As the calendar flips to November, the anticipation among Hong Kong residents for Double 11 has been building, with promotions visible everywhere since mid-October.
Taobao launched its first Double 11 sales event in 2009, which has since evolved into the largest shopping season in China and the globe, drawing countless consumers eager for significant discounts during Double 11.
This year, Taobao continues a two-wave shopping experience for Double 11, allowing consumers to maximise their savings over an extended period. The first wave kicked off on October 21 at 8 PM and ran until October 24, offering early bird deals that set the stage for the main event. The second wave, which began on October 31 at 8 PM and continues until November 11, brings even more enticing offers and discounts.
Exclusive Offers for Hong Kong
Taobao is offering a variety of deals for Hong Kong customers during Double 11 this year. Shoppers can enjoy ¥50 off every purchase of ¥300 across different stores and free shipping to pickup points in Hong Kong for orders exceeding ¥99. Taobao has also partnered with major payment platforms in Hong Kong, including Alipay, PayMe, and banks like BOCHK and Hang Seng, to provide coupons and waive transaction fees. Shoppers can also take advantage of a wide range of promotional codes to have greater discounts.
Advertising Campaign at MTR Stations
To promote its offers and drive sales for Double 11, Taobao has launched an extensive advertising campaign across various MTR stations in Hong Kong starting from mid-October. All advertisements are exclusively in Chinese, which shows Taobao’s clear target audience of local Hong Kong residents rather than foreigners or expats.
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Free Shipping
Since Taobao announced that Hong Kong is included in its “Free Shipping Zone” for the first time ever starting from October 1, Hong Kong customers can finally order from Taobao without incurring cross-border delivery fees.
To inform residents about this new offer, Taobao has implemented localized and context-based ads at different MTR stations, using playful slogans to convey the message of free shipping. These ads are tailored to specific neighborhoods, employing wordplay and humor to engage commuters and capture their attention. The wide coverage of MTR stations seems to ensure that residents understand they can benefit from free shipping, especially during Double 11.
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Promotional Codes
The campaign also highlights creative promotional codes designated for certain stations, encouraging commuters to apply these codes when ordering from Taobao. This strategy not only informs customers about the free shipping offer but also incentivizes them to take advantage of additional discounts during Double 11.
HongKongers’ Reactions to the Campaign
“It is hard not to notice the advertisements. They are everywhere and highly visible at MTR stations,”said Zita Ip, a 20-year-old university student, waiting for the train at HKU Station. She agreed that the campaign was successful because it captured her attention like a daily reminder to browse Taobao every day she took the MTR. She placed orders twice on Taobao during Double 11.
However, noticing the promotional codes at MTR stations does not mean that the commuters would actually make use of them. “It is always crowded (at MTR stations). It is not that easy to take out your phone to take a picture of the codes when people keep moving. The products on Taobao are already cheap enough without the promotional codes,” added Ip.
Some people made the efforts trying to have further discounts on Taobao. Ivy Li, a 30-year-old clinic assistant, tried applying the promotional codes when she was paying for the order on Taobao. She failed because the codes had been claimed and were no longer available to use.
“The promotional codes are more like a gimmick to make you open Taobao and start browsing. It’s until the very last moment that you realize you can’t have a bigger discount, but you would still continue with the payment,” said Li.
Surge in Demand at Pick-up Stations
The marketing efforts of Taobao have successfully captured Hong Kong people’s attention, with a particular focus on free shipping. However, this offer applies exclusively to pick-up stations rather than home delivery, leading to a surge of activity at pick-up spots.
Mr. Chan, a 28-year-old employee of a pick-up station in Tsim Sha Tsui, said that his workload has increased because of Double 11 and the free shipping offer. He shared that a short line of customers waiting to retrieve their parcels is seen in off-duty hours from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day recently.
“People order more items to fulfill the discount requirement. They would spend ¥300 or multiples of ¥300 to qualify for the reduction. I see the parcels come with a bigger size and heavier weight,” said Chan.
Looking ahead, Chan expects the exclusive deals of Double 11 will continue to stimulate Hong Kong people to order on Taobao, but he anticipates a temporary slowdown in shopping activity and a reduction in parcels once Double 11 concludes.
“Customers will have already bought everything they need by the end of Double 11,” added Chan.