hyper-connected clientele
hyper-connected clientele
tourists but others worldwide, the merchant network that
accepts payments via QR code, NFC technologies, and
electronic wallets is expanding. This trend will also lead stores
to digitise their customer journey. Besides Alipay and WeChat
Pay, other smart media platforms such as France's Lydia and
Denmark's MobilePay are now starting to offer all types of
payment method.
Focus on Chinese technology tools
Conventional Western social networks and media, such
as Google, Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram, are blocked in
mainland China.
Instead, the Chinese use WeChat (1 billion active users
monthly in 2019), Sina Weibo (486 million active members) and
Douban (320 million) as their primary source of information.
A number of technological advances have changed the
payment habits of Chinese consumers, urging them to adopt
mobile payment directly and forgo the use of bank cards.
With nearly 3.2 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2019,
and a potential of 690 million Chinese who would use their
smartphone daily to pay at a point of sale or an ATM, the tech
giant Alibaba has been offering its own payment solution since
2004, Alipay.
Originally designed to facilitate transactions on the online
auction site Taobao and on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms,
Alipay now manages a host of financial products and services,
ranging from physical payment, to money transfer between
individuals, to corporate funding. n
Chinese tourists about promotions, discounts or
coupons before they travel, merchants can spark
the interest of new customers and draw them
into their stores. The ideal strategy would be to
create a buzz through digital marketing on Chinese
mobile payment platforms, like Alipay, WeChat Pay,
and Tencent, and establish a relationship of trust
between the brand and the consumer. Through its
geolocation service, Alipay, for instance, tells users
about nearby merchants, promotional offers and
product news.
Alipay and WeChatPay have also launched
mini-programs that are comparable to resident
applications. Users don't need to download new
applications because they are already integrated
into platforms. These mini-programs handle
everything from e-commerce to accessing Chinese
government services.
For example, at Hong Kong International Airport,
a mini-program allows customers to shop duty-free
online, before arriving at the airport, and then pick
up their purchases 90 minutes after ordering.
Customers can also use these mini-programs to
order food for home delivery. Standard restaurant
chain apps could eventually become redundant,
as WeChat and Alipay have managed to bring the
two together within their platforms. These miniprograms
could become serious competitors to the
conventional e-stores.
Mobile payment added to the value chain for
a seamless customer experience
According to analysts at Gartner in The Market
Guide for Digital Commerce Payments published in
July 2019, providing a smooth payment experience
increases conversion rates and provides an
undeniable competitive advantage. To be sure,
for outlets and stores to benefit from the sales
potential from Chinese tourism, they must now
offer omnichannel experiences including mobile
payment – the payment method of choice for
these customers – and target marketing campaigns
accordingly.
With an incentive to appeal not only to Chinese
24 KIOSK solutions
KIOSK solutions 25