While much of the Western world is preoccupied with combating inflation, China presents a contrasting picture. The country is marked by deflationary tendencies casting a shadow over its prospects, including those of the e-commerce sector. In December, consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month, while producer prices continued their downward trend. The issue of deflation is intensified by various factors such as declining food prices, international oil price adjustments, and weak domestic demand. As the world's largest trading nation, changes in Chinese prices have direct implications for the rest of the world, particularly through exports and imports. China's export prices saw a nearly 10% decline in 2023 compared to the previous year, marking the largest drop in over a decade.
Fiscal Policy and Monetary Measures:
In order to counter the looming threat of deflation, China intends to pursue a proactive fiscal policy. For 2024, the country plans to issue 1 trillion yuan (approximately 139.39 billion US dollars) in government bonds to finance investment projects. Both the central bank and the government are taking measures to promote economic growth and stabilize prices. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is also considering lowering minimum reserves and interest rates. There is concern that deflation could trigger a vicious cycle of declining confidence, reduced activity, and further price declines.
Impacts on the E-Commerce Sector:
Decreasing consumer prices could lead to intensified price pressure, requiring e-commerce platforms to review their prices and create competitive offers. An intense price war was already evident during China's "Singles Day" shopping event in November 2023, originally planned as a 24-hour online shopping event but ending in weeks-long discounts. Major e-commerce platforms like Alibaba offered significant discounts to stimulate low consumer demand.
These and other actions illustrate that e-commerce platforms are confronted with challenges driven by conservative demand behaviour, primarily focusing on essential items. Consumer price sensitivity could intensify competition among e-commerce platforms, potentially leading to lower prices and special offers. Price reductions are fueled by companies like Temu (owned by Pinduoduo), which bypass intermediaries and enable direct deliveries from suppliers to end customers in Europe. Significant price reductions result in China exporting deflation through goods exports to the world. The entire supply chain, including manufacturers, is subject to deflationary pressure, necessitating cost reductions. However, sustainable efficiency improvements often require investments that further increase margin pressure in the short term. Additionally, regulatory adjustments, such as more transparent pricing, could be considered to stabilize competition in the e-commerce industry.
The coming months will reveal the extent to which these developments will shape the e-commerce sector. It is evident that companies must adapt their strategies to address the challenges in this environment. The combination of deflation, declining demand, increased price and competitive pressure, along with high interest rates, poses a dangerous challenge for most businesses. Therefore, the focus should be on effective inventory management to minimize tied-up capital. Efficient processes, careful negotiation of purchase prices, and sound sales planning help navigate through this challenging environment.
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Sources:
Reuters, CNN, Bloomberg