A staff of a delivery center check parcels as the Double 11 shopping festival comes. Photo: VCG

The presale of China's biggest shopping festival which kicks off on November 11 each year is coming to an end after kicking off on October 20. Multiple e-commerce platforms and retailers recorded strong revenue figures during the presale period while also observing new trends among consumers. 

According to a statement sent from Chinese online and offline retailer Suning to the Global Times on Thursday that consumer traffic had doubled across its offline stores, while the sales volume of energy-saving home appliance saw 132 percent of increase over last month.

High-end home appliances priced over 10,000 yuan saw a 137 percent increase over last month, while domestic brands including Midea, Haier and Skyworth accounted for over 60 percent of overall brands sales, according to Suning.

The online retailing business run by ByteDance-owned Douyin saw the daily sales volume of home appliances from October 31 to November 6 spike 11.9 fold over 2021 levels, the National Business Daily reported on Tuesday, with the sales volume year-on-year increases of aromatherapy diffusers, massage chairs and Bluetooth speakers accounted for 220 percent, 201 percent and 155 percent, respectively. 

The shopping festival is also gaining popularity overseas. AliExpress, the global retail online marketplace under Alibaba Group, told the Global Times on Thursday that this year has designed a number of themed shopping experiences including the 'Keeping-Warm Selection' introducing a dedicated page with energy-saving and cost-effective warming products to help customers stay warm and lower their financial burdens this winter. 

Due to the energy shortage in Europe, various "winter products" including electronic heaters, woolen sweaters and warming leggings made in China saw exports spike to the region recently, according to media reports. 

AliExpress data showed that the most popular items for South Korean consumers to buy cross-border are sweepers. Household products accounted for half of the top 10 best-selling products in South Korea, followed by auto parts, which also accounted for a high proportion of sales.

In Southeast Asia market, Chinese online payment tool Weixin told the Global Times that it will link up with local merchants to offer more discounts to consumers, including the exclusive preferential exchange rate of Weixin payment and half-price discounts for merchants. Meanwhile, consumers can place orders and purchase directly through a Weixin mini program, making shopping more convenient and streamlined.

Global Times