PChome Store Inc (商店街市集) launched a large-scale promotional campaign in Taipei’s bustling Xinyi District (信義) on Saturday, in a bid to capitalize on the expected increase in consumer demand during the upcoming Ghost Festival.
In collaboration with 130 domestic and foreign food and beverage brands, the popular local online shopping platform provider is offering a range of 5,000 items for free as part of the promotion.
The value of the products on offer is estimated to be about NT$1 million (US$33,200), but PChome declined to confirm the figure, saying only that it “is by far our largest promotional event.”
The campaign is aimed at boosting PChome’s summer sales, particularly during the traditional Ghost Festival period, when food used in ceremonial offerings is usually in high demand.
Ghost Month, which this year runs from from July 27 to Aug. 24, is usually a peak time for the e-commerce industry, especially in food and beverage sales, PChome said, adding that it is expecting a 30 percent annual increase in the sale of such items.
Online shopping has become popular because there is a wide range of choice and buyers do not have to line-up in stores or carry their purchases home, said Tsai Kai-wen (蔡凱文), vice general manager of PChome Store.
“We are very optimistic about the outlook for this year,” Tsai told CNA during a break in the eight-hour event, but declined to estimate the company’s annual revenue growth.
Tsai’s outlook is supported by the company’s positive financial reports this year, which include NT$7.87 billion in consolidated revenue for the January to May period, a 21.8 percent increase year-on-year.
Other online shopping sites, such as Yahoo Kimo Inc (雅虎奇摩), Momo Shop (購物網) and Go Happy (快樂購物網), are also planning special summer promotions.
Taiwan’s e-commerce market is expected to soar over the next few years as the online shopping sector continues to develop rapidly in line with global trends.
With annual growth of some 20 percent, revenue from Taiwan’s e-commerce transactions reached NT$767.3 billion last year and it is expected to exceed NT$1 trillion by next year, according to a May estimate by the government-backed Institute for Information Industry.
Yahoo Taiwan’s e-commerce group also predicted in late last month that the country’s e-commerce market will soon account for more than half of the local retail market, which is estimated at an average NT$4 trillion per annum.
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