From arriving in Khorgos, Xinjiang, with just a backpack and a bold spirit, to achieving a single live-streaming cross-border sales transaction exceeding 98,000 yuan, Altyn, a resident of Almaty, Kazakhstan, accomplished this in less than a year. Altyn, who has long been involved in cross-border trade between China and Kazakhstan, previously distributed tableware from China's Hebei region and other areas to the Almaty market. After her brick-and-mortar business faced setbacks a year ago, she conceived the idea of exploring new opportunities in Khorgos.
Subsequently, Altyn set up operations in a Chinese trade city within the China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center, venturing into cross-border e-commerce live streaming. Khorgos, located about a four-hour drive from Almaty, serves as a crucial gateway for Xinjiang's opening to the west, consistently ranking first among Xinjiang ports in foreign trade volume and comprehensive port throughput. According to statistics from the Khorgos City Commerce Bureau, the number of registered cross-border e-commerce enterprises and China-Kazakhstan cross-border live-streaming teams in the city has been growing in recent years, demonstrating the vibrant dynamism of new cross-border trade formats.
In the trade city where Altyn works, dozens of hosts from Kazakhstan are active. A vast array of Chinese-made products, including shoes, socks, clothing, hats, bedding, and small home appliances, depart from this hub to be sold across Central Asia and Europe. Like most hosts in the trade city, Altyn's live-streaming studio lacks extravagant set design; instead, it is surrounded by a dazzling display of goods, giving it an authentic and down-to-earth feel. Moving through different shops with a long stand equipped with a ring light and phone, she introduces products and engages warmly with viewers by offering prizes. "This industry is highly competitive, and I must maintain my activity level, but I don't feel tired," she says.
Altyn schedules her live streams between 9 PM and 6 AM Beijing time, aligning with the online shopping habits of consumers in cities like Almaty and Astana. Leveraging the connections and experience accumulated over years in business, her online broadcasts have developed relatively smoothly and gained considerable popularity. Currently, on several international e-commerce platforms, her live streams can attract hundreds of online viewers at their peak. Earlier this year, a businessman from Uzbekistan who had watched her live stream made a special trip to Khorgos with payment in hand to discuss cooperation with Altyn. Outside the shop where she broadcasts, parcels are piled up, ready to be shipped through Kazakh logistics providers. "Once a deal is made online, we can pack and ship immediately, delivering to customers within three days," she explains.
"I don't speak Chinese, which is a disadvantage for my business development. That's why all three of my children are learning Chinese," Altyn says. Recognizing the potential of cross-border e-commerce, she hopes the next generation will continue in this field and sustain this cross-border connection. This year, to improve cargo handling efficiency and facilitate after-sales support, she brought her mother and over ten former employees from Almaty to Khorgos to assist.
A few kilometers from Altyn's workplace in Khorgos city lies the Asia-Europe Commodity (Khorgos) Distribution Center, which specializes in foreign trade, import/export, and cross-border e-commerce. Wu Yelong, originally from Fujian and the head of the cross-border e-commerce department, is a seasoned veteran in international trade. He states, "Central Asia and Eastern Europe represent the next 'blue ocean' for the cross-border e-commerce market." Wu Yelong and his team have designated the Russian-speaking region as their core market, opening stores on numerous e-commerce platforms and establishing a presence on social media channels to steadily expand their reach. "Beyond just exporting goods, we are also committed to integrating product resources from Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe to meet import demands, achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes," Wu Yelong explains. One of the imported sweets his team represents, which suits the regional tastes of Xinjiang, has achieved annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan.
As night falls, Khorgos' Youyi Road bustles with a mix of Chinese and foreign faces, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. Meanwhile, on the invisible 'Digital Silk Road,' cross-border e-commerce hosts are diligently promoting products, using digital information flows to paint a vibrant picture of online prosperity.
Comments