Among our 141 million global cardmembers we have seen incredible growth in European ecommerce transactions over recent years, as our cardmembers continue to spend with their favourite retailers and brands in a seamless and safe online environment. From 2016 to 2019, online transactions in Europe among our Asian cardmembers have increased by more than 300 %[1]. For our Taiwanese and South Korean JCB cardmembers in particular, 98 % and 96 % of all transactions, respectively, were made online in 2020[2].
We understand that for a lot of our European retailers, the events of 2020/2021 have created new challenges when it comes to attracting travelling international consumers. However, with the support of our valued payment partners, we invite retailers to capitalise on this growing ecommerce opportunity, and to potentially experience success with an omnichannel strategy.
If you’re an online retailer looking to unlock the growth that stems from Asia , by developing a robust ecommerce proposition and attracting spend from JCB cardmembers, here are our top 10 tips for facilitating that journey:
- Invest in omnichannel: A frictionless and multi-platform customer experience is a sure way to encourage shoppers to return to your website. Many of our younger cardmembers are using the latest payment technology, and expect device integration.
- Accommodate for Asian shoppers: We issue in about 20 countries and regions, and our cardmembers' shopping habits are diverse and unique. A large portion of our cardmembers are from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. To appeal to these shoppers, it’s important to include local languages and currency capability.
- Invest in good customer service: JCB cardmembers appreciate and expect excellent customer service when buying online. This includes receiving timely replies to enquiries, reliable reviews, no hidden costs, and a clear and simple returns process.
- Don’t underestimate the importance of shipping: Our cardmembers seek efficient and secure delivery services, because the security and legitimacy of goods is important to them. This is even more pronounced when purchasing from Europe. European e-tailers are attractive because the product is considered bona fide and shoppers know purchases will arrive in good condition.
- Make the most of Asian holidays: Market your business around national holidays in countries and regions when people have time to shop and browse websites – and look out for international events to leverage, such as Black Friday and Singles’ Day. We also know that July and December are the months when most Japanese companies give bonuses, meaning our Japanese cardmembers are more likely to spend!
- Create innovative promotions to boost loyalty: Asian shoppers like bargains and promotions, so spend some time researching and discovering what discount schemes work in each market. For example, our cardmember data shows that Taiwanese cardmembers prefer cashback as a loyalty incentive compared to Japanese cardmembers, who value discounts and special offers.
- Research your target market: Even though business and leisure travellers may be smaller in number right now, you can still identify what they are looking to buy online and introduce your brand accordingly. And when it is safe to travel again, you can capitalise on the brand recognition you’ve built online to entice our cardmembers back to services in store.
- Be aware of local sales taxes: Taxes vary between countries and regions and have implications for retailers selling online out of Europe. Localise the online check-out experience and build taxes into the final price, perhaps by adding in an online calculator.
- Ensure your website carries the JCB logo: The JCB card is trusted by our cardmembers. They will look for signs their JCB card is accepted when shopping in-store, so e-stores must make the JCB logo visible to capitalise on opportunities for profit. #ShowTheLogo
- Ask JCB for support: JCB can strengthen your business through an approach of co-creation, listening and responding to the demands of modern commerce, whether face-to-face or online. JCB has been in operation for over 60 years, and we partner with various organisations across the world to ensure that we are up to date and compliant.
Get in touch with your JCB account manager today to find out more by contacting us on – marketing@jcbeurope.eu
[1] JCB Proprietary Data (May 2020)
[2] JCB Proprietary Data (September 2020)
