The end of the Daigou Economy in China ???

Daigou代购 (dàigòu; literally: 'surrogate shopping') emerged quite some years ago as a way for Chinese consumers to get their hands on sought-after foreign products, from luxury handbags, clothes to high-end baby formula, which are hard to find or highly expensive in China. Daigou buy goods overseas and then bring or ship them back home to their clients, both legal and illegal, to evade import duties.

This gray market is now worth billions of dollars and by some estimates employs over 1 million Chinese. There are two main types of daigou: “local daigou” residing permanently in a foreign country and “human-flesh daigou” flying back and forth, carrying items in their luggage.

Livestreaming is popular with daigou, showling online fans their merchandise and shops. Korea is famous for cosmetics while France is known for luxury goods and the USA for health supplements and branded clothes.

The pandemic is making business for Daigou’s almost impossible due to restrictive flights, lockdowns in other countries, entrance quarantine measures and logistics. Also the Chinese entrance customs are on top of illegal daigou trades.

Will there be any future for the Daigou in China ?

Source and picture Sixthtone

#daigou #chineseretail #china