Tencent’s unquenchable ambition in e-commerce is reflected by its latest move – a launch of the online shopping mini-programs Westore. The lightweight application will to a great extend facilitate users ability to start selling online, as it equipped with basic e-commerce functions such as payment, logistics and after-sales service. The product is a replacement after the phasing-out of Weixin Xiaodian, which the company stopped upgrading earlier this month. Tencent’s bid in e-commerce can be dated back to 2005 when the self-owned e-commerce platform Paipai.com made its debut and, whose later close-down prompted the social and gaming giant to ally with JD.com, aiming to resist the increasing power from Alibaba.
