Supporting local SMEs to develop in the mainland e-commerce market
- The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has kickstarted the second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival with seminars on the mainland e-commerce market, addressing the pain points of local SMEs to help them build a stronger business foundation
- The seminars cover practical topics such as strategies for selling through online shopping platforms, commonly used payment tools, building an effective fan base, collaboration plans with influencers, marketing skills and live-streaming production
- One-on-one consultancy services will also be offered to local SMEs, with mainland e-commerce or online marketing experts advising on how to build suitable marketing strategies
With e-commerce continuing to take a stronger hold globally, Mainland China has emerged as the clear market leader, providing enormous opportunities for Hong Kong’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To help these companies seize new opportunities and develop their e-commerce capabilities in the mainland, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has launched the second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival by rolling out expert-led seminars focusing specifically on the mainland e-commerce market. The seminars cover practical topics such as online shopping platform operation strategies and features, commonly used payment tools, the effective building of a fan base, collaboration plans with influencers, marketing skills and live-streaming production. One-on-one consultancy services are also being provided to help SMEs get the latest information and enhance their competitiveness, helping them tap into the rapidly changing mainland e-commerce market.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said that e-commerce continues to develop rapidly and is now a key driving force for global trade and economic growth. The HKTDC has been supporting government policies by promoting business digital transformation, encouraging local SMEs to embrace e-commerce and offering various activities to support them through the business transition that is required.
“In order to deepen Hong Kong businesses’ understanding of mainland e-commerce platforms and gain practical experience, the HKTDC is holding the second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival in August, which this year includes newly launched seminars with marketing experts providing practical knowledge relating to e-commerce in the mainland,” Mr Liang said. “This will give local SMEs a better understanding of e-commerce operations and help them formulate strategies appropriate to their products and brands, laying a solid foundation for entering the e-commerce sector. Additionally, one-on-one consultancy services will be offered, with mainland e-commerce or online marketing experts advising local SMEs on market development strategies that can help to promote their particular products or brands.”
Mr Liang added that trade relations between Hong Kong and the mainland are especially close, giving local SMEs a great advantage in terms of expanding into the mainland e-commerce market. “According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, national online retails sales for 2024 were RMB15.5 trillion, up 7.2% compared to 2023. The mainland leads the way in the world’s online retail market, which underscores the huge business potential for Hong Kong’s SMEs.”
Many local companies struggle to create promotion plans for their quality brands and products that address the preferences of their target customers, largely because they have not fully understood how the mainland e-commerce market operates. Some SMEs also face operational challenges such as pricing strategies, inventory management and the terms of collaboration with influencers, preventing them from fully capturing the opportunities presented by e-commerce. The newly launched HKTDC seminars directly address the major difficulties faced by local SMEs in the e-commerce realm. Two seminars have already been held, one in December and one last week, in which experts shared insights on the mainland’s e-commerce market profile and provided practical guidance in areas such as legal compliance, specific platform requirements and common pitfalls, receiving an enthusiastic response from participating companies.
Details of upcoming seminars:
|
Date |
Topics |
Content |
|
27 February 2025 |
Traditional e- commerce platforms |
Help SMEs understand the features of traditional e-commerce platforms (Taobao/Tmall, JD.com, etc); examine how Hong Kong brands can choose the most suitable platform to drive sales and establish a strong market influence |
|
April 2025 |
Social e-commerce market platforms |
Explore practical strategies for opening stores on social e-commerce platforms (such as Douyin, WeChat and Xiaohongshu) to expand into new customer groups |
|
May 2025 |
Marketing on social media and private traffic |
Guide Hong Kong brands and products on utilising the popular social e-commerce platforms in the mainland, such as Douyin, WeChat and Xiaohongshu; look at how to build “organic communities” that emphasise natural dissemination; create highly popular “viral content” and convert social media interactions into actual sales |
|
June 2025 |
Influencer marketing and e-commerce |
Examine the opportunities and challenges in live-streaming e-commerce; introduce other online marketing strategies aside from live-streaming e-commerce; explore how to select the most suitable influencers to collaborate and leverage their fame in mainland to enhance brand awareness and drive sales |
Seminars already successfully held:
|
18 December 2024 |
Overview of the mainland e-commerce market, sharing on the inaugural Hong Kong Shopping Festival and introduction to the second edition |
Understand the unique e-commerce environment in the mainland; explore the shopping habits of mainland consumers and discuss the significance and impact on brands; share key learnings from the inaugural Hong Kong Shopping Festival and introduce the second edition |
|
16 January 2025 |
Practical guide to e-commerce |
Provide practical guidance on legal compliance, specific platform requirements and common pitfalls; introduce some of the commonly used payment tools in the mainland; guide local SMEs on how to set up accounts for receiving payments; and highlight tax issues that need special attention in mainland e-commerce operations |
Second edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival returns in August
The HKTDC will organise the second Hong Kong Shopping Festival in August 2025, aiming to help SMEs seize e-commerce opportunities in the mainland. The festival is divided into four parts, including the newly added seminars and one-on-one consultancy services mentioned above and the return of the popular Discount Month and live-streaming e-commerce sessions from last year. Given the diversity of online marketing methods in the mainland, there are different ways for SMEs to increase brand exposure other than live-streaming sales. The second Hong Kong Shopping Festival will introduce customised marketing and channel services, such as incorporating more channels through “planting seeds” strategies. This will allow participating local SMEs to choose the most suitable services based on their product features, helping them gain a deeper understanding of marketing methods in the mainland e-commerce market.
More details on the services being made available through the Hong Kong Shopping Festival will be announced by the HKTDC in due course.
In addition, the HKTDC Digital Academy and Design Gallery’s (DG) cross-border e-commerce shops on Taobao and JD International have been offering comprehensive support to Hong Kong SMEs to leverage diverse e-commerce and digital marketing channels to explore mainland opportunities. The DG’s network of 70 physical sales outlets in the mainland serve as an ideal platform to promote Hong Kong brands in the region. Meanwhile, the HKTDC’s DG Studio programme helps to connect local businesses with physical retailers and e-commerce platforms in the ASEAN region.
Websites
– Pre-registration for the mainland e-commerce seminar on 27 February:
https://bit.ly/4hdhELO
– Details and registration for the second Hong Kong Shopping Festival:
https://bit.ly/4h1FpX2
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About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.
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