10 WeChat Mini-Program Case Studies for Retail & E-Commerce

In this piece, we lay out 10 different WeChat commerce case studies for Azoya's WeChat blog. Top retailers include: Wal-Mart, Suning Group, DFS Group, Shinsegae, and more. 

For an introductory guide to WeChat e-commerce mini-programs, check out these articles:

        WeChat Mini-Programs Open Up New Possibilities for China E-Commerce

        WeChat Mini-Programs Open Up New Possibilities for China E-Commerce (pt. 2)

For more practical, basic information, check out these articles:

        What is a WeChat mini-program and how can I use it to sell to China?

        What is a WeChat Official Account and how does it fit into my China strategy?

        Additional WeChat resources (third-party resources)

Lastly, you can also download our playbook for WeChat E-Commerce Mini-Programs.

Group Buying

JD.com's Jingxi WeChat Mini-Program

JD.com, China's largest online retailer by revenues, operates several different WeChat mini-programs. In October of this year, it rebranded its JD Pingou mini-program as "Jingxi", or "pleasant surprise". The mini-program targets consumers in China's lower-tier cities. Its features include group-buying, livestreaming, and C2M manufacturing products. 

Omnichannel (O2O, or online-to-offline)

Wal-Mart's Omnichannel WeChat Mini-Program

Wal-Mart's mini-program combines its wide product selection with on-demand delivery services and e-commerce ordering for longer-tail, higher-value products. Bolstered by JD.com's in-house logistics network and the Dada-JD Daojia delivery service, Wal-Mart has been able to create a one-stop shop for consumers. 

Suning's Omnichannel WeChat Mini-Program

Suning is one of China's largest retailers of white goods appliances such as washing machines, microwaves, etc. Now it runs over 8,800 electronics stores, convenience stores, and supermarkets across China, covering over 700 cities. Suning also owns 80% of Carrefour's China business, putting it at odds with the JD-Wal-Mart-Dada alliance and Alibaba's smart retail ecosystem. 

Suning's mini-program focuses on omnichannel retail services and same-day e-commerce delivery, sending goods from its own branded convenience stores (Suning Xiaodian) and Carrefour supermarkets. Other features include loyalty rewards, group-buying deals, and even services to clean your apartment and fix your appliances.

Tianhong's Omnichannel WeChat Mini-Program

Tianhong is a Shenzhen-based department store chain with 69 stores located across China.  Its omnichannel WeChat-mini-program offers scan & pay with WeChat, as well as on-demand delivery services and e-commerce ordering for imported products such as health supplements, milk powder, and cosmetics. In addition, it also enables users to order at the food court, send virtual gift cards to friends, pay parking fees, and even participate in group-buying deals. This mini-program is one of the most comprehensive ones we've seen on the market. 

Personalization

Rothy's Direct-to-Consumer WeChat Mini-Program

Rothy's is one of America's hottest new sustainable footwear brands. As a direct-to-consumer brand, Rothy's has launched a special WeChat mini-program to highlight its colorful collection. Its virtual showroom creates a superior customer experience and helps the brand stand out amidst numerous peers. 

Chow Tai Fook's jewelry customization WeChat mini-program

Chow Tai Fook is one of Hong Kong's largest jewelry retailers. This WeChat mini-program lets users customize their own diamond bracelets, rings, and necklaces, offering different cuts of diamonds and engraving services as well. Customers can pick them up at the nearest CTF offline retail store. 

Travel Retail

DFS Group's Travel Retail Mini-Program

Hong Kong's duty-free store chain DFS Group was one of the first to launch a cross-border travel retail mini-program. It targets Chinese tourists with WeChat ads and lets them pre-order items before picking them up at the store in person. 

Shinsegae's Travel Retail Mini-Program

Shinsegae is a travel & retail conglomerate in South Korea that owns duty-free stores, shopping malls, department stores, and even its own retail brands. Its new WeChat mini-program integrates all of these assets to provide the ultimate travel & shopping experience for outbound Chinese tourists. 

Amsterdam Airport's Travel Mini-Program

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport has launched a WeChat mini-program to offer duty-free shopping and other services. Customers can pre-order items in advance and pick them up at the airport's duty-free stores. Customers can also check flight times and access flight transfer information, as well as an airport map that highlights shop locations. 

King Power's Travel Retail WeChat Mini-Program

King Power is Thailand's largest chain of duty-free stores, operating nine stores across the country. Over half of its revenues come from Chinese tourists. Its WeChat mini-program lets tourists pre-order items in advance and pick them up at airport duty-free stores.