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posted by martyb on Wednesday January 02 2019, @01:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the open-branch-stores-in-China dept.

A daigou is a personal shopper who buys items to send back to people in China, usually for a significant markup. This is a cheaper alternative for Chinese buyers to purchase products around the world. Especially products so in demand in their home country that they often can't be purchased. Like decent quality milk powder produced by Australia. This has caused problems with locals in Australia with hundreds of tins of baby formula being purchased by Chinese daigou to be sent back to China. These daigou can strip shelves of milk powder in minutes. While supermarkets have responded with limiting the number of tins a person can buy per purchase this has failed as the daigou simply go straight back in to purchase more. In response, the Australian public now records videos of these Chinese shoppers stripping the shelves of baby formula then posts to social media. Australia is well known for giving anyone a fair go but there are limits.

Ever think of robbing a store but stopped thinking "what if I'm seen?". Cameras are everywhere. Just about everyone has one in their pocket. Powered up, hours of free space, a phone unlock and camera app start away from filming. YouTube and Facebook have made it easy to share videos for free. Anyone can do it. Now they are. When over 30 daigou recently went on a baby formula buying spree in Brisbane, Shane Conroy captured the raid on video to post to Facebook. The footage has since been viewed half a million times with thousands of shares. The situation with foreign shoppers stripping shelves is only getting worse. The public is now stepping up to record these incidents to post them online to publicly name and shame these people as laws and rules are ineffective.

Is it better when Big Brother is not a central authority but instead is implemented by the people, themselves?


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday January 02 2019, @05:25PM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday January 02 2019, @05:25PM (#781092) Journal

    Well, those daigou don't seem especially smart. They're paying retail for the stuff, when they could almost certainly be paying wholesale. Apparently, the Chinese are smart enough to send their stupidest citizens overseas for this job.

    Think: What would it take for one or more daigou to open a shop of their own? Probably a business license, several thousands to rent/lease/or even buy a warehouse. Get in contact with various distributors, those who carry the items most in-demand at home. If the cost of the warehouse is out of reach for one or six daigou, then get thirty of them together. Open the warehouse, get the contracts for the items needed, and have the stuff delivered by the truckload.

    Wow - what a concept - open up your own import/export business, and you've cut out many middlemen!!

    As an added benefit, you don't have to listen to some whiny bitch holding a tiny creature wet at both ends, while she whines about you taking the last nappies from the shelf!!

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @12:25AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @12:25AM (#781263)

    Arguments against setting up a business or wholesale importing etc, sure. But how have they not noticed simply buying the stuff in larger amounts than two-tins-per-customer at Costco or through Amazon? It’s almost like they’re trying to pay homage to Keystone Cops or Benny Hill rather than be smart about it.