E-commerce firm seeks rich pickings in mainland

A US e-commerce company is looking to tap into the demographic of fashionable young, tech-savvy women in China by selling them top brands through mobile messaging.

San Francisco-based startup, Operator, recently suspended its US service to focus on the Chinese market because of the "surging business" it has experienced since it expanded to China in November.

With their mobile shopping app, Chinese users are connected with US-based "experts" who provide recommendations, and the company's team then sources and delivers the purchases. Online translation tools are available for customers who cannot understand English.