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, generating over 115 million total views across all online platforms—a 15% increase from last year. The event, held from August 1 to 20, featured more than 280 brands and 600 products, offering exclusive discounts and live-stream sales on platforms such as Douyin, JD.com, and Taobao. The festival also included marketing campaigns on Xiaohongshu and WeChat, enhancing the digital marketing capabilities of Hong Kong companies.
The success of the mainland edition has paved the way for the festival's first expansion into the ASEAN region. The Hong Kong Shopping Festival (ASEAN) will take place from September 21 to 27 on e-commerce platforms in Malaysia and Singapore, marking a significant milestone in helping Hong Kong enterprises tap into the rapidly growing Southeast Asian e-commerce market.
Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR, highlighted the positive sales performance reported by participating brands. The government will continue to support Hong Kong enterprises in developing e-commerce through funding, training, and promotional assistance. Yau expressed optimism about the ASEAN expansion, noting that it facilitates Hong Kong enterprises in exploring another enormous e-commerce market.
Jacky Chung, Associate Executive Director of HKTDC, emphasized that the strong reception demonstrates that Hong Kong brands are widely associated with trust and quality. The expansion into ASEAN, focusing on Malaysia and Singapore, will lay a solid foundation for Hong Kong businesses seeking to enter and develop their presence in the region.
This year's festival introduced several innovative elements, including the “Behind-the-Brand” origin-tracing live-stream series, which brought mainland live-streaming teams to Hong Kong for immersive tours of participating brands’ factories and retail stores. This initiative helped consumers gain deeper insights into production processes and brand stories, significantly enhancing consumer confidence. Health supplement brand Wai Yuen Tong saw sales on its Tmall flagship store increase by five times compared with the same period last year, a testament to the effectiveness of the approach.
Vivian Tang, Executive Director of Wai Yuen Tong, noted that the live-streams provided a valuable opportunity to share brand stories and ingredient selection standards directly with consumers, building greater trust. The experience has further enhanced their understanding of leveraging live-streaming and e-commerce to reach mainland consumers.
Social enterprise Hello Cocoa, which employs staff with special educational needs, entered the mainland market for the first time this year. Through live-streaming and WeChat community promotions, the brand achieved over 200,000 brand impressions, surpassing expectations. Founder Louie Lu expressed plans to expand into the ASEAN market through the upcoming festival.
Established brands like Hung Fook Tong, a third-time participant, also benefited significantly. Products selected by renowned influencer Li Jiaqi led to sales doubling compared to the same period last year. Audrey Poon, General Manager, credited the festival with building consumer trust and strengthening their brand image in the mainland.
Startup personal care brand Eco.babe participated in live-streaming sessions for the first time, resulting in a 50% year-on-year increase in insect repellent sales. Wesley Leung, Managing Director, highlighted the value of consumer feedback and sales data in refining their product portfolio and market positioning.
The festival also captured the youth market through collaborations with artists and influencers, generating over 60 million views on social media—a 20% year-on-year increase. The debut of a designer toys category opened doors for local brands like Natural Made, whose original IP “Poru-Poru” saw a 2.5-fold increase in brand exposure and product save rates on Taobao. Kenneth Lee, Marketing Lead, praised the HKTDC’s training programmes for offering practical insights into platform algorithms and AI tools.
As the festival expands to Malaysia and Singapore, an official website will be launched, and partnerships with Shopee and Lazada will feature over 350 products. To support Hong Kong businesses without an existing presence in these markets, a limited-time online store will be introduced, allowing merchants to test market response and gain practical experience in the ASEAN e-commerce ecosystem.
For more details on the Hong Kong Shopping Festival (ASEAN), visit: http://hkshoppingfestival-asean.hktdc.com.
