E-commerce raises incomes and optimism in far west

Zhou, from the Aksu E-commerce Association, said his organization and the training center are working to find ways to solve the problem.

"We are seeking to establish a foundation and introduce 'angel capital' to help online store owners," he said.

"But to attract capital, we must first improve the packaging of the products."

Zhou said people in Xinjiang are so confident about the quality of their agricultural produce that some believe packaging is unimportant.

"That's why most products bought from online vendors in Xinjiang have simple, rough packaging, which makes them look cheap and less attractive," he said.

To illustrate his point, he held up one of the soft, thin paper boxes that are widely used by online store owners to pack red dates in the industrial park.

"People think that consumers will pay for the products regardless of appearances. That's a big misunderstanding," he said.

"Good presentation adds to the appeal and the retail price of products, helping goods from Xinjiang to win greater customer recognition."

Some forward-thinking entrepreneurs have already acted to remedy this fault. Liu, the honey seller, recently upgraded her containers from plastic bottles to delicate, well-designed glass ones, each costing 10 yuan.

"Though costs rose initially, sales have improved greatly thanks to the attractive packaging," she said.