How housewife in US became personal shopper of Chinese

Cindy, a Chinese immigrant in California, has managed to transform herself from a lonely housewife to a visionary team leader, after being a buyer at ymatou.com, a Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform.

Six years ago, she quit her job and moved to US with her husband, but ended up hurting her marriage.

"I couldn't speak English, so I stayed home, while my husband was out there working, fitting into the new environment. We were drifting apart."

Things changed when she took a shot at ymatou.com, which hires people living abroad as local buyers to buy foreign products for customers in China.

"Being a buyer guarantees flexible hours which means I can look after the family. Every morning after dropping my two little daughters at school, I would take new orders and start shopping and finish picking new products with the help of the team in three hours."

"However, it's not as easy as shopping from store to store. We carry the goods in a big bag on our shoulders, sometimes rushing to meet an urgent order when a logistical problem pops up."

Explaining how she earns the trust of customers and gains new clients, she said, "A female customer once asked for a refund on an expensive dress due to a problem with the apparel manufacturer. I agreed to the refund."

She said many customers introduce their friends to her and sometimes even let her decide their outfit.

In an effort to gain a bigger foothold in the market and meet the mainland customers' demand, Cindy's team plans to explore new and more diversified products.

"I think customers are beginning to care more about good experience and high quality rather than just the price," said Cindy.

With an expanding customer base and a sharper market sense, Cindy dreams to someday raise enough money to create her own brand that will provide the customers a richer experience.