For safety reasons, Chinese customers tend to opt for locally produced or stored products to avoid the possibility of Coronavirus. infection, Ms Liu said
Ms. Liu (Christine Liu), who recently graduated from Australian National University (Australian National University), has refused to ask her parents for money, but when the new crown outbreak broke out, she had no choice.
She said ," I feel guilty... Although I barely make ends meet, I don't want to ask (they take the money). "
"I think the impact of the epidemic is enormous and it could be a devastating blow. "
At the age of 28, she found a job as a waiter in a restaurant while continuing her purchasing job.
She helps Chinese consumers buy Australian-made products, including baby formula, health products, cosmetics, and occasionally luxury bags for Chinese consumers.
But demand has been falling sharply since the beginning of the year.
She sold at least 300 cans of baby formula a month last year, but only 50 cans in September.
Ms. Liu's annual turnover also halved from more than A $200,000 last year, when her pre-tax profit was about A $20,000.
"Last year I was often overwhelmed by too many orders, but this year my phone had little news ," Ms. Liu said. "
"I miss those busy days very much. "
"Daigou is disappearing, but not completely. "
Australia's multibillion-dollar buying industry has been subverted by the epidemic, affecting not only thousands of individual shoppers, but also major Australian businesses.
About a third of daigou shops were closed during the outbreak owing to low volume of business
30% buy-in stores temporarily or permanently closed
A sweeping sweep of baby formula shelves has become commonplace in australia, but a2 dairy companies, popular with chinese buyers, are facing oversupply.
Although it is difficult to know which single factor caused the greatest damage, one problem is the decline in the number of overseas arrivals, especially international students.
Prior to the new crown outbreak, Australia had an estimated 150,000 daigou.
Chinese buyers use social app to pay their purchase fees
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To meet this demand, there are about 1,000 physical stores across Australia, but many are now closed.
Mr. Fu (Jerome Fu), director of consulting firm Honeyroo linking Australian brands to daigou, said about 30 percent of daigou stores are temporarily or permanently closed.
Many of the major Australian brands are popular with shopkeepers
"Even the shops that open in Sydney have fewer and fewer people coming to buy and ship back to China ," he said. "
But it is not just the shortage of tourists that has affected the change. of consumer behavior in China after the outbreak
"For safety reasons, they tend to choose products that are produced or stored in China because packages may infect Coronavirus ." when shipped overseas ," Ms Liu said
According to official data released in April, China's economic shrank for the first time since 1992, affecting its purchasing power.
"The purchasing power of Chinese consumers to buy imported products has declined... Another reason is logistics (interruption), shopping takes too long. "
Even before the outbreak, Chinese consumers were increasingly looking for cheaper and more effective ways to buy Australian products.
The new online platform has had an "overwhelming" impact on the daigou model, former Swisse business director Jeremy Hunt told Radio Australia.
"China-led initiatives have increased this pressure ," Hunter said. He helped open up the e-business trade between Australia and China.
"[ The new platform] offers a truly competitive choice for Chinese consumers in terms of pricing and delivery time ," he said. "The competition will be intense for Chinese and overseas companies ," he added.
Blue Sky Express claims that the market accounts for 60% of the company's logistics
Linkages of trade downturns
One of the largest purchasing logistics suppliers —— Blue Sky Express (Blue Sky International Express) went bankrupt in May this year.
Dozens of blue sky express customers in sydney and brisbane told ABC, they were trying to retrieve the goods stranded at the company, while some customers in melbourne said they could recover their products by paying extra fees.
The customers —— daigou and store owners estimate that a $800,000 worth of goods and nearly 7000 packages remain unaccounted for, but the real may be higher.
With the collapse of daigou sales, the impact could also force some major listed companies on the australian stock exchange to restructure.
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a2 Dairy is one of the leading producers of infant formula in Australia and a major source of products from Daigou and its customers.
The company did not respond to ABC questions, but chief executive Babrich (Geoffrey Babidge) said in a September market update that sales of its baby nutrition products would continue to decline in 2021, partly because of "shrinking purchasing channels ".
"The disruption in purchasing channels affected our sales in September and is expected to continue until the remainder of the first half of fiscal year 21," the report said. "
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Hunter, on the other hand, said the new crown pneumonia forced companies to recognize the commercial value of buying and selling.
"This is a positive recognition of the strength and success of the industry, although its impact is worrisome because it is very real —— brands and people are suffering as a result. "
As the business has been falling, Ms. Hua upgraded her warehouse to 10 live broadcast studios
Where is the future of Australian daigou business?
As the damage caused by the new crown epidemic can not be seen, daigou is looking for ways to adapt.
Ms. Liu has found a part-time job in a restaurant to maintain her current balance of payments, but she is also considering using brand promotion techniques to turn herself into an influential online figure.
Ms. Hua (Longlong Hua) and other companies have completed the transformation.
"My business has been falling since March, but I upgraded my warehouse to 10 live broadcast studios ," Ms. Hua said.
Ms. Hua invites individuals to use her studio to connect with Chinese consumers and promote Australian brands.
"This is definitely an opportunity because Chinese consumers like this interaction ," she said.
Mr hunter said the business model of daigou as an influential voice and brand promoter is becoming more common as the daigou industry faces the biggest change in years.
"An era of social sharing and social e-business has come ," Hunter said. "
"Demand remains, and Chinese consumers are not only eager, but have become accustomed to the amazing brands, products and efficacy produced in Australia. "
