Chao, Liang-Fang 3-12 2-25am_RedactedFrom: Liang-Fang Chao ]
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2018 2:25 AM
To: City of Cupertino Planning Dept. <planning@cupertino.org>; Daniel Parolek
Subject: Fwd: Online shopping in Taiwan/China
RE: Vallco Shopping District Specific Plan (NOT Vallco Special Area, which doesn't
exist in the General Plan)
Planning Commissioner Don Sun mentioned his experience in China for online
shopping as an answer to imply that we won't need more retail space.
The email below is what I shared with Don.
Even in US, online retail accounts to only 8% of overall retail sale. Online retailers are
seeking physical stores to complement their online offerings. More retailers with
physical stores are using a combination of online and offline sale strategies to improve
overall sales.
The overall retail is growing strong. Some high profile department stores may be
struggling because they didn't adapt well to the digital age with a better integration
with online sales. At the same time, many more smaller retailers opened.
The employment in retail remain strong, which means the demand for employees in
retail remain strong.
It's easy to follow the narrative of others as long as they repeat it long enough. As
consultants, I trust you use real numbers from real examples, instead of imaginary ones,
in your analysis.
Thank you.
Liang Chao
Cupertino Resident
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Liang-Fang Chao >
Date: Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 4:54 PM
Subject: Online shopping in Taiwan/China
To: Don Sun >
Thank you for attending the forum. Really appreciate your willingness to communicate
regardless of our views.
One thing bugs me though ...
Regarding the shopping experience in China or Taiwan, I'm confused. Are you
suggesting that retail is dying in Taiwan and China due to online shopping? I'm curious
if you have any data on that?
In US, the retail sales has increased, but it only totals about 8% of overall retail sale.
I agree that footprint of retail space for individual stores might be smaller. But more
variety of retail stores are also popping up, just like in Asian.
Online shopping is extremely easy in Taiwan. My sisters order heavy items like a bag of
rice or other nonprishables online. Not only deliveries are free. They even come to your
door to pick up returned items for free. It's an online shopping heaven.
Yet, if we go out the door, the streets around our condo are full of people shopping,
eating, etc.
It's a kind of street with about 30 feet setback from the curb and then another 30 feet
under the semis floor. The streets that's 60 feet wide are so full of people at night that I
had to find a path closer to the traffic in order to walk fast to reach the subway station.
Some subway stations have a large underground area of shops lining from one subway
station to the next, to the next, in addition to shops above the ground.
Some are next to several multiple -story department stores.
My experience of the landscape of shopping options in Taiwan/China is quite different
from what you described.