Photo: Mikhail Kireev / Roscongress
The session “The Era of the Platform Economy: The Victory of the Tech Giants” was held at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Experts discussed a number of important issues. What will the new digital platform of Russ and Wildberries Group look like? What are the advantages of developing a platform economy? Where is the Russian digital market heading and how is the country’s trading industry as a whole changing?
MORE THAN FOUR HOURS ON THE INTERNET A DAY
According to the Association of Internet Commerce Companies, the average Russian spends more than 4.5 hours a day on the Internet. 80 million smartphones are constantly connected to cellular networks and 70 million of them regularly make online purchases. In the first half of 2024, the growth of this activity compared to the same period last year was 41%.
“The platform economy is the apotheosis of economic development in the world,” says Tatyana Bakalchuk, founder of Wildberries. – As far as I understand, this is the best thing that could happen to the world economy. This is transparency, huge potential and growth for all participants: for consumers, for those who are drivers – sellers or producers of services or goods. This is a good story for the state as well. In principle, any industry that is in any way affected by the platform economy receives a huge incentive for development.”
Tatyana Bakalchuk also raised the importance of terminology and stressed that Wildberries should not be treated simply as a marketplace. The entrepreneur sees his project as a platform where not only goods but also services will soon be presented.
Founder of Wildberries Tatyana Bakalchuk. Photo: Mikhail Kireev / Roscongress
“We have observed the experience of our Chinese colleagues and we really like what they have built. Following the example of some of the systems and structures they successfully use, we also plan in the near future to open up new opportunities for the development of SMEs in the country, to give them a more professional basis,” said Tatyana Bakalchuk.
RWB and Russ Group CEO Robert Mirzoyan supported the idea that the digital platform is a rich set of development and regulation tools and a big step for Russia as a whole. In his opinion, it is a very effective tool for regulating the market. For example, Russ Group noticed that it was becoming more and more difficult to work with imported products and decided to provide maximum support to domestic manufacturers. Moreover, it is planned to do this through our own digital platform.
GO ONLINE
Simultaneously with the rise of digital business, the state is also growing, becoming a participant in the digital ecosystem as well. As a result, it has various influences on large platforms. State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Roman Chekushov said that it is important for the state to support digital platforms rather than regulate their activities. According to the ministry, the share of trade on digital platforms in Russia is growing at a tremendous pace. According to various estimates, it already accounts for up to a quarter of the total daily trade volume in the country.
State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Roman Chekushov. Photo: Mikhail Kireev / Roscongress
“In the first half of the year, we have seen an increase in trading on digital platforms of about 40% compared to the same period last year. By the end of 2024, we expect a 50% increase. That is why our priority is to distribute services to all constituent entities of the Russian Federation and ensure citizens equal access to such platforms,” says Roman Chekushov.
As for support measures, the task of the state here is to do no harm and to ensure some kind of unhindered regime. The authorities pay special attention to stimulating the export of Russian products, which would hardly be possible without the use of digital trading tools. The Ministry continues to engage in dialogue with digital platforms in search of appropriate support measures in this direction.
“For us, our market is the entire market of the Eurasian Economic Union, all five countries. And, of course, there are also the interests of our closest neighbours, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which are not members of the EAEU, but are bound by agreements on a free trade zone for goods and services. These nuances need to be taken into account when coordinating and ratifying such complex regulations and introducing changes to the Customs Code. I really hope that we will approve an agreement on e-commerce this year,” said Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Dmitry Volvach.
“GROWTH PLATFORM”
The president of the Association of Internet Trading Companies, Artem Sokolov, drew attention to the fact that the digital platform itself, being a very complex mechanism, entails civil, administrative and even criminal liability. That is why it is necessary to apply serious and combined regulation.
President of the Association of Internet Trading Companies Artem Sokolov. Photo: Mikhail Kireev / Roscongress
Mikhail Khomich, General Director and Chief Strategist of VEB.RF, Director of Special Projects at ASI, spoke about the main demands of manufacturers and entrepreneurs today and about the new joint service with the Russ and Wildberries Group.
“The top 4 requests of entrepreneurs are assistance with outdoor advertising, promotion and training in working with markets, participation in forums and meetings with colleagues, as well as assistance in finding a mentor. That is why, together with Wildberries and Russ Group, we created the “Growth Platform” project, which will meet all these requests. Companies will be placed on a certain platform where they can quickly and easily place their advertising in any digital media in the country. There they will be able to find someone with more experience,” said Mikhail Jomích.
