HKTDC Releases Report on Hong Kong Businesses Navigating Mainland China E-commerce Retail Market

By: Asia Business Outlook Team | Thursday, 07 August 2025

Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) released the research report: Hong Kong Businesses Navigating Mainland China E-commerce Retail Market - Consumer Survey Results. The results show that Mainland online shoppers generally like Hong Kong products. Overall, 78 percent of respondents had bought Hong Kong products online in the past year. Mainland consumers have a high level of trust in Hong Kong brands and hold products in high regard. This provides a solid foundation for Hong Kong businesses to expand into the Mainland e-commerce market. Hong Kong businesses can leverage the advantage of Hong Kong brands and choose suitable platforms for e-commerce sales. The upcoming release of the E-commerce Case Studies report will focus on ways to develop e-commerce retail sales and serve as a reference for Hong Kong businesses looking to expand their market in the Mainland.

HKTDC Director of Research, Irina Fan, said: “Mainland consumers shop online frequently, averaging 9.4 purchases per month. This is particularly true for those in tier-one and Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities. When shopping online, Mainland consumers’ primary consideration is whether the products are genuine, not low prices. This suggests that Hong Kong businesses can leverage the superior quality of Hong Kong products and the strong reputation of Hong Kong brands in Mainland China to expand into the Mainland e-commerce market. They can flexibly use comprehensive shelf and ‘interest-based’ e-commerce platforms to sell online along with methods such as live-streaming and short videos for promotion, and stand out in the highly competitive market through targeted marketing strategies.”

HKTDC Research commissioned an agency to conduct a survey of 2,200 middle-income or above consumers from different Mainland cities during the second and third quarters of 2024. The aim was to learn about their online consumption habits, as well as their preferences regarding Hong Kong products. The findings will help Hong Kong companies better formulate appropriate strategies to tap the Mainland e-commerce retail market.

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Online shopping characteristics of Mainland consumers

- Mainland consumers shop online frequently, averaging 9.4 purchases per month. This is particularly true for those in tier-one cities. Shopping frequency among women (10 times monthly) is higher than for men (8.8 times). By age group, consumers aged 30-49 demonstrate the highest online shopping frequency, averaging 11.2 purchases per month.
- Comprehensive e-commerce platforms are the predominant online shopping channel, with 95 percent of respondents using comprehensive/digital shelf e-commerce platforms to shop online. This figure far exceeds the use of live-streaming/short video platforms (38 percent) and group buying platforms (32 percent). In terms of online shopping for cross-border or imported products, consumers prefer to use Tmall International or JD International, with 73 percent and 63 percent respectively choosing these platforms. Other notable platforms include Douyin E-commerce Global (30 percent) and Amazon China (21 percent).
- Authenticity, wide selection and reputation are top considerations for online shopping. An authenticity guarantee policy (15 percent), reputable merchants (11 percent) and wide product selection (9 percent) are the top three considerations for respondents when purchasing online.
- “Promotion” is the most important factor for consumers when buying newly-launched products online. Nearly 90 percent of respondents cited “promotion” as their primary consideration, followed by product quality and design (70 percent).
- Mainland consumers demand quick delivery. Mainland online shoppers, on average, get their products 3.2 days after placing an order, with fast fulfilment a key competitive advantage in winning over local consumers.

Wing Chu, Principal Economist (Greater China) of HKTDC, said: “Although online purchasing power currently clusters around tier-one and tier-two cities, the tier-three cities are becoming a focus for Hong Kong companies. Furthermore, irrespective of whether they are shopping locally or from further afield, consumers generally demand quick delivery, and their expectations in this regard continue to rise. The Hong Kong products that Mainland consumers most like to buy online are consumer electronics and electrical products (72%), followed by luxury goods (46%) and fashion products (41%).” It’s worth noting that Mainland consumers who purchase Hong Kong products online tend to spend a higher average order amount on children's products, drugs and health supplements, and pet products compared to the overall average.”

Hong Kong products favored by Mainland Consumers

- Mainland online shoppers generally like Hong Kong products, particularly those in areas with higher consumption levels. Overall, 78 percent of respondents had bought Hong Kong products online in the past year. The proportion was 85 percent in tier-one cities, 81 percent in the Greater Bay Area, 78 percent in tier-two cities and 74 percent in tier-three cities.

- Hong Kong products are more favoured by young consumers. In terms of age distribution, 83 percent of respondents in the 18-29 age group said they had bought Hong Kong products online in the past year. This was closely followed by consumers aged 30-49 (82 percent), while the proportion among consumers above 50 years old was lower (65 percent).

- Female consumers in high-consumption areas tend to prefer Hong Kong products. While overall gender differences are minimal – 77 percent of male and 79 percent of female respondents reported purchasing Hong Kong products – the trend varies by region. In tier-one and tier-two cities, and in the GBA, significantly more female consumers have bought Hong Kong products online.

- Mainland online shoppers hold positive views of Hong Kong products, brands and online stores. The respondents gave an average score of 8.7 to Hong Kong products when compared with other products. Respondents from tier-three cities gave the highest score of 9.2. In terms of age, consumers aged 18-29 gave Hong Kong products the highest rating of 8.9.

- Mainland online shoppers mostly buy electronic, luxury and fashion goods from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong products that Mainland consumers most like to buy online are consumer electronics and electrical products (72 percent), followed by luxury goods (46 percent) and fashion products (41 percent). The GBA has the highest proportion of consumers buying consumer electronics and electrical products (79 percent), followed closely by tier-one cities (78 percent). The proportion of consumers buying luxury goods in tier-one cities (53 percent), the GBA (52 percent) and tier-two cities (51 percent) are comparable.

- Orders in food and drug sectors, and of products for children and pets, exceed the overall average. Among Mainland shoppers who have bought Hong Kong products online, the average order value for children’s goods is 24 percent higher than the average. Orders of drug and health products (16 percent), pet products (29 percent), and fresh produce and food (18 percent) are also significantly higher in value than the average.

- The Hong Kong “brand” enjoys a good reputation in the Mainland market and is widely seen as a mark of trust and quality. When asked to describe Hong Kong merchandise, brands and products, respondents viewed products from Hong Kong as “in compliance with stringent product safety standards” (28 percent), “guaranteed raw material/material quality” (28 percent), “guaranteed genuine products” (27 percent), “confidence in quality” (27 percent) and “fashionable look” (27 percent).

- Mainland consumers seek out official brand channels. Mainland consumers obtain information from official brand channels when choosing Hong Kong electronics and electrical products (31 percent), luxury items (34 percent), sports products (34 percent) and fashion products (26 percent). They rely heavily on product reviews when purchasing Hong Kong drug and health products (34 percent) and beauty products (32 percent) online.

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Eric Chu, Economist (Greater China) of HKTDC, said: “Based on case studies of e-commerce retailers and service providers in Mainland China, Hong Kong businesses might consider using multi-channel operation strategies. This includes leveraging both traditional digital shelves platforms and emerging ‘interest-based‘ platforms to reach different consumer groups and increase traffic. However, some cases show that while businesses can collaborate with influencers/KOLs for "influencer marketing," it's important to base these efforts on market analysis and data to select influencer endorsements that suit their products. This approach improves promotional accuracy and achieves cost-effective, optimal marketing results.”

HKTDC will later release an additional report titled "Hong Kong Businesses Navigating Mainland China E-commerce Retail Market - Case Studies," which includes detailed case studies of e-commerce activities and service providers in Mainland China.

The second Hong Kong Shopping Festival aims to help local businesses navigate Mainland China e-commerce

The second Hong Kong Shopping Festival, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will take place on Mainland e-commerce platforms from 1 to 31 August. Fully aligned with measures outlined in the 2024 Policy Address, the festival aims to support Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they expand into the Mainland e-commerce market. As the flagship event of HKTDC's E-commerce Express, the second Hong Kong Shopping Festival has attracted nearly 260 brands across seven major categories, including health supplements, food and beverages, home and living, personal care and cosmetics, apparel and accessories, smart gadgets, and products for the silver market. The festival features over 500 unique products and offers month-long discount promotions.

Source : Press Release