revenue – now it (and Hong Kong and Taiwan) are 12 per cent of Apple’s full-year revenue for 2011. This was hard to grasp in 2009 when it was launched in China as you can tell by the reactions on Gigaom at the time.
Chinese-made and owned brands like Huawei being sold for a fifth of the price of Apple phones combined with the bans on wi-fi made the success of the iphone seem unlikely – yet the rapidly growing middle class is changing this…rapidly.
As a flow-on effect, online stores are now increasingly being accessed through mobile and the Chinese average spend increasing. Australian eCommerce sites should take a leaf out of the book of the Chinese eCommerce site, Yihaodian. Boasting 120,000 goods for sale, same-day delivery in many areas and sophisticated digital customer relationship management tools. Astoundingly, it posted a three-year growth rate of 19,218%.
Or China’s Jiaxing Mbaobao Technology is one of the leading designers and distributors of bags. They take the business seriously with a research centre in Venice, a presence in Tokyo and are expanding to English-language sites targeting North America. The company, which has a three-year growth rate of 6,228%, has embraced the buzz concepts of “fast fashion”, “fast marketing” and “fast logistics” and serves over a million customers.
The growth in online sales has come despite the great firewall of China, which saw the closure of 1.3 million websites last year. In a country with such a mammoth population and so many operators trying to make a yuan, serious savvy is required.
Chinese citizens spend an average of 2.7 hours online per day — second to only the Japanese and as the country continues to open up – the floodgates are also opening to savvy eMarketers which boast a local and overseas presence. The Australian wine industry is just one growing area where satisfying the Chinese appetite for Aussie reds is a perfect eCommerce platform. With such a high proportion of our exports dependant on the Chinese market (25 per cent), there is no reason that Australia’s online commerce players shouldn’t get a hearty slice of the China-pie.
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Vote against Labor’s Censorship filter
By Sam PascuaElectronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed an announcement by Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey that the coalition will oppose any move to legislate mandatory internet censorship in Australia. On Thursday’s Hack program on Triple J radio, Mr Hockey stated that “we believe the internet filter will not work and we believe it’s flawed policy.”
“We applaud Mr Hockey’s announcement that the Liberal Party will vote against Labor’s filter,” said EFA Chair Colin Jacobs. “The Opposition are very welcome among the ranks of those many organisations and individuals that see the filter as a policy failure.”
A mandatory censorship scheme remains Government policy. However, with The Greens long on record as opposing the internet censorship scheme, Mr Hockey’s announcement means that Labor’s legislation is effectively dead on arrival in the Senate.
“We call on Minister Conroy and the Gillard Government to now admit the mandatory filter policy is dead, and to move on to a debate more grounded in reality,” said Jacobs. “The government must now listen to the experts, and get back to working on giving Australians access to better and faster broadband.”
Read moreThe internet to be censored in the US.
By Sam PascuaThe US is following suit with countries such as China, Korea and Australia with the introduction of laws to censor the web and the voice of freedom. The Americans just as Australians are allowing their government to take away their civil liberties and their right to freedom of speech and the ability to gather news stories from non traditional media.
As stated previously on Di blogs, the time is now to fight for our rights to a free and open web. Australians need to get behind the freedom movement and support organisations such as the EFA.
Read moreIt’s time to tell mum – GREAT video
By Sam PascuaThe Australian Federal Government is about to introduce mandatory internet filtering. If implemented it will make Australia the most heavily censored country in the western world. They’ve told us it’s to protect the kids but the truth is it doesn’t. By telling your mum the facts you will help her realise that if she really wants to protect kids online,mandatory filtering isn’t the answer.
Read moreGoogle to leave Australia over ‘evil’ filter
By Sam PascuaWhat a great April fools article and at the same time an important political message agasint the attack on Australian freedoms over the net by the Rudd Government and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
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(Credit: ZDNet.com.au)
Google will close its Australian operations, effectively blacklisting the country in response to the Federal Government’s “evil” plan to filter the internet.
Goooone
ZDNet.com.au has confirmed that the search engine giant will close its doors on Australia for good, effective immediately, marking the end of four years of its operation here and a long-running battle with the government over its plan to filter the internet.
Read moreEFA responds to Senator Conroy’s challenge and attack
By Sam Pascua
The EFA need to be supported, they are being attacked by Senator Stephen Conroy who is using standard scare tactics to beat down the growing voices of opposition to his plan to censor the Australian web and limit Australian right to freedom of speech. It is now or never, Australians need to stand up and fight for their right for freedom against the oppressive measures Senator Stephen Conroy and the Rudd Government are trying to force on the Australian public.
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Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has responded to the extraordinary challenge and attacks directed at it by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy in Question Time yesterday and today.
In a response to a question asked by Senator Sue Boyce about Australia recently being added to a watch list of countries with worrying Internet censorship trends by Reporters Without Borders, Senator Conroy accused EFA of misleading the public and international organisations.
Read moreCyberwar Hype Intended to Destroy the Open Internet
By Sam PascuaInteresting article by Wired discussing how there is a push to re-engineer the net to assist US Government to spy on all users.
This article shows how there is a world push by Governments to censor and spy on the web, as mentioned in previously Di articles the time is now to save the net.
Read moreTake a Stand Against Australian Censorship!
By Sam PascuaDon’t Allow the Australian Government to Limit Internet Usage
The Australian government recently announced plans to introduce Internet filters that will block access to various websites throughout our country. Which websites? Those that our government has deemed illegal, however arbitrary that designation may be. Such action is a blatant and unacceptable attempt to control the content that we Australians are able to view online legally.
All of us at Design Industries strongly oppose this censorship. We believe that each individual should have full freedom to browse the Internet and, in doing so, express free speech and encourage others to do so. We believe our fellow Australian citizens possess the integrity and personal responsibility to manage and control their own Internet usage and to monitor the Internet usage of their children – without government involvement or handholding.
Read moreWidespread opposition to the Government’s mandatory Internet filtering plan
By Sam PascuaThis article below is from the EFA which is an organisation that Di support in its attempt to stop the Rudd Government from censoring the net, it is the last free speech platform available and needs to be protected in order for all Australian citizens to have a free voice.
EFA welcomes widespread opposition to the Government’s mandatory Internet filtering plan
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed the widespread opposition to the the Rudd Government’s mandatory Internet filtering plan.
“There are dozens of organisations and groups that are working against the Government’s plan to censor the Internet, highlighting the depth of community disagreement with the plan,” said Peter Black, EFA’s campaign manager.
EFA has launched a new website, OpenInternet.com.au, blog and Facebook fan page, to act as a campaign hub for these different groups.
Read moreGoogle expresses concern with the Government’s mandatory censorship
By Sam PascuaIn December we expressed our concern with the Government’s filtering proposal in this blog. Today we join the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), which represents 12 million library users around Australia, Yahoo! and the Inspire Foundation in proposing some core principles for a Safer Internet. We also expand on our views in a submission to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
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