Tech

East-West opens doors of all US Web retailers

By Eric Jou (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-20 10:42

BEIJING - A few months before Apple's iPads became available in China, a few people had obtained them - direct from the company's store in the United States.

And all could be sure they had the genuine product, bought online through the Apple website, and not something brought in by dodgy middlemen.

These iPads were brought into China through a young American, William James Heathershaw, who set up a website Dong-Xi.com to collect and ship products bought through US websites.

Heathershaw, 24, from Waterloo, Iowa, said that Dong-Xi - which means East and West in Chinese as well as things - specializes in helping clients bring the products into China.

Clients would buy and pay for the product directly from US online retailers - some do not ship their products to China - and use Dong-Xi's address in the US as their shipping destination. They would then inform Dong-Xi.com via its online order form.

Dong-Xi would calculate shipping and handling costs, and through the shipping agent DHL send the product to the client in China.

Heathershaw said shipping and handling costs would depend on price and weight, but would be about 15 percent of the item's price.

Dong-Xi can also consolidate several online purchases in the US and ship them together to save costs, he said.

"The ability to pick and shop on whichever website you want, and consolidate packages, makes Dong-Xi unique in the business of substitute purchasing," he said.

"What we're really offering is authenticity."

And this brings in customers. After meeting a member of Dong-Xi.com at a Beijing function, Claudia Fabiano, 29, from New York, began using the site, saying it's the authenticity that keeps her returning for more.

"You know how things are in China. If you want designer products, it's usually three to four times more expensive, and you can't be sure that it's authentic," said Fabiano.

"With (Dong-Xi.com), you get everything directly from the retailer."

Heathershaw, who first came to China as a volunteer for the International Broadcasting Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saw opportunities in China.

After the Games, he went to Shenzhen and spent a couple of months studying the import-export industry.

"China just interests me," said Heathershaw. "I'm from Iowa; I love my home town and the hard-working people, but as far as economically, politically and socially, this place is so interesting.

"It's just an exciting place to be."

Traveling between Beijing and Iowa, Heathershaw saw a potential market in providing goods generally unavailable in China.

Whenever he went to the US, he would ask if anyone would need anything. Requests range from electronics to baby supplies.

After some research and seeing the opportunity, Heathershaw started the website.

Working in and out of Beijing he launched Dong-Xi.com as the Chinese portal to the parent company WJH Exports - named after Heathershaw's initials - based in Oregon. "We have a lot of people say it's difficult to find child supplies, so we have a lot of people using our service to access Diapers.com," said Heathershaw.

"Our most popular products are baby products and electronics."

While Dong-Xi.com is his brainchild, it isn't the only thing he's doing. Heathershaw is also involved with the International Finance Forum in China, Oriented social networking, and the International Newcomers Network.

To those who have met Heathershaw through his networking, they see him as very client-focused and very friendly.

Frederic Baronet, head of legal affairs of Airbus China, is a customer and a friend, having met Heathershaw through the deliveries of some purchases on Dong-Xi.com.

"William is dynamic, trustworthy, and very friendly; he is a very interesting individual who is enthusiastic about China," Baronet said.

"I have never been disappointed with Dong-Xi and would recommend them to anyone."

With Black Friday and cyber Monday looming and Christmas around the corner, Heathershaw is preparing for what might be his busiest season.

"That four-day weekend is the biggest shopping period of the year in the US. Before Dong-Xi.com, these sales weren't readily accessible outside the US," Heathershaw said.

"Given its name Dong-Xi, it's something that we could only do in China."

Heathershaw said he is seeking to expand to other countries by setting up receiving centers in places such as Australia and a few European countries.

In that way, clients in China can buy from retail websites in those countries.

China Daily