OVERSEAS brands are becoming the new winners of the Single’s Day shopping festival, as more Chinese consumers demand imported products.

Tmall Global, a cross-border e-commerce platform, saw sales exceed that of a year ago in just about 6.5 hours Monday, exemplifying Chinese consumers’ strong demand for imported products.

Eyeing China’s huge market and consumption upgrading, more than 19,000 overseas brands from 75 countries and regions participated in this year’s online shopping spree, according to Alibaba.

“We have taken part in Single’s Day sales for four years. Our sales exceeded 100 million yuan (US$14.38 million) in no more than seven hours this year,” said Nancy Jian, chief operating officer for the China division of Chemist Warehouse.

The Australian pharmacy has been using Tmall Global to cash in on the burgeoning demand for Australia’s complementary medicines in China.

Wang Di of Spanish skincare brand MartiDerm said the firm has been developing more customized products for Asian women as more Chinese customers demand higher-quality products and gain a better understanding of its brand.

“Over the years, I have been buying more quality healthcare, as well as maternal and child products. And e-commerce sites and their offline stores are offering more options,” said Hu Feifei, a resident of Huzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province.

Hu said her consumption habits have not only affected her family, but also represented a new trend among many colleagues and friends.

Data on Single’s Day sales can also help shape the industrial chain.

Alibaba announced last week that it would use its e-commerce platforms to bring US$200 billion worth of products into China over the next five years, a move that will help imports become a new driving force in China’s consumption upgrading and benefit the world’s industrial chain.

(Xinhua)