Chinese e-tailers ride high as demand picks up

China's major e-commerce platforms posted better-than-expected financial results in the second quarter of the year, driven chiefly by improved consumer sentiment and increased demand for multiple products, experts said.

The country's consumer market is recovering gradually and gaining growth momentum, highlighting the economy's strong vitality and resilience, they said.

Chinese tech heavyweight Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's total revenue rose 14 percent year-on-year to reach 234.16 billion yuan ($32.1 billion) for the quarter ended June 30, while net income attributable to ordinary shareholders came in at 34.33 billion yuan, an increase of 50.98 percent on a yearly basis.

Its non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) net income reached 44.92 billion yuan, up 48 percent from a year earlier, Alibaba said.

As economic and consumer activities resume, the company's businesses have demonstrated encouraging trends that reflect the economy's resilience and confidence in the consumption recovery despite some uncertainties amid China's post-COVID-19 recovery, said Daniel Zhang, chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group, in an earnings call with investors.

During the April-June period, revenue from Alibaba's core e-commerce businesses — the Taobao and Tmall platforms — grew 13 percent year-on-year to 109.83 billion yuan, while the number of Taobao's average daily active users expanded 6.5 percent year-on-year.

Dai Shan, CEO of Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall Group, said the company had seen a clear trend of merchant growth on Taobao and Tmall in the second quarter, and confidence among merchants in doing business on its online marketplace had increased significantly.

The June 18 shopping carnival saw higher purchasing demand from a broader range of consumers, while generating solid growth in order volume and average order value, Dai said.

She added that Alibaba's value-for-money battle will be an area of major investment, and the company aims to convey to customers that products on Taobao and Tmall are affordable.

Beijing-based e-commerce giant JD also posted a rise in both revenue and profit in the second quarter.

Net revenue stood at 287.9 billion yuan in the April-June period, an increase of 7.6 percent year-on-year. Its non-GAAP net income reached 8.6 billion yuan, up 31.9 percent year-on-year.

The company's third-party merchants more than doubled year-on-year and hit a record during the second quarter, said Xu Ran, CEO of JD, in an earnings call.

JD is doubling down on its low-price strategy to woo price-sensitive consumers amid intensified competition from domestic rivals.

"By constantly enhancing supply chain capabilities, we have ensured a more reliable product supply at lower costs and with high-quality services during the promotional season, resulting in further market share expansion in our core advantages categories," Xu said.

The company's business model, she added, has shown remarkable resilience in the face of the changing consumption environment.

Consumption has become a major driver of China's economic growth. The country's retail sales — a significant indicator of consumption strength — increased by 2.5 percent year-on-year to 3.68 trillion yuan in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In the January-July period, China's retail sales increased 7.3 percent year-on-year to 26.43 trillion yuan, the NBS said. Moreover, online consumption remained a bright spot as online retail sales rose 12.5 percent to 8.3 trillion yuan on a yearly basis in the first seven months.

Chinese online discounter PDD Holdings Inc said revenue jumped 66 percent from a year earlier to 52.28 billion yuan during the April-June period, as the company continued to attract price-conscious customers in China and its cross-border e-commerce site Temu witnessed rapid growth.

"Over the recent quarter, we saw a positive shift in consumer sentiment, leading to a rise in demand across various product sectors," said Zhao Jiazhen, executive director and co-chief executive officer of PDD Holdings. Its non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders stood at 15.27 billion yuan in the second quarter, an increase of 42 percent from the same period last year.

Spending during the June 18 shopping festival also lifted sales.

"During the June 18 event, we increased promotions and also invested billions in coupons to give back to consumers, and this helped stimulate demand for all merchandise categories," Zhao told analysts during a call following the earnings report.

"As consumption recovers and consumers show stronger demand, it's not surprising to see peers stepping up subsidies," Zhao said, underlining that "more savings "would remain an important priority for Pinduoduo.

Mo Daiqing, a senior analyst at domestic consultancy Internet Economy Institute, said major Chinese e-commerce platforms posted strong growth in both revenue and net profit during the April-June period as China's economy has continued to recover despite external uncertainties.

"Enhancing user stickiness and cultivating high-quality users are crucial for Chinese online retailers, which have ramped up efforts to offer discounts and subsidies to lure price-conscious customers," Mo said, adding that the focus on low-cost products will be key to obtaining new users, improving user loyalty and repurchase rates, and bolstering sales.

With the optimization of COVID-19 response measures, the confidence of both consumers as well as market entities has been further boosted, said Wang Yun, a researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, which is affiliated with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator.

China's consumer market has maintained growth momentum, with the overall growth rate expected to reach more than 7 percent this year, Wang said.

Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Center at Zhejiang University's International Business School, said more stimulus measures are needed to stabilize employment, improve household incomes, boost people's ability and willingness to spend, and stimulate the purchase of big-ticket items such as automobiles and home appliances, so as to further unleash consumer spending.