Online shopkeeping effort falls on stony ground

I had never expected that I would one day try my hand at running a store on social networking app WeChat.

It is called yunji, literally translated as "cloud market", an app that links you with brand products ranging from cosmetics to kitchenware.

Once registered, you can choose to be either a consumer who can buy at a discount, or a store operator who may make some money by posting product information on your WeChat account, using a quick response code or purchase link that may enable a transaction to be completed.