January – February: Lunar New Year Shopping Season 🏮 Core Theme: New Year Preparations & Festive Shopping This period marks China’s most significant shopping season, centered around Lunar New Year celebrations and gift-giving traditions.
January: Chinese New Year Shopping Festival (Nianhuo Jie) The year starts with China’s most significant shopping event, centered around Lunar New Year preparations. Multiple platforms host extended promotions:
🛒 Major Platforms & Dates Platform Promotion Period Taobao January 6 – February 5 JD.com December 24, 2024 – January 2025 Douyin January 2 – 22 Kuaishou December 21, 2024 – January 12, 2025 💡 Key Discounts & Features Direct discounts up to 85% off No-threshold red envelopes (max ¥8888) Government subsidies on electronics and home appliances Limited-time flash sales (first 4 hours) This festival focuses on traditional New Year products, with categories including food gifts, clothing, home decorations, and electronics seeing the biggest discounts. International buyers can take advantage of factory-direct pricing on furniture and home goods during this period.
February: Valentine’s Day & Unique Promotions Event Date Highlights Valentine’s Day February 14 Jewelry, cosmetics, and luxury gifts with 20-30% discounts Douyin “Hao2 Festival” February 22 Novelty products, creative home goods, up to 50% off February also sees post-holiday clearance sales, with particularly good deals on winter clothing and home furnishings as retailers make space for spring inventory.
March – April: Spring Shopping Events 🌱 Core Theme: Seasonal Renewal & Women’s Consumption Spring brings shopping events focused on beauty, fashion, and home improvement as consumers refresh for the new season.
March: Women’s Day Celebrations March features China’s equivalent of International Women’s Day, transformed into one of the year’s biggest shopping events focused on beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products:
👑 38 Women’s Festival Highlights Running from approximately February 24 to March 8 across major platforms, this festival offers:
15% direct discounts on cosmetics and skincare (no minimum purchase) Special “Oufeng” style fashion collections combining Nordic minimalism and East Asian aesthetics Same-day delivery on flowers and gifts in major cities Beauty tools and electronics with government subsidies Douyin’s 38 Shopping Festival is particularly noteworthy for international buyers, featuring streamlined discount structures with clear, one-click pricing and no complicated coupon systems.
April: Spring Home Improvement & Fashion April focuses on seasonal transitions with two major shopping themes:
🏠 Home Improvement Festival Running from late March through early April (March 29 – April 2), this event offers significant discounts on furniture, home decor, and appliances, often combined with government subsidies for energy-efficient products.
👗 Spring Fashion Festival Held mid-April, this event showcases spring clothing collections with discounts up to 40% off. International buyers will find particularly good value in designer collaborations and export-quality apparel.
April also marks the beginning of outdoor living promotions, with camping gear, garden furniture, and travel accessories seeing increased discounts as the weather improves.
May – June: Mid-Year Shopping Extravaganza 📈 Core Theme: Mid-Year Bargains & Seasonal Essentials This period features China’s second-largest shopping event of the year, along with holiday-specific promotions.
May: Labor Day & Specialized Sales May brings several distinct shopping events catering to different consumer segments:
🛠️ Labor Day Sale May 1-10 featuring tools, home improvement, and appliances with 20-30% discounts
💐 Mother’s Day Second Sunday in May with special promotions on jewelry, skincare, and health products
🛒 55 Shopping Festival Shanghai’s month-long event (April 29-June 30) with cross-platform discounts
The 55 Shopping Festival, initiated by the Shanghai government, offers particularly good opportunities for international buyers, featuring imported goods, designer collaborations, and cross-border shipping discounts.
June: 618 Mid-Year Grand Sale China’s second-largest shopping event of the year, comparable to Black Friday in scale, spanning most of June:
🔥 618 Festival Essentials Originally launched by JD.com as its anniversary sale, 618 has evolved into a platform-wide extravaganza:
Dates: May 25 – June 20 (varies slightly by platform) Discounts: Up to 50% off across all categories, with additional government subsidies on electronics Key Features: ¥2280 in consumer coupons on Douyin, sitewide free shipping, extended return policies Best Buys: Electronics, home appliances, summer fashion, and furniture Platform Comparison Platform Main Promotion Special Features Taobao/Tmall Official price reductions (no minimum purchase) Cross-store discounts, flash sales at 8pm daily JD.com Up to 80% off select categories Free shipping, extended warranties, price matching Douyin ¥10 billion in consumer coupons Live-stream exclusives, limited-time flash sales Father’s Day (third Sunday in June) also falls within this period, with special promotions on electronics, grooming products, and outdoor gear, often stacked with 618 discounts for additional savings.
July – August: Summer Shopping Events ☀️ Core Theme: Seasonal Essentials & Membership Benefits Summer brings promotions focused on beating the heat and preparing for the new school year.
July: Summer Cooling Festival July brings relief from the heat with Taobao’s Summer Cooling Festival, focusing on seasonal products to beat the summer temperatures:
❄️ Summer Cooling Festival Highlights Dates: July 15 – July 17 Discounts: Up to 50% off on summer essentials with ¥200-¥15 cross-store discounts Key Categories: Cooling appliances, summer clothing, sun protection products, and seasonal food items Special Features: Flash sales at 10am and 8pm daily, limited-time coupons for repeat customers This festival is an excellent opportunity to source summer merchandise at discounted prices before the peak season ends. International buyers should note that lightweight clothing and small home appliances typically see the best deals during this period.
August: 88 Membership Day Event Date Highlights 88 VIP Day August 8 Exclusive discounts for 88VIP members, typically 5-10% additional savings on top of regular promotions Back to School Promotion August 25 – August 30 Stationery, electronics, and dormitory supplies with up to 40% discounts and free shipping August also marks the beginning of early autumn collections, with summer items being cleared at significant discounts. The 88 VIP program costs ¥88 per year and can provide substantial savings for regular Taobao shoppers, especially during this exclusive event.
September – October: Autumn & National Day Sales 🍂 Core Theme: Autumn Transition & Holiday Celebrations This period combines mid-autumn traditions with National Day holiday shopping.
September: 99 Value Festival September brings the popular 99 Value Festival, one of Taobao’s major mid-autumn sales events:
📅 Key Details Dates: September 9 – September 10 Discount Structure: ¥200-¥15 (Taobao), ¥300-¥30 (Tmall) Special Promotions: Flash sales every hour, limited-time coupons Minimum Order: No minimum for most direct discounts 🛍️ Featured Categories Autumn fashion and accessories Home improvement products Beauty and skincare sets Electronics and small appliances The 99 Value Festival is particularly known for its straightforward discount structure and focus on value-for-money products, making it popular with both domestic and international buyers looking to stock up on seasonal items.
October: National Day Golden Week October features one of China’s biggest holiday shopping periods with the National Day Golden Week:
🇨🇳 National Day Promotion Running from October 1-7, this week-long event offers broad discounts across all categories, with special focus on electronics, home appliances, and travel-related products.
🎑 Mid-Autumn Festival Falling on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (October 6 in 2025), this traditional festival features mooncakes, gifts, and home decorations with typical discounts of 20-35%.
💡 October Shopping Tips National Day promotions often overlap with Mid-Autumn Festival deals, creating opportunities for combined savings. This period is ideal for purchasing larger items like furniture and electronics, as retailers offer significant discounts to boost sales during the holiday week. Shipping times may be extended during this busy period, so plan accordingly.
November – December: Year-End Shopping Extravaganza 🥳 Core Theme: Annual Mega Sales & Year-End Clearance The year concludes with China’s largest shopping event and final clearance sales.
November: Double 11 Global Shopping Festival November hosts China’s largest shopping event of the year, comparable to Black Friday but on a much larger scale:
📈 Double 11 by the Numbers First launched in 2009 as Alibaba’s anniversary sale, Double 11 has grown into a global phenomenon. In 2024, total sales across all platforms exceeded ¥742.8 billion ($104 billion), with international sales accounting for approximately 15% of total transactions.
Key Event Phases Period Key Features Discounts Pre-Sale Phase October 20 – 31 Deposit payments, early bird deals Up to 50% off + deposit multipliers Main Event November 1 – 3 Flash sales, hourly deals, doorbuster specials Sitewide ¥300-¥50, plus category-specific discounts Second Wave November 11 Final chance promotions, limited stock items Additional 10-15% off remaining inventory Double 11 is famous for its complex discount structures, which often include a combination of cross-store coupons, store coupons, category coupons, and time-limited flash sales. For international buyers, this event offers the best opportunity of the year to source Chinese products at wholesale prices.
December: Year-End Sales & Holiday Promotions The year concludes with several important shopping events:
双12 (Double 12) December 1-12 ¥200-¥20 across all categories, simpler structure than Double 11
Christmas Promotion December 15-25 Holiday decorations, gifts, and winter items with up to 40% off
Year-End Clearance December 26-31 Up to 70% off on seasonal items to clear inventory for new year stock
📊 End-of-Year Strategy While Double 11 offers the deepest discounts, December promotions feature simpler rules and fewer restrictions, making them ideal for smaller orders or last-minute purchases. Many suppliers offer special year-end deals for bulk orders to meet annual sales targets.
International Buyer’s Shopping Guide 🌐 Key Strategies for Success Maximizing your savings and ensuring a smooth purchasing experience requires careful planning and understanding of China’s e-commerce ecosystem.
Preparation Tips Create detailed product lists with exact specifications Research supplier reputations on Xiaohongshu (Chinese social media) Set up accounts on major platforms in advance Prepare for shipping logistics and customs clearance Payment & Negotiation Standard terms: 50% deposit, 50% before shipment Always negotiate – most prices are not fixed Request factory-direct pricing for large orders Get detailed contracts in writing Navigating Logistics International shipping requires careful consideration:
Consideration Details Shipping Costs Typically $150-250 per cubic meter to Europe; consolidate orders to save Customs Duties Vary by country; research rates before purchasing Delivery Time 4-6 weeks for sea freight; 5-7 days for air freight (higher cost) Insurance Highly recommended for valuable items; typically 1-3% of order value Avoiding Common Pitfalls ⚠️ Important Considerations Verify supplier credibility through platform ratings and reviews Request detailed product specifications and samples before bulk ordering Clarify warranty terms and after-sales service Be aware of color discrepancies; request natural light photos Understand material regulations in your country (especially for wood products)