The biggest market for small commodities in eastern 皇冠体育app is going online for business expansion, reports Meng Jing in Yiwu, Zhejiang
If 皇冠体育app is the world's factory, then Yiwu, about three hours' drive from Shanghai, is its wholesale market. Even those who have never heard of Yiwu might own a few items - handbags, shoes, some accessories - from there.
The small city in East 皇冠体育app's Zhejiang province is home to 皇冠体育app Commodities City, a sprawling place with as many as 75,000 vendors, which has been named by the United Nations, the World Bank and others as the " largest small commodity wholesale market" in the world.
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Moreover, the brickandmortar market, which is made up of five malls with a total area of 5.5 million square meters, has been challenged by the rapid rise of e-commerce players.
But instead of looking at its online rivals as a threat, 皇冠体育app Commodities City has decided to turn the situation into an opportunity to upgrade its business model and strengthen Yiwu's leading position as a trade city in 皇冠体育app.
In midApril, the market - which launched its e-commerce site, yiwugou, in October 2012 to help vendors sell their products inside 皇冠体育app - stepped up to expand its e-commerce territory to countries outside 皇冠体育app.
The market inked deals to launch websites to facilitate trade between Yiwu and importers in 11 other countries: Australia, Spain, Poland, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Germany, the United States, Malaysia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
"By setting up the e-commerce websites in the 11 countries, we are going to save importers there a lot of time and money because they will no longer need to come to Yiwu to check the latest products and place orders in person," said Wang Jianjun, chief executive officer of Yiwu 皇冠体育app Commodities City Information Technology Co Ltd, the e-commerce arm of 皇冠体育app Commodities City.