Originally posted on Deal Journal: another major U.S. retailer is testing China’s crowded e-commerce market as domestic players start feeling the heat.

As the WSJ reports, Macy’s Inc. has invested $15 million in Chinese online retail company VIPStore Co. Intel Corp.’s Intel Capital is also an investor in the company. The deal will allow Macy’s to sell merchandise through a dedicated section on the website, , in spring 2013, a luxury site operated by VIPStore.

Macy’s move comes after Neiman Marcus Group Inc. invested $28 million for a stake in Chinese site Glamour Sales Holdings Ltd., allowing the company to tap Chinese demand for luxury goods without having to invest in bricks and mortar stores. J. Crew Group Inc. also said earlier this year it would start shipping overseas to 107 countries and is actively looking for retail space in Asia and Europe.

Increased competition coming from European companies is putting pressure on many domestic startups that had entered China’s web to sell luxury before Macy’s, Neiman and Net-a-Porter were brave enough to peddle their wares in unchartered Internet territory. Chinese Internet portal NetEase shut down its once-popular luxury commerce site NetEase Premier in January, having operated for less than a year. Analysts say more will shutter their sites as companies like Macy’s pile in, as Chinese consumers are interested in big global brand names over little-known domestic offerings.

The battle online also reflects what’s happening in the bricks and mortar sphere. As larger, more global fashion companies are coming into China, the smaller Chinese boutiques that once dominated lower-tier cities are facing challenges to keep their doors open. Chinese consumers want what the rest of the world has access to, says Aaron Fischer, an analyst at brokerage CLSA Asia Pacific Markets.

滬江英語(yǔ)快訊：周三，美國(guó)零售商梅西百貨公司宣布，已與中國(guó)購(gòu)物網(wǎng)站佳品網(wǎng)達(dá)成協(xié)議在佳品網(wǎng)新成立的歐美網(wǎng)開(kāi)設(shè)梅西專(zhuān)區(qū)，直接向中國(guó)消費(fèi)者出售其部分私標(biāo)品牌產(chǎn)品。梅西同時(shí)向其注資1500萬(wàn)美元獲取少數(shù)股份。隨著越來(lái)越多的國(guó)外時(shí)尚品牌開(kāi)始進(jìn)軍中國(guó)市場(chǎng)，中國(guó)消費(fèi)者的選擇范圍增大的同時(shí)，曾經(jīng)在中國(guó)的中小城市占據(jù)主要市場(chǎng)的中國(guó)小型精品店的生存面臨著各種挑戰(zhàn)。梅西百貨公司是美國(guó)的著名連鎖百貨公司，1924年在第7大道開(kāi)張時(shí)曾被宣傳為“世界最大商店”。兩個(gè)全國(guó)性旗艦店分別設(shè)在舊金山的聯(lián)合廣場(chǎng)和芝加哥州街。2011梅西百貨感恩節(jié)大游行：各路“明星”爭(zhēng)奇斗艷>>>

延伸閱讀：

“梅西百貨公司”的創(chuàng)始人是斯特勞斯（Ida Straus）。1912年4月，他與太太羅莎莉登上了“泰坦尼克號(hào)”。大船快要沉沒(méi)時(shí)，斯特勞斯無(wú)論用什么辦法，他的太太始終拒絕上八號(hào)救生艇，說(shuō)；“多少年來(lái)，你去哪我去哪，我現(xiàn)在去你去的地方”，這位偉大的女性把自己的位子讓給了她的女傭，把毛皮大衣脫下來(lái)甩給女傭：“我用不到它了”！八號(hào)艇救生員對(duì)67歲的斯特勞斯先生提議：“我保險(xiǎn)不會(huì)有人反對(duì)像您這樣的老先生上小艇”，斯特勞斯堅(jiān)定地回答，“我絕不會(huì)在別的男人之前上救生艇”。然后挽著63歲羅莎莉的手臂，一對(duì)老夫婦蹣姍地走到甲板的藤椅上坐下，等待著最后的時(shí)刻。就是電影《泰坦尼克號(hào)》最后緊緊抱在一起接吻，被海水吞沒(méi)的那對(duì)老夫婦。