Want to see the future of shopping? Look to China

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Have you ever purchased something from Taobao? I bet this is a yes for most of us. Online shopping in China is omnipresent and evolving into a purchase habit. Alibaba is integrating users' experience by allowing customers to browse items in a virtual mall as if they were walking through physical stores and make real-time purchases via the company's payment app.

Over 500 millions of people are engaging in e-commerce in China. Our future shopping habit is likely to follow China's pattern, leading to a more prosperous, vibrant economy and a more connected society.

In the future, technology will continue to fuel the development of online shopping and make it more and more convenient for consumers. Perhaps it is time for us to take a step backward and consider the consequences brought by such a convenience: underpaid labour, environmental issues, overconsumption crisis, etc. As consumers, whilst we are enjoying the convenience of online shopping, we should consider selecting retailers that are ethically responsible, and think considerably before we purchase: do we really need those stuff? Hopefully, people could engage in this new shopping pattern with self-reflection on their own consumption behavior.