The third Hong Kong Shopping Festival (Chinese Mainland), organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) with the full support of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, has concluded with resounding success. The event generated over 115 million total views across all online platforms, a 15% increase from last year. This achievement underscores the growing appeal of Hong Kong brands among mainland consumers and sets the stage for the festival's first expansion into the ASEAN market.
Following the momentum, the Hong Kong Shopping Festival will debut in Malaysia and Singapore from 21 to 27 September. This expansion marks a significant milestone for the HKTDC, as it seeks to help Hong Kong enterprises tap into the rapidly growing e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia. The festival is the flagship event of the HKTDC's year-round E-commerce Express, designed to enhance the digital marketing capabilities and brand visibility of Hong Kong companies.
This year's Chinese Mainland edition, held from 1 to 20 August, featured more than 280 brands and 600 products. Consumers enjoyed exclusive discounts and live-stream sales on platforms such as Douyin, JD.com, and Taobao. The event also included marketing campaigns on Xiaohongshu and WeChat, providing Hong Kong companies with valuable exposure and helping them capture opportunities in the mainland market. Comprehensive support measures, including one-on-one advisory services and training programs, were offered to help enterprises progress from learning e-commerce to excelling in it.
Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR, highlighted the positive sales performance reported by participating brands. He emphasized the government's commitment to supporting Hong Kong enterprises in developing e-commerce through flexible funding, capacity building, and training. He noted, "This year, the Hong Kong Shopping Festival is expanding into the ASEAN region for the first time, facilitating Hong Kong enterprises to tap into another enormous e-commerce market."
Jacky Chung, Associate Executive Director of HKTDC, said, "The strong reception once again demonstrates that Hong Kong brands and products are widely associated with trust and quality." He added that the expansion into ASEAN will lay a solid foundation for Hong Kong businesses seeking to enter and develop their presence in the region.
A key component of the festival's success was the use of live-streaming, a mainstream promotional model in the mainland's e-commerce market. This year, over 30 live-streaming sessions were arranged for around 90 brands, featuring renowned KOLs such as Li Jiaqi and Lin Yilin. These sessions attracted over 10 million views. A new "Behind-the-Brand" origin-tracing live-stream series brought mainland live-streaming teams to Hong Kong, offering immersive tours of participating brands' factories and retail stores. This innovative approach enhanced consumer confidence and brand exposure.
Wai Yuen Tong, a health supplement brand that participated in the origin-tracing series, saw sales on its Tmall flagship store increase by five times compared to the same period last year. Vivian Tang, Executive Director of Wai Yuen Tong, noted, "The 'Behind-the-Brand' live-streams gave us a valuable opportunity to share our brand story... helping to build greater trust."
Social enterprise Hello Cocoa, which entered the mainland market for the first time this year, achieved more than 200,000 brand impressions through live-streaming and WeChat communities. Louie Lu, Founder & CEO of Hello Cocoa, said, "Through our participation... we have successfully reached mainland consumers and gained valuable insights." The company plans to join the ASEAN edition to further expand its presence.
To encourage deep participation, the festival provided promotional copywriting and creative visuals for brands to amplify their reach. Hung Fook Tong, a third-time participant, saw sales double during the event, thanks to exclusive discounts, live-streams, and social media seeding. Audrey Poon, General Manager of Hung Fook Tong, said, "The Hong Kong Shopping Festival has also provided significant support for our expansion into the mainland market."
Startup personal care brand Eco.babe participated in live-streaming sessions for the first time, resulting in a 50% year-on-year increase in sales of its insect repellent. Wesley Leung, Managing Director, highlighted the value of consumer feedback and data in optimizing their e-commerce operations.
The festival also introduced a new designer toys category to engage younger consumers. Collaborations with artists Moon Lau and Kalok Chow generated over 60 million views across social media platforms, a 20% year-on-year increase. Natural Made, which leveraged last year's event to enter the mainland, saw a 2.5-fold increase in brand exposure and product save rates on its Taobao store.
Kenneth Lee, Marketing Lead of Natural Made, praised the HKTDC's training programs, saying, "The programme empowered our team to sharpen our digital marketing skills."
Looking ahead, the inaugural Hong Kong Shopping Festival (ASEAN) will launch this month in Malaysia and Singapore. Through partnerships with Shopee and Lazada, the event will showcase over 350 products on special campaign pages. To support businesses without an existing presence, a limited-time online store will be introduced. This initiative will enable companies to test market response and gain practical experience in the ASEAN e-commerce ecosystem.
The HKTDC's continued efforts to promote Hong Kong brands globally are exemplified by the festival's success and expansion. For more details on the ASEAN edition, visit Hong Kong Shopping Festival (ASEAN).
