After receiving the free work gloves from the Chinese seller, he started complaining about American e-commerce.

Ask AI · Why Has America’s Business Culture Lost Its Long-Lost Warmth?

Recently, a video in which an American auto mechanic vents about American e-commerce has gone viral (as shown below). In the video, the mechanic describes how, when he bought Chinese-made auto repair tools on Amazon, he received a pair of work-protective gloves included by the seller. At first, he didn’t even realize it was a freebie; only after he noticed the gloves were brand-new did it click. This unremarkable pair of gloves pulled him into a recollection and reflection on how changing times have made America lose its warmth.

He recalls that when he was younger, buying sports star trading cards would come with a stick of chewing gum, and when he got his car repaired the mechanic would also casually help change the engine oil. Buying a big bag of donuts would also get you a few extra little cakes. Back then, American merchants were more willing to give customers better terms and more concerned with building long-term relationships. But now, times have changed. Today’s American business environment feels precise and cold; every transaction has clearly defined boundaries. He can’t remember how long it’s been since he last felt this kind of warmth—“thank you for your business.”

This reflects two profound shifts: one is the restructuring of China’s manufacturing sector and global industrial supply chains; the other is a change in the social mindset behind America’s commercial logic.

Even though it’s just a pair of work-protective gloves, it’s a vivid footnote to China’s global position in manufacturing. From consumer electronics to new-energy vehicles, China’s manufacturing industry is rapidly climbing to the upstream side of the value chain. And, just as the American mechanic in the video talked about the Chinese tools he bought—“I originally thought, with such a low price, even if it’s a disposable tool, it still might be worth it; but it turns out the quality is excellent. It can last for many years.” Chinese manufacturing is quickly overturning the stereotype that it offers great cost performance but only average quality, winning recognition from professional users abroad.

Beyond product quality, what’s equally striking is the full ecosystem and extreme efficiency showcased by China’s e-commerce. From raw material supply and component matching to final assembly, China has the world’s most complete industrial system and supply-chain network. This advantage directly translates into room for price concessions to consumers—even across oceans and through multiple layers of distribution, Chinese products still maintain price competitiveness. More importantly, China’s deep embrace of cross-border e-commerce allows Chinese goods to reach consumers around the world along the shortest possible path. So that pair of gloves included with the tools, while on the surface just looks like a small gift, is in fact behind the scenes proof of China’s powerful delivery capabilities and a deep understanding of the consumer experience.

Today, in the U.S., “giving roses leaves a lingering fragrance in the hand” is becoming increasingly rare for reasons that aren’t accidental. After decades of strenuous efforts toward deindustrialization, many American companies and parts of industrial supply chains moved overseas, leaving the American economy hollow out and structurally imbalanced. The old industrial areas became the “Rust Belt.” In this context, local businesses have no choice but to sustain themselves through refined operations and rigid profit margins, so the previously relaxed and generous business culture naturally can’t continue.

At a deeper level, the “hollowness” caused by this isn’t only the loss of jobs—it’s also a breakdown of social mindset. Areas where manufacturing-related communities concentrate often have characteristics of being clustered and community-based. Here, factory owners and workers are like people from the same hometown; the owner of an auto repair shop recognizes every car owner in the town, including regular customers. Back then, business relationships were strongly infused with community color: making money wasn’t just cold, transactional dealing—it was a connection between people. Those “gifts” like “just switching the engine oil for you” are a concrete expression of this kind of business culture—it’s built on long-term, stable, and trust-based relationships, which is why merchants are willing to sustain customer relationships through small concessions.

But when manufacturing leaves and the service sector becomes the mainstay, business relationships become increasingly impersonal. Large chain stores replace neighborhood shops, and platform economies make transactions more efficient but also more distant. In such an environment, there’s almost no expectation of long-term relationships between merchants and consumers—every purchase is independent and substitutable. Merchants have no incentive to “thank customers,” and consumers also won’t expect extra “warmth.” The mechanic’s question—why this mindset disappears—has an answer: the social structure and era that supported this mindset have already become the past.

But China is different. We often say that China is a people-oriented society; it exists not only among people who know each other, but also as a kind of social custom. In farmers’ markets, a produce seller might casually hand you two scallions or a few chilies; at a fruit stall, you may get to taste before buying, and when you’re about to leave, they might still shove an almond with a crack into the bag. Once you move this culture onto e-commerce platforms, it hasn’t disappeared; it’s actually been carried forward even more—buy cosmetics, and you get cotton pads and sample packs; buy toys, and you get small stickers; buy a whole box of fruit, and you get a peeler; and then there are those thank-you cards that start with “宝子” or “亲.”

This social logic rooted in China’s traditional business culture reflects a kind of social philosophy: “believing that kindness and trust are mutual.” The surprise and emotion the American mechanic felt when opening the package shows that sincerity and warmth can cross national borders. It also proves that China’s strength isn’t only about production capacity and efficiency, but also about the ability to deliver warmth. In the era of globalization, the combination of this people-oriented social tradition with modern commercial civilization is becoming a vivid footnote to China’s soft power. (Liu Yuanling, Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Review | Lu Changyin

Editor | Xu Mingming

Proofread by | Xiang Xinyue