Brands selling products on online marketplaces throughout the Asia-Pacific region may wonder how to keep up with the fast-paced market and make plans for next year. The good news is there are a multitude of ecommerce holidays celebrated in China (and surrounding areas) for brands take advantage of in order to increase sales. As brands plan their 2024 ecommerce retail calendars, here are some important holidays to prepare for in China:

Q1 (January-March)

1. Chinese New Year: (usually late Jan.–mid-Feb.) Chinese New Year—also known as Spring Festival—is a week-long holiday that's quickly becoming a great sales opportunity for brands.
2. Valentine’s Day: (Feb. 14) Despite being an inherently Western holiday, Valentine’s Day is a major event that's been wholeheartedly adopted in China, especially among younger demographics.
3. International Women’s Day: (Mar. 8) This global holiday focuses on women and, in China, also promotes the sale of items women traditionally need.

Q2 (April-June)

1. 520 Festival: (May 20) The Chinese pronunciation for the numbers “5-2-0” sounds similar to “I love you”. So, 520 Festival has become a Chinese version of Valentine's Day, giving Chinese lovers another chance to showcase their affection to one another through gift giving.
2. 6/18: (Jun. 18) This is the founding anniversary of JD.com, one of the most prominent ecommerce companies in China. The event, colloquially known as 618, is celebrated annually for 18 days leading up to June 18th.

Q3 (July-September)

1. Qixi Festival: (7th day of 7th month of Chinese Lunar Calendar, Aug. 12 in 2024) A huge retail event, Qixi Festival signals the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology.
2. Mid-autumn festival: (Sep. 29) Also known as the Moon or Mooncake Festival, this traditional festival is celebrated in many Asian countries. The mid-autumn festival is a very popular time to give gifts to friends and relatives.

Q4 (October-December)

1. Golden Week: (1st week in Oct.) Most people in China take work off for this week-long public holiday, which can impact on your ecommerce sales. Being aware of public closures in the Asia-Pacific regions will help you plan inventory levels and consumer communication ahead of time.
2. Singles’ Day: (Nov. 11) Singles’ Day, or Double 11 festival, is the biggest 24-hour online shopping festival in the world and originated in China. Singles’ Day is a type of “anti-Valentine’s day”. Originally created for those with a single relationship status, due to the symbolism of the number 1 (11/11), the shopping event has broken sales figure records each year since its start and is often likened to Black Friday in the U.S.
3. Double 12: (Dec. 12) Double 12, or Couples’ Day, is another massively popular shopping event in China that was originally established for smaller businesses that might have missed out on the benefits of Singles Day.

How to Prepare For 2024 Ecommerce Holidays

Here are four ways to prepare for the 2024 APAC ecommerce holidays, so you can use them to your advantage:

1. Make Sure You Have a Good Trade Partner

All brands expanding to or selling in China on any online marketplace need a trade partner they can trust. A good trade partner should have experience, transparency, a data-driven mindset, brand obsession, and the right tools and resources to help you succeed.

2. Stay Ahead of Logistics

A good trade partner will help your brand understand various regional consumer demands and provide marketplace-specific logistics to help you to stay in stock. Every online marketplace requires various amounts of stock. The level of stock mostly depends on consumer demand in the region, but upcoming regional holidays also play a large role in logistics planning.

3. Prepare Your Customer Service Teams

If you are planning to participate in holidays and promote your products, it’s important your customer service teams are aware of the influx of consumers and know how to handle the change.

4. Be Aware of Local and Regional Holiday Impact

Knowing which holidays can directly affect and improve your business is key to selling across online marketplaces in the Asia-Pacific region. Though not all holidays are directly relevant to your brand, it’s worth knowing about them ahead of time to understand how they might impact your performance.

Accelerate on Chinese Marketplaces with Pattern

The opportunity for your brand to increase traffic and conversions during Chinese holidays is exponential.  As the world’s foremost ecommerce accelerator, Pattern can partner with you to grow your brand both domestically and internationally. Pattern is an ideal brand trading partner—we know local languages, customs, and cultural nuances required to clearly communicate your brand and execute in China. We make your success our business, dedicating expert teams, years of experience, and proprietary technology to find the best ways to take your products to consumers. Discover how you can grow your brand internationally. Contact us.