(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s 618 Shopping Festival shattered records in 2025, raking in over $90 billion across platforms like JD.com and Tmall, where streamlined promotions and tech integrations turned casual browsers into fervent buyers. For overseas brands, this mid-year event isn’t just a sales spike—it’s a proving ground for cultural agility and digital prowess, with 14 international players surpassing 100 million RMB in sales. Drawing on PLTFRM’s decade-plus expertise in localizing overseas strategies, we outline battle-tested tactics to claim your share of this explosive consumer surge.
1. Leverage Livestreaming for Real-Time Engagement
1.1 KOL Partnerships
Collaborating with Key Opinion Leaders on platforms like Douyin can amplify reach exponentially, as seen in campaigns where micro-influencers drove 25% higher conversion rates through authentic demos. Overseas brands should select KOLs with niche audiences aligned to their products, scripting sessions that blend product education with interactive Q&A to foster trust. This humanizes global offerings, turning viewers into immediate purchasers during peak hours.
1.2 Interactive Features
Incorporate polls, giveaways, and flash bids during streams to sustain viewer retention, which averaged 45 minutes per session in 2025’s top broadcasts. Brands can use platform tools for seamless in-stream purchases, reducing friction and boosting impulse buys by 30%. Post-stream analytics help refine future episodes, ensuring evolving content that resonates with festival fatigue.
2. Streamline Discounts and Bundles
2.1 Simplified Structures
Platforms in 2025 ditched complex pre-sale phases for direct, tiered discounts, simplifying shopper decisions and lifting overall GMV by 15%. Overseas brands should focus on value-packed bundles, like pairing core items with accessories at progressive savings thresholds. This tactic not only clears inventory but also encourages upselling, with data showing 20% average order value increases.
2.2 Personalization Layers
Tailor discount codes via user data on Tmall, sending geo-specific offers to urban vs. rural segments for a 18% uplift in redemption rates. Integrate AI recommendations to suggest bundles based on past behaviors, making promotions feel bespoke. Follow-up emails post-purchase nurture leads, converting one-time buyers into loyal repeaters.
3. Capitalize on Electronics and Home Trends
3.1 Subsidy Synergies
Government subsidies fueled a 40% surge in electronics sales during 618, creating prime windows for tech-adjacent overseas products. Brands should align launches with subsidy announcements, offering compatible add-ons like smart home integrations. This opportunistic tie-in not only rides the wave but positions products as essential upgrades in consumer minds.
3.2 Cross-Category Crossovers
Blend electronics with lifestyle items, such as bundling wearables with apparel, to tap into the 35% growth in hybrid categories. Use WeChat mini-programs for virtual trials, enhancing perceived value and decision speed. Analytics from these crossovers reveal untapped segments, informing year-round assortments.
4. Operational Tailoring for Overseas Entrants
4.1 Distributor Alliances
Partnering with local distributors ensures swift fulfillment, crucial as 618’s no-pre-sale rush demanded same-day dispatches for 60% of orders. Overseas brands can provide co-branded tools like customized POS displays for offline tie-ins. This backend support translates to frontline wins, with partners reporting 22% sales lifts from shared resources.
4.2 Data-Driven Prep
Pre-festival audits of supply chains via tools like Alibaba Cloud predict demand spikes, avoiding stockouts that plagued 15% of campaigns last year. Run A/B tests on ad creatives weeks ahead to optimize for platform algorithms. This proactive stance maximizes ROI, turning tactical prep into strategic dominance.
Real-World Case Study: Swisse’s Livestream Triumph at 618
Australian health supplement leader Swisse, an overseas brand eyeing China’s wellness boom, dominated 2025’s 618 with a Douyin-exclusive livestream series featuring nutritionist KOLs. By bundling vitamins with personalized quizzes for viewer-specific recommendations, they shattered 100 million RMB in sales, a 50% YoY jump, while user interactions hit 2 million. This tactic not only localized health narratives but solidified Swisse as a festival staple, driving 25% post-event subscriptions.
Conclusion
Conquering China’s 618 demands livestream mastery, discount dynamism, trend riding, and operational finesse—tactics that propel overseas brands from participants to frontrunners. With PLTFRM’s proven localization playbook honed over a decade, transform these insights into your mid-year masterpiece.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
