https://www.scmp.com/rss/323495/feed Latest news and updates on China’s Singles’ Day, which is the world’s largest online shopping festival. Held on November 11 every year, the annual event is seen by many as an important barometer for economic health. In 2019, online shoppers in China spent a whopping 410 billion yuan (US$60.4 billion) in 24 hours – double what Amazon generates in an entire month. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China logged a record 180 billion express deliveries in the first 11 months of the year, according to state media reports, as the country’s online shopping platforms continue to rake in orders despite an economic slowdown. Xinhua said the bumper parcel deliveries – which reached as high as 777 million per day from January to November, according to the State Post Bureau – reflected the “vigorous vitality of China’s economy”, though analysts cautioned that vendors were often relying on generous... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334909/china-delivers-record-180-billion-parcels-11-months-shoppers-chase-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334909/china-delivers-record-180-billion-parcels-11-months-shoppers-chase-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao,Wency Chen Ann Cao,Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding, China’s e-commerce and cloud computing giant, on Tuesday reported a better-than-expected 5 per cent increase in revenue for the September quarter, as its cloud and artificial intelligence businesses continued to gain momentum. Total revenue for the Hangzhou-based company reached 247.8 billion yuan (US$34.8 billion) for its financial second quarter ended September 30, beating the consensus estimate of 245.2 billion yuan by Bloomberg-polled analysts. That was more than the 2... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334116/alibaba-posts-5-rise-quarterly-revenue-ai-cloud-computing-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334116/alibaba-posts-5-rise-quarterly-revenue-ai-cloud-computing-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:59:49 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s e-commerce giants Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com reported record-breaking sales for the Singles’ Day online shopping festival, as the companies looked to artificial intelligence to help boost sales and traffic amid a sluggish economy. During the event, which ran for almost a month from mid-October, Alibaba’s online retail platforms Taobao and Tmall saw more than 34,000 brands double their sales from a year ago, the company said on Saturday. More than 18,000 brands recorded sales growth... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333107/ai-puts-wind-sales-singles-day-alibaba-and-jdcom-hit-retail-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333107/ai-puts-wind-sales-singles-day-alibaba-and-jdcom-hit-retail-records?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is seeing solid early results from its push into “instant commerce”, a shopping model the Chinese technology giant hopes will drive sales growth amid sluggish consumer spending and intensifying e-commerce competition. According to the latest company data, Taobao Shangou – Alibaba’s “instant buy and instant delivery” service – generated more than 100 million orders from new users brought to the Taobao app during the first three weeks of the Singles’ Day shopping festival as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331778/alibabas-instant-commerce-bet-pays-taobao-attracts-over-100-million-new-non-food-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3331778/alibabas-instant-commerce-bet-pays-taobao-attracts-over-100-million-new-non-food-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:00:23 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding kicked off direct sales for its annual Singles’ Day shopping festival on Monday, with initial figures surpassing last year’s performance – a sign of strengthening domestic consumption during China’s biggest online retail event. Since direct sales began on Taobao and Tmall at 8pm on Monday, 80 brands had exceeded 100 million yuan (US$13.8 million) in sales within the first hour, while more than 30,000 brands doubled their takings from a year earlier, according to data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329770/alibabas-singles-day-shows-faster-growth-80-brands-hit-us14-million-hour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329770/alibabas-singles-day-shows-faster-growth-80-brands-hit-us14-million-hour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is making tangible progress in applying artificial intelligence models into the search and recommendation engines of its e-commerce ecosystem, according to a senior executive, as the company kicked off its annual Singles’ Day promotion this week. At the campaign’s launch in Shanghai on Thursday, Alibaba vice-president Zhang Kaifu, who also serves as head of applications for the company’s e-commerce businesses, said the firm’s use of Qwen’s large language models (LLMs) had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329446/alibaba-confident-ai-tools-will-drive-sales-and-empower-singles-day-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329446/alibaba-confident-ai-tools-will-drive-sales-and-empower-singles-day-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 12:00:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Apple is offering consumers in mainland China fresh price cuts on iPhones and other products via its local website, as the US tech giant seeks to boost sales amid stiff competition with Huawei Technologies and other domestic rivals in the world’s largest smartphone market. Cupertino, California-based Apple on Thursday announced a promotion running from January 4 to 7 that will provide a 500-yuan (US$68) discount on its latest premium models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. A 400-yuan... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293187/apple-offers-fresh-price-cuts-iphones-china-huawei-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3293187/apple-offers-fresh-price-cuts-iphones-china-huawei-competition-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Che Pan Che Pan Sales of Huawei Technologies’ latest flagship Mate 70-series smartphones are expected to fall short of the demand generated by the Mate 60, according to analysts, citing the new model’s weaker processor performance and heightened supply chain risks amid geopolitical tensions. The Mate 70 was launched last Tuesday at an event in Shenzhen, where Huawei consumer business group chairman Richard Yu Chengdong touted the new series as “the most powerful Mate phones in history”. Yu did not mention any... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288816/huaweis-mate-70-sales-be-limited-modest-chip-update-no-android-support-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288816/huaweis-mate-70-sales-be-limited-modest-chip-update-no-android-support-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 06:00:17 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Apple CEO Tim Cook turned up at a supply chain conference in Beijing on Monday, his third public appearance in China this year, as the executive courts the world’s biggest smartphone market amid an iPhone sales slump and uncertainty around the local launch of the Apple Intelligence system. Cook, seen in a short video clip published on Monday, said he valued Apple’s Chinese partners “very highly”. “We could not do what we do without them,” he said in response to a question from an online media... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288001/apples-cook-makes-third-trip-china-2024-amid-iphone-slump-and-ai-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3288001/apples-cook-makes-third-trip-china-2024-amid-iphone-slump-and-ai-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2024 07:00:26 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Apple saw a sharp decrease in iPhone sales across China during this year’s Singles’ Day, the world’s biggest shopping festival, amid stiff competition from mainland smartphone rivals and weak domestic consumption, according to a new report. The country’s two-week Singles’ Day sales period this year yielded “a double-digit, year-on-year decline in iPhone sales”, as Apple “faced pressure from an abnormally high number” of new flagship smartphone models that domestic competitors launched just... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287516/apples-iphone-sales-fall-during-chinas-singles-day-shopping-festival-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287516/apples-iphone-sales-fall-during-chinas-singles-day-shopping-festival-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:00:23 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen On the bustling streets of Bangkok, TikTok Shop’s Singles’ Day shopping campaign is hard to miss, as large LED screens flash promotions in endless loops. Promotions have been infiltrating people’s lives in other ways, as well. On the ride-hailing app Grab, TikTok Shop’s Double 11 logo appears prominently on the map interface. A promotional blitz from Lazada, which like the Post is owned by Alibaba Group Holding, has turned it into a top-trending topic in Thailand, while the microblogging... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286909/southeast-asia-new-singles-day-battleground-lustre-fades-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286909/southeast-asia-new-singles-day-battleground-lustre-fades-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 04:59:56 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com wrapped up their respective Singles’ Day promotions this year, with both Chinese e-commerce giants claiming strong results that signify a rebound in domestic consumer spending during the world’s largest annual shopping festival. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce business unit, on Tuesday said its Singles’ Day campaign had “a record number of active buyers”, while JD.com reported a more than 20-per cent increase in the number of shoppers... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286273/alibaba-jdcom-claim-big-win-singles-day-sales-consumer-spending-bounces-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286273/alibaba-jdcom-claim-big-win-singles-day-sales-consumer-spending-bounces-back?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:00:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding says this year’s Singles’ Day campaign has seen strong demand in four product categories – home appliances, consumer electronics, beauty and apparel – in a sign of consumer-spending recovery on the mainland, as the world’s largest online shopping festival drew to a close on Monday. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce unit, said a total of 139 home appliance and furniture brands – including Haier, Midea Group and Dyson – each rang up 100 million yuan... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286107/alibaba-sees-singles-day-campaign-pay-strong-sales-4-popular-categories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286107/alibaba-sees-singles-day-campaign-pay-strong-sales-4-popular-categories?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:00:16 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao When Alibaba Group Holding held its eleventh Singles’ Day shopping festival in 2019, it culminated in Shanghai that November with a performance by American pop sensation Taylor Swift to help get consumers in a cheerful mood. Five years later, China’s largest e-commerce company decided a party for the world’s largest online shopping festival was no longer necessary, and it will instead spend those resources on merchants and consumers. The last five years have witnessed a sea change in the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285831/alibaba-sellers-are-getting-sweeter-deal-singles-day-new-policies-bear-fruit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285831/alibaba-sellers-are-getting-sweeter-deal-singles-day-new-policies-bear-fruit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2024 06:00:12 +0000 Raymond Ma,Jacques van Wersch Raymond Ma,Jacques van Wersch The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress revealed long-awaited details from its latest legislative session at a press conference on Friday, limiting the scope of its announcement to a plan to ease the hidden debt load on local governments. The outcome is likely to disappoint investors, who have been hoping that the lawmakers would announce special debt to more directly stimulate consumption and hence meet the government’s 2024 economic growth goal. Hang Seng Index futures fell by... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3285698/chinas-lawmakers-focus-local-debt-xi-heads-peru-apec-summit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3285698/chinas-lawmakers-focus-local-debt-xi-heads-peru-apec-summit-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:31:54 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao AliExpress, Alibaba Group Holding’s international e-commerce platform, is bringing the world’s largest online shopping sales event, Singles’ Day, to the US for the first time, giving Americans an alternative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday for snagging deals ahead of the holidays. The technology giant will kick off sales in the US on Friday, with discounts of up to 90 per cent on a wide range of products – from tech gadgets to home essentials and beauty products. Friday will start the three-day... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285110/alibaba-brings-singles-day-us-aliexpress-offering-alternative-black-friday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3285110/alibaba-brings-singles-day-us-aliexpress-offering-alternative-black-friday?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s smartphone market is on track to record its first annual sales growth in five years, according to Counterpoint Research, which placed Apple out of the top-five domestic rankings in the third quarter. Sales in the world’s largest smartphone market rose 2.3 per cent year on year in the September quarter, marking four consecutive quarters of growth that reinforce projections of a low single-digit increase in 2024, according to a Counterpoint report on Monday. Chinese smartphone vendors... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284324/china-smartphone-market-close-2024-first-annual-sales-growth-5-years-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3284324/china-smartphone-market-close-2024-first-annual-sales-growth-5-years-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:00:12 +0000 Ann Cao,Coco Feng Ann Cao,Coco Feng Alibaba Group Holding has highlighted strong demand for emerging product categories such as designer toys and pet products during the Singles’ Day shopping festival, in the latest sign of a recovery in consumer sentiment in the world’s second-largest economy. The Singles’ Day event, the world’s largest online retail extravaganza, has seen strong growth in sales of designer toys, pet products as well as niche home appliances and furniture, according to Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), the domestic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284313/alibabas-singles-day-sales-see-strong-demand-designer-toys-pet-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3284313/alibabas-singles-day-sales-see-strong-demand-designer-toys-pet-products?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:00:21 +0000 Though the year’s figures for consumer spending have largely disappointed, China is recording an early surge in parcel shipments as the Singles’ Day shopping season – the country’s largest annual consumer event – kicked off earlier than usual. As authorities roll out an array of stimulus measures aimed to inject momentum into the faltering economy and revive household consumption, e-commerce platforms are also employing their own incentives during the critical period for retailers. In a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3283897/china-counts-sales-season-coax-cautious-consumers-spending-spree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3283897/china-counts-sales-season-coax-cautious-consumers-spending-spree?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:00:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao E-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group Holding on Monday kicked off direct sales for its annual Singles’ Day campaign that saw strong demand for products from major brands such as Apple and Lululemon Athletica, indicating a recovery of consumer spending in the world’s second-largest economy. Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce business unit, started direct sales at 8pm on Monday and within the first five minutes recorded more than 1 billion yuan (US$140 million) worth of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283414/alibaba-kicks-singles-day-direct-sales-apple-and-lululemon-seeing-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283414/alibaba-kicks-singles-day-direct-sales-apple-and-lululemon-seeing-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:30:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Apple has seen iPhone 16 prices slashed by up to 1,600 yuan (US$225) at its online store on Alibaba Group Holding’s Tmall platform, as the US tech giant looks to boost sales on Singles’ Day, the world’s biggest shopping festival, amid stiff competition in China. Under its Singles’ Day promotion, Apple’s Tmall store started offering a 500-yuan voucher for all iPhone 16 models from 8pm on Monday, according to a Tmall announcement on Sunday. Prices for the basic iPhone 16 model and the premium... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283270/apples-iphone-16-sees-price-cuts-chinese-online-platforms-singles-day-promotions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283270/apples-iphone-16-sees-price-cuts-chinese-online-platforms-singles-day-promotions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:00:16 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The Singles’ Day campaign of e-commerce giant JD.com started off on the wrong foot this week, as a number of users threatened to abandon the platform owing to its collaboration with controversial female stand-up comedian Yang Li. Yang, known for her biting jokes about men, on Monday appeared in a JD.com live-streaming session that sparked a four-day backlash from some of the platform’s users, which prompted the Beijing-based online retailer to issue an apology on Friday. A Weibo user, with the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282984/jdcom-says-sorry-customers-after-singles-day-campaign-comedian-sparks-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282984/jdcom-says-sorry-customers-after-singles-day-campaign-comedian-sparks-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:34:00 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding expects to record double-digit sales growth for its Singles’ Day campaign in Hong Kong, following the launch of a 1 billion yuan (US$142 million) promotion to waive delivery charges for Taobao users in the city. The Hangzhou-based e-commerce powerhouse on October 1 started a three-month promotion to waive delivery fees for certain Taobao orders that cost more than 99 yuan, covering categories such as fashion accessories, electronics, skincare and cosmetic products. Alibaba... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282786/alibaba-sees-double-digit-sales-growth-singles-day-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282786/alibaba-sees-double-digit-sales-growth-singles-day-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:30:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding has vowed to protect merchants on its Chinese shopping sites from excessive competition, as the e-commerce giant begins its annual Singles’ Day mega sales following warnings by Beijing to steer clear of unsustainable price wars. Early efforts to improve the business environment for sellers on Taobao and Tmall, the country’s largest online marketplaces, have begun to bear fruit, and merchants can expect more beneficial measures during the major shopping festival, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282703/alibabas-new-singles-day-focus-protecting-sellers-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282703/alibabas-new-singles-day-focus-protecting-sellers-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Major Chinese e-commerce platform operators Alibaba Group Holding, JD.com and Pinduoduo on Monday kicked off their respective campaigns for Singles’ Day, the world’s largest annual shopping festival, just weeks after Beijing unveiled wide-ranging economic-stimulus measures. Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce business unit, launched at 8pm on Monday the presale stage of its promotion for Singles’ Day – also known as 11.11 or Double 11, referring to the shopping extravaganza... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282334/alibaba-jdcom-pinduoduo-launch-campaigns-singles-day-shopping-festival-same-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3282334/alibaba-jdcom-pinduoduo-launch-campaigns-singles-day-shopping-festival-same-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:29:03 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding has earmarked at least 40 billion yuan (US$5.7 billion) worth of resources to help merchants on Taobao and Tmall during the Singles’ Day shopping festival, as the e-commerce giant fights to protect its core business in an increasingly competitive market. The largest shopping platforms owned by Alibaba, which also owns the South China Morning Post, plan to give out 30 billion yuan in consumer vouchers and dedicate resources worth as much as 10 billion yuan to boosting... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3279954/alibabas-singles-day-preparation-includes-us57-billion-aid-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3279954/alibabas-singles-day-preparation-includes-us57-billion-aid-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2024 23:00:07 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding said it is seeing “encouraging” user engagement and merchant growth during the 618 midyear online shopping festival, as rival Xiaohongshu, China’s answer to Instagram, said its online sales have tripled from a year ago. Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce unit, has switched to a new strategy that focuses on consumers and small merchants during this year’s festival, which runs from May 20 to June 20, as the company seeks to defend its dominant position in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3266678/alibaba-xiaohongshu-tout-sales-growth-chinas-midyear-e-commerce-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3266678/alibaba-xiaohongshu-tout-sales-growth-chinas-midyear-e-commerce-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 00:00:19 +0000 Pinduoduo, the mainland budget-shopping platform of PDD Holdings, has introduced an “automated price-tracking system” for merchants to swiftly adjust prices online, as China’s e-commerce giants gear up for this year’s 618 shopping festival. The novel system, which Pinduoduo rolled out on Wednesday, provides merchants on the platform a fast and intelligent way to “keep pace with [the pricing strategy of] competitors”, according to a report by Chinese digital media DoNews on Thursday. The system,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264946/pinduoduo-heats-price-war-during-chinas-618-shopping-festival-tool-merchants-quickly-adjust-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264946/pinduoduo-heats-price-war-during-chinas-618-shopping-festival-tool-merchants-quickly-adjust-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 02:00:13 +0000 Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is ratcheting up the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on its platform, as the avatar of founder and chairman Richard Liu Qiangdong debuted as host of two live-streaming sessions on Tuesday. Liu’s avatar, powered by JD.com’s own ChatRhino large language model (LLM), not only succeeded in replicating the company founder’s appearance, voice and accent, but also his known habit of waving his hands as he speaks. LLM is the technology used to train generative AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259232/chinas-jdcom-ramps-ai-use-its-platform-founder-richard-liu-qiangdong-debuts-avatar-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3259232/chinas-jdcom-ramps-ai-use-its-platform-founder-richard-liu-qiangdong-debuts-avatar-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:01:00 +0000 When Alibaba Group Holding bought a controlling stake in supermarket chain Sun Art Retail in late 2020, it paid HK$28 billion (US$3.6 billion), or HK$8.1 per share, for the chance to take a larger bite of the bulging wallets of Chinese consumers. But Alibaba’s “new retailing” vision of synergising online and offline shopping never took off. Three and a half years later, the acquired stake has lost 80 per cent of its value, based on Sun Art’s recent share price. The asset has also become a heavy... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3258822/alibaba-navigating-sea-change-reorients-business-towards-bread-and-butter-e-commerce-and-ai-pares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3258822/alibaba-navigating-sea-change-reorients-business-towards-bread-and-butter-e-commerce-and-ai-pares?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 02:00:17 +0000 Cutthroat competition in China’s vast e-commerce sector is poised to escalate, as leading shopping platforms JD.com and Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao offer a “refund only” policy so consumers can keep the goods they had bought but complained about – matching an option that budget online retailer Pinduoduo has had in place since 2021. JD.com on Wednesday updated its platform rules to include the new refund policy covering goods shoppers have received, but they believe do not match up with the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3246559/chinese-e-commerce-firms-jdcom-and-alibabas-taobao-roll-out-refund-only-policy-shoppers-heating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3246559/chinese-e-commerce-firms-jdcom-and-alibabas-taobao-roll-out-refund-only-policy-shoppers-heating?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:30:17 +0000 The number of delivered parcels in China this year has reached a new high of 120 billion items, the State Post Bureau said on Tuesday, “reflecting the upwards trend of the country’s consumer market”, offering good news for the country’s e-commerce giants grappling with a slow economic recovery. The current rate of deliveries is an average of nearly 100 per person this year, making China the top market for parcel deliveries in terms of volume and intensity. India, the world’s most populous... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3243879/china-delivers-nearly-100-parcels-person-2023-e-commerce-giants-alibaba-jdcom-pdd-slowly-recover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3243879/china-delivers-nearly-100-parcels-person-2023-e-commerce-giants-alibaba-jdcom-pdd-slowly-recover?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 07:00:10 +0000 China’s smartphone market saw a 5 per cent bump in sales volume during the country’s Singles’ Day shopping festival, driven by demand for handsets from local tech champion Huawei Technologies, while Apple saw a dip in the number of iPhones sold during the campaign. Huawei’s volume surged 66 per cent during the two-week sales period of Singles’ Day, China’s biggest annual shopping extravaganza that ran from late October through November 11, while Apple saw a 4 per cent decline, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3242737/huaweis-mate-60-5g-smartphone-drives-singles-day-demand-outshining-iphone-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3242737/huaweis-mate-60-5g-smartphone-drives-singles-day-demand-outshining-iphone-15?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:30:08 +0000 Chinese e-commerce powerhouse JD.com has appointed its CEO as the new chief of the company’s main revenue driver JD Retail in a major executive reshuffle at its core business, as the firm comes under mounting competitive pressure amid a sluggish domestic economy. Sandy Xu Ran, who was promoted seven months ago to helm JD.com, has also assumed the top role at the company’s retail unit with effect from Wednesday, the parent firm said in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on the same... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241791/chinese-e-commerce-giant-jdcom-removes-veteran-executive-retail-ceo-after-brutal-singles-day-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241791/chinese-e-commerce-giant-jdcom-removes-veteran-executive-retail-ceo-after-brutal-singles-day-price?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:00:31 +0000 JD.com posted a stronger-than-expected 1.7 per cent rise in quarterly revenue, after heavy promotional spending propelled online transactions in the face of intense competition. Revenue came to 247.7 billion yuan (US$34.2 billion) in the September quarter, versus the 246.6 billion yuan average analyst estimate. Net income rose 33 per cent to 7.9 billion yuan. Its shares rose 4.5 per cent in pre-market trading in New York. The Beijing-based company has embarked on a price war to wrest market... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241663/jdcom-beats-revenue-estimates-third-quarter-after-using-discounts-lure-frugal-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241663/jdcom-beats-revenue-estimates-third-quarter-after-using-discounts-lure-frugal-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:09:52 +0000 Huawei Technologies is scrambling to crank up production of its new 5G smartphones to meet demand, according to analysts, as the wait time for its popular Mate 60 Pro model – the handset equipped with an advanced made-in-China chip that defies US sanctions – has been extended up to three months. “Production capacity can’t meet demand, which is the reason Huawei is doing pre-orders,” said Counterpoint Research senior analyst Wang Yang, adding that presales help buy some time for Huawei to secure... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241541/huawei-has-big-problem-popular-mate-60-5g-smartphones-theres-not-enough-supply-meet-growing-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241541/huawei-has-big-problem-popular-mate-60-5g-smartphones-theres-not-enough-supply-meet-growing-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:00:12 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com said they achieved sales growth during this year’s Singles’ Day shopping festival, but stopped short of disclosing exact revenue numbers for the second straight year, as they grapple with a stop-start economic recovery in China and a brutal price war. Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Group said on Sunday its gross merchandise value (GMV) – a measure of the total value of goods sold – as well as the number of orders and participating merchants, all recorded year-on-year... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241234/alibaba-jdcom-withhold-singles-day-sales-tally-second-year-strike-positive-tone-amid-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3241234/alibaba-jdcom-withhold-singles-day-sales-tally-second-year-strike-positive-tone-amid-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2023 04:30:34 +0000 In recent years, 48-year-old government employee Shen Ling, from eastern Jiangsu province, has been no different to most of mainland China’s roughly 900-million-strong online contingent of consumers who looked forward to hefty discounts on Singles’ Day, the world’s largest shopping festival. Shen typically spent tens of thousands of yuan on promotions during this retail extravaganza, thanks to her “iron rice bowl” – referring to an occupation with guaranteed security in Chinese. Shen’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3241128/chinese-consumers-hunt-low-prices-local-brands-singles-day-shopping-festival-economy-shows-signs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3241128/chinese-consumers-hunt-low-prices-local-brands-singles-day-shopping-festival-economy-shows-signs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 04:00:16 +0000 From cheap flights to handbags, bulk buys of goji berries and two-for-one Botox injections, Southeast Asian businesses are desperate to claw back custom this Singles’ Day from shoppers made reluctant to spend by the stubbornly high costs of living. From Bangkok to Singapore and Jakarta, shopping centres, stores and online outlets are offering discounts for a year-end boost after a difficult 2023, which heads towards its close with downward trending economic news from big-spending Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3241065/singles-day-sales-get-aggressive-shops-tease-southeast-asias-newly-frugal-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3241065/singles-day-sales-get-aggressive-shops-tease-southeast-asias-newly-frugal-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 08:30:19 +0000 Hong Kong businesses ranging from a major online retailer to an airline will capitalise on the world’s largest online shopping extravaganza on Saturday with deep discounts to boost sales in the city’s sluggish economic environment. Many of the merchants signed up for the annual Singles’ Day sales push for the first time and other retailers have branded their special offers as “11.11” promotions, with major marketing efforts across social media platforms. Some economists said competition for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3240968/deep-discounts-hong-kong-singles-day-shopping-event-businesses-aim-boost-takings-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3240968/deep-discounts-hong-kong-singles-day-shopping-event-businesses-aim-boost-takings-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:30:20 +0000 Pinduoduo, the bargain e-commerce app operated by PDD Holdings, is enticing China’s cost-conscious consumers with steep price subsidies during this year’s Singles’ Day shopping festival, as it reported a year-on-year jump in sales in lower-tier cities in the first days of its promotion. Within the first three days of its Singles’ Day promotion that began last week, the company saw sales in fourth and fifth tier cities up 167 per cent year on year, faster than the 113 per cent growth seen for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239718/pinduoduo-says-chinese-consumers-show-more-rational-buying-behaviour-during-its-singles-day-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239718/pinduoduo-says-chinese-consumers-show-more-rational-buying-behaviour-during-its-singles-day-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:07:42 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao and Tmall Group on Tuesday kicked off presales for its Singles’ Day promotion with a group of live streamers persuading consumers to buy from its platforms, a day after rival JD.com fired the first salvo in the world’s largest shopping festival. Among the live streamers who helped launch the Alibaba e-commerce unit’s campaign at 8pm on Tuesday via Taobao Live, a dozen of them – including top influencer Austin Li Jiaqi and actor-singer Allen Lin Yilun – each... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239175/alibaba-steps-singles-day-promotion-group-live-streamers-persuading-consumers-shop-low-priced-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239175/alibaba-steps-singles-day-promotion-group-live-streamers-persuading-consumers-shop-low-priced-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 13:00:18 +0000 Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com on Monday kicked off its Singles’ Day campaign this year, firing the first salvo in the world’s largest shopping festival, amid an industry-wide price war to win over consumers as the domestic economy turns a corner. Within 10 minutes of its promotion’s 8pm start, JD.com’s user orders and overall transaction volume skyrocketed to achieve over four times last year’s figures, the Beijing-based company said in a statement. Its Singles’ Day campaign runs through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239035/chinese-e-commerce-giant-jdcom-kicks-singles-day-shopping-season-amid-intense-price-war-win-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3239035/chinese-e-commerce-giant-jdcom-kicks-singles-day-shopping-season-amid-intense-price-war-win-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:00:18 +0000 Apple’s new iPhone 15 series is already subject to steep discounts on Chinese e-commerce websites in the run up to this year’s Double 11 online sales extravaganza, with the iconic smartphone up against stiff competition from Huawei Technologies’ Mate 60 Pro 5G handset. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were selling at around 800 yuan (US$109) and 900 yuan cheaper, respectively, than their official retail prices on Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao platform. Meanwhile, on PDD Holdings’ Pinduoduo, the basic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3238908/apple-iphone-15-already-being-discounted-chinese-e-commerce-sites-run-double-11-sales-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3238908/apple-iphone-15-already-being-discounted-chinese-e-commerce-sites-run-double-11-sales-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:30:14 +0000 China’s e-commerce giants are gearing up for the world’s largest online shopping season that kicks off next week, counting on bargain-basement prices to attract consumers reluctant to spend amid China’s sputtering economy. Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao and Tmall Group will start presales for the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival – also known as Singles’ Day – on the evening of October 24, with expectations of attracting about 1 billion consumers this year, according to a company statement on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238745/alibaba-jdcom-gear-singles-day-sales-gala-low-price-strategies-woo-tight-fisted-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238745/alibaba-jdcom-gear-singles-day-sales-gala-low-price-strategies-woo-tight-fisted-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2023 03:00:24 +0000 The logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com is introducing four-hour express delivery in Hong Kong, the Beijing-based company said on Tuesday, as it races to gain ground in the key logistics hub against Cainiao, its major competitor affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding. The new services under the JD Express programme will also include free door-to-door delivery in Hong Kong and Macau, with evening delivery hours in Hong Kong extended to 10pm. Macau customers can receive parcels... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238265/chinese-online-shopping-giant-jdcom-launches-four-hour-delivery-hong-kong-battle-against-alibabas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238265/chinese-online-shopping-giant-jdcom-launches-four-hour-delivery-hong-kong-battle-against-alibabas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:30:07 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao & Tmall Group is defending its dominance in China’s e-commerce market by offering consumers massive rebates and discounts during this year’s Singles’ Day shopping season, putting a brave face on a price competition against rivals JD.com and Pinduoduo. Taobao Live is handing out 1 billion yuan (US$137 million) worth of cash coupons from October 12 to 23, ahead of the start of the sales season later this month, according to a statement by the live-streaming platform... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238138/alibaba-jdcom-locked-brutal-price-war-singles-day-amid-weak-consumer-spending-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238138/alibaba-jdcom-locked-brutal-price-war-singles-day-amid-weak-consumer-spending-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:00:23 +0000 China’s e-commerce market saw at least 89 online shopping platforms closed last year, as the sector struggled with rigid Covid-19 control measures, fierce competition and weak consumer spending amid a flagging domestic economy, according to an industry report. Online shopping guide websites were the hardest hit, with 32 of these platforms shut down to account for about 36 per cent of overall casualties last year in the world’s largest e-commerce market, according to a report published this week... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3208898/chinas-e-commerce-market-sees-least-89-platforms-close-2022-amid-covid-19-controls-fierce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3208898/chinas-e-commerce-market-sees-least-89-platforms-close-2022-amid-covid-19-controls-fierce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 11:30:14 +0000 Apple overcame supply chain disruptions in China to reclaim the top spot in fourth-quarter global smartphone vendor rankings, as the industry’s overall shipments in 2022 fell 11 per cent on weak consumer demand that is expected to continue in 2023. US tech giant Apple achieved its highest ever quarterly market share at 25 per cent, according to the latest smartphone shipment report released on Wednesday by research firm Canalys. Total worldwide smartphone shipments, however, fell 17 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207277/apple-tops-fourth-quarter-smartphone-vendor-rankings-2022-global-shipments-fall-11-cent-continued?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207277/apple-tops-fourth-quarter-smartphone-vendor-rankings-2022-global-shipments-fall-11-cent-continued?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:00:08 +0000 China’s semiconductor sales plunged 21.2 per cent year on year to US$13.4 billion in November, as economic headwinds continued to hammer global chip demand for the third consecutive month, according to the latest industry data. The decline recorded by China marked the biggest percentage drop among the world’s major markets for integrated circuits (ICs), according to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), a Washington-based trade group that represents 99 per cent of the US chip... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3206415/chinas-semiconductor-sales-fall-21-cent-november-worldwide-chip-demand-continues-decline-third?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3206415/chinas-semiconductor-sales-fall-21-cent-november-worldwide-chip-demand-continues-decline-third?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:30:11 +0000