How rural e-commerce wins farmers' trust and support

Editor's Note

On December 15, this section reported "Sharing Economy: Opening Another Window for Selling Local Specialties?", discussing how to solve the problem of selling rural products through e-commerce platforms. But in the vast countryside, selling products is only one aspect of invigorating the economy; more ordinary villagers long to solve their purchasing problems through e-commerce platforms.

This newspaper has previously paid attention to the difficulties faced by rural Taobao e-commerce operations. The focus of this issue's report is likewise an e-commerce platform based on the rural market. The difference is that, by solving the problems of terminal payment and selecting and participating, this e-commerce platform has enjoyed good momentum in rural Sichuan, with branches blossoming everywhere, and it has even attracted the favor of Suning.com. What secret has made its development unstoppable? Let us look at the investigation brought by the reporter.

□ Staff Reporter Fan Bangping Text/Photo

At present, e-commerce entering rural areas is in full swing. Major platforms and companies are rushing to lay out operations in the countryside, and competition is gradually heating up, but different operating models naturally produce very different results.

Among the many e-commerce enterprises currently laying out operations in the countryside, the locally originating rural e-commerce platform Yitian E-commerce has a solid position and is deeply loved by rural consumers. What is the reason? What is the secret? The reporter recently conducted an interview and investigation.

Industry surprise --

E-commerce retail giant comes knocking for cooperation

Yitian became a sensation at the China (Sichuan) E-commerce Development Summit on October 16 this year. When Teng Desu, head of Yitian E-commerce Co., Ltd., publicly announced the cooperation plan with Suning, participants at the scene whispered to one another: cooperating with the e-commerce giant Suning, how did this e-commerce enterprise with such a strong local flavor do it?

What shocked the industry even more was that it was not the little-known Yitian seeking to "borrow strength" from a big company, but rather Suning wanting to "open a store" on Yitian. Teng Desu said even more proudly, "Not all of Suning's goods can go on Yitian's platform; we only want products that suit us."

"First of all, it is certainly because we have advantages." On December 16, Teng Desu told the reporter that Yitian's advantage lies in focusing exclusively on rural e-commerce, and it started early. It already has more than 10,000 outlets at the township level, and by the end of this year it will exceed 30,000. Moreover, Teng Desu has his own special trick: "I started out in traditional business, and I also use the advantages of traditional industries to open up channels, achieve localized services, build a local business circle, and let all local traditional enterprises provide services, which also solves restrictions such as logistics."

He gave an example: "For instance, we can set up a service outlet in a store. If consumers do not find their desired products in the store, they can choose and buy on Yitian E-commerce. After placing an order, the store is also responsible for product logistics and delivery, and final settlement is through third-party payment. The store's profit point remains the price difference, while consumers can enjoy more comprehensive and more affordable products." Teng Desu said it was precisely this win-win model that allowed Yitian to quickly take root in rural areas.

Teng Desu told the reporter that the company has now reached cooperation with Suning, and nearly 2 million of the other party's single products have already been listed on the Yitian E-commerce platform.

Pressing for the secret --

Online shopping terminals make it convenient for farmers to participate

At 9 a.m. on December 16, in Jiajia Town, Jianyang City, as soon as Yang Qilin, a well-known local home appliance seller, opened his door, villagers coming to shop poured into the store, holding bank cards or cash and asking Yang Qilin to help them shop online.

Yang Qilin was already accustomed to such bustle. He skillfully turned on the online sales terminal and entered the online platform. Villagers gathered around, selecting products through the touch screen while easily paying by card, and in less than a minute a home appliance transaction was completed.

The reporter saw on site that, unlike traditional online shopping, which requires placing an order first and then paying online, Yang Qilin's online shopping terminal is similar to the touch interactive platforms in supermarkets and stores. It supports online transactions and card payment, making payment operations more convenient.

"I had also considered doing online business before, but because it involved computer operation, farmers found it hard to experience it personally. The whole process was operated by me alone, and the villagers were not at ease. Later I introduced this online shopping terminal, and the villagers' online shopping problem was solved." Yang Qilin told the reporter.

It turned out that Yang Qilin had been engaged in local home appliance sales for more than ten years. At his peak, he opened four stores. Starting in 2012, under the impact of e-commerce, home appliance sales performance declined. He began to feel the need for transformation and upgrading, reduced his business, and closed three stores.

In 2014, by chance, he met a salesperson from Yitian E-commerce and learned about the concept of rural e-commerce. With a try-it-and-see attitude, he spent 35,000 yuan to buy an online shopping terminal and joined Yitian, becoming one of the first local retailers to go online.

After Yang Qilin joined Yitian for one year, his online sales had already far surpassed the performance of his physical store. As of now, online sales have exceeded 3 million yuan, while the physical store's sales are only 1 million yuan. This booming market situation further strengthened his confidence in going online.

"To open up the rural market, you must understand the voices of farmers. Facing the elusive internet, farmers have great expectations, but because they do not understand technology and worry that after-sales service is not guaranteed, they have long maintained a wait-and-see attitude." Teng Desu told the reporter that the company's rural e-commerce project integrates PC end, mobile end, and rural e-commerce terminals, and partners with traditional township retailers, precisely solving the difficulties rural consumers face in consuming, logistics, and after-sales service.

At present, Yitian has entered 25 provinces and cities across the country, setting up online shopping service stations, service centers, operation centers, and online shopping agency points in more than 10,000 townships. In the just-concluded "Double 12" online shopping event, the company's platform completed 170,000 orders. In the future, the company will make every effort to build village and community service stations to achieve seamless coverage of rural e-commerce.