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Download Online purchases have become the first choice among shoppers in first-tier cities, according to a survey of taxi passengers. China Daily conducted a poll of 134,026 people by teaming up with Touchmedia, the national leader in media presentations in taxis, from Dec 1 to 9. Fifty-two percent of the taxis involved in the survey were in Shanghai, with others in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. More than two-fifths of Chinese people who responded to the survey cited e-commerce sites as their top choice for shopping. These included online marketplaces such as Tmall and Taobao, business-to-customer sites such as JDMall and official brand websites. Foreign residents in China are less inclined to embrace online shopping. About one-third of expats living in Shanghai said they prefer brick-and-mortar stores. Among 24,218 foreigners surveyed who live overseas but were visiting the city, the top three shopping choices were convenience stores, shopping malls and department stores. All respondents were allowed to list up to three choices, with the results given equal importance and bundled together. About 40 percent of the Chinese respondents said they pay for online purchases by using bank cards online or through third-party payment platforms such as Alipay. The figure was 10 percentage points lower among foreign respondents, with 21 percent citing cash as the primary payment option, followed by in-person credit card use. | 
