Photo credit: Alibaba Group

This week, Alibaba Group’s high-end retail platform Tmall Luxury Pavilion shared sales data from the first hours of the 6.18 Mid-year Shopping Festival, one of China’s biggest retail events of the year.

In other news, June 5 was World Environment Day, and many Alibaba companies marked the occasion with product launches and team announcements.

For Freshippo, Alibaba’s supermarket company which bridges online and offline shopping, this took the form of a new department dedicated to sustainability.

Luxury Brands Report Dazzling Results in First Hours of 6.18

Luxury shoppers hunted for bargains as China’s 6.18 shopping festival got underway on the evening of May 31.

Within 10 minutes of 6.18’s start, sales at high-end luxury brands Burberry, New Jersey-based bag brand Tumi, British luxury brand Stella McCartney, Milan-headquartered Jil Sander, American fashion label Amiri, topped sales generated mostly within about the first 4 hours of the sales last year.

Within the first 30 minutes, fashion brands Chloe, Miu Miu, Kate Spade New York, Maison Margiela, as well as jewellery brands De Beers, Ahkah and its subsidiary Tasaki, all topped sales made largely within last year’s first 4 hours.

Jewelry sales made via livestream on May 31 were 10 times higher than during mostly the first 4 hours last year, while the home decor category sales were 6 times higher.

Over 200 luxury brands participated in Tmall 6.18 this year, more than last year. Among the brands making their 6.18 debut were: Moncler, LVMH’s Berluti, Ferrari’s fashion line and Lemaire.

For more insights into 6.18 click here

Freshippo Launches Sustainable Development Department

Freshippo celebrated World Environment Day this week by launching a Sustainable Development Department to guide the company’s sustainable initiatives in its agriculture and supply chains.

The new team will focus on organic and low-carbon farming and promote a circular economy among users and suppliers of the platforms.

“The positive impact we bring to agriculture and supply chains is aligned with our business growth and we hope to create a positive impact on the environment and society,” said Shen Li, Co-founder and Head of Sustainable Development at Freshippo, in a statement.

Over the years, the digital intelligence-powered shopping platform has partnered with over 100 organic farming enterprises to provide around 1,700 types of organic products – from rice and honey to cheese and fruits – for Chinese consumers.

Freshippo is also working with recycling platform Lovere to host green recycling exhibitions and displays in major cities nationwide.

Social & Sustainable: Green Resale Platform Idle Fish Adopts Social Commerce

Alibaba’s consumer-to-consumer resale platform Idle Fish is moving into a social e-commerce model, giving China’s growing cohort of sustainability-driven users a new forum to connect.

“The mission of Idle Fish is to mix the fun in finding and trading pre-owned goods with greener living. We want to make sustainability a new lifestyle for more people,” said Ji Shan, General Manager of Idle Fish, at an event in Shanghai last month.

Social commerce combines e-commerce and social media, allowing users to discover products and join communities of consumers with similar interests.

Learn more here

Alibaba’s Tmall Global Brings US Clean Beauty Brand The Detox Market to Chinese Consumers 

Clean beauty products are on the rise in China, driven by sustainability-minded young consumers who care about the environment and their health.

Clean beauty products, like those selected by American company The Detox Market, shun parabens, sulphates and artificial colors in favor of cruelty-free and sustainable ingredients.

“Clean beauty products have gained traction in China as the pandemic has made consumers more health-conscious,” said Lynn Dong, General Manager of Tmall Global, in an interview with Alizila.

Watch along as Dong pays a visit to The Detox Market to learn more about this booming beauty trend