There are a range of reasons why this might be. Studies from the United States consistently demonstrate three leading drivers of online purchasing - availability, cost, and user experience. Let's take a closer look at how each of these three variables applies to online purchasing in Hong Kong. The SAR is renowned worldwide as a shopping town, a place where virtually anything that anyone would want to buy is readily available. What's more, Hong Kong's compactness means that shops usually are within walking distance.
Mail order is virtually unknown.
There are few products available from online retailers that are difficult to find on the streets. Auctions, on the other hand, offer a plethora of new and second-hand goods often unavailable elsewhere, as well as variety unmatched by any single retailer. However, bargains often are the order of the day at online auctions, simply because the price is dictated not by the retailer but by the buyer. In a city where retail therapy is not just a fancy term but a way of life, online retail comes across as somewhat antiseptic.