In the latest wave of R3’s EnSpire research, we took a deep-dive look at consumer’s e-commerce habits, and found that they are by and large shifting away from shopping on brand websites, instead going through e-commerce channels like TaobaoTmall and Jing Dong. Which platform consumers choose varies largely by what is in their shopping cart. The “big 3” dominate the food & beverage and household goods categories, while 43% of consumers purchase electronics & digital products from JD and 39% go to Tmall for clothes and accessories.

The reasons for the move away from brand websites to other e-commerce platforms vary from channel to channel, but typically a consumer will purchase through a brand website to guarantee high product quality and authenticity, while other platforms are stronger in variety, services and delivery speed.

To see the Q1 EnSpire Index’s top 50 brands in China, click here.