[UPDATE] WeChat Launches Plan to Stimulate Retail Growth

Chinese social-media and mobile-payment app WeChat is aiming to boost the recovery of the retail industry and has already introduced measures for it.

The firm’s Wechat Retail Growth Plan can help global businesses and brands better understand and use WeChat’s tools and functions for faster resolution of challenges created by COVID-19.

“The plan uses several recent services launched by WeChat, including WeChat Live for businesses – which allows them to interact with customers and generate sales via live streaming – and WeChat Work 3.0, which has become a key platform for remote working during the pandemic, connecting enterprises with customers.”

WeChat’s key services promoted by the growth plan also include a 1 on 1 Consultant, allowing retailers to tap into existing user bases and manage fans. Retailers can also initiate direct conversations with followers. The plan also includes WeChat Pay, which has encouraged cross-border e-commerce, local orders and scan-and-go self-service during the pandemic.

[UPDATE] Xiao’e Pinpin, a WeChat mini program

Xiao’e Pinpin joins Tencent’s eCommerce efforts letting WeChat users buy lifestyle products through WeChat

Tencent rolled out Xiao’e Pinpin, a new mini-program meant for social commerce on WeChat that Tencent has made available to all of its 1.1 billion users.

The mini-program went online on 29 April. It carries a giant catalogue of lifestyle products, including lipsticks and iPhones. This play marks Tencent’s most recent move in China’s e-commerce sector. Previously, Tencent had invested in tech companies like JD.com and Pinduoduo, as well as supermarket chain operator Yonghui.

Xiao’e Pinpin uses a “content feed” to showcase its merchandise. It shows one merchant’s product details which are followed by goods from a different vendor. Two slots are reserved at the top of the feed for special promotions. As of now, the mini-program hosts more than a 100 shops. Goods on sale are uncategorized, without any search functions. At the moment, it is unclear how the mini program’s algorithm determines the order in which products appear on feeds.

How To Promote Your Account On WeChat

WeChat is more than just an instant messaging app. It has become a lifestyle for people living in Mainland China. It functions as a chat app, a marketplace, a dynamic marketing tool and much more. The number of monthly active WeChat users is over 1 Billion as of 2019, and around 80% of them are between the ages of 20 to 40. Its holistic ecosystem, with tools that enable companies to do everything from realization to conversion, makes it very convenient for brands and users to interact with each other. This opens up a lot of avenues for executing effective promotions and campaigns.

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