Customers' desire for quality boosts online shopping

China was an unlikely birthplace for the world's largest e-commerce market.

The vast land territory made nationwide delivery seem almost impossible. Unstable Internet service in rural areas - home to roughly half the nation's population - might also be expected to reduce buyers' willingness to shop online.

Most important, the Chinese subscribe firmly to the idea that seeing is believing. Bargaining with someone you cannot meet face to face over items you cannot touch is not the way people were accustomed to doing business.