Taobao Global announced on Sunday afternoon that it will invest 1 billion yuan in marketing subsidies for overseas markets during this year's Double 11 shopping festival, aiming to help 100,000 merchants achieve doubled overseas sales targets.
This year, Taobao has been accelerating its global expansion efforts. According to Ye Jianqiu, General Manager of Taobao Global, this year's Double 11 will mark the first simultaneous launch across 20 countries and regions worldwide, offering services in five different language versions to reach global consumers.
Unlike other cross-border e-commerce platforms, Taobao Global provides a light-asset model featuring "zero return refunds and zero operating costs." Merchants only need to sign the "Global Growth Plan" on their existing Taobao stores to automatically synchronize sales to overseas sites, with the platform handling returns and providing complete overseas operational support.
Ye Jianqiu revealed that since launching this plan in 2024, over one million merchants have joined, with contracted merchants achieving GMV growth rates three times higher than the overall overseas market average.
To help merchants better capitalize on Double 11 growth opportunities, Taobao Global will invest 1 billion yuan in marketing expenses to boost overseas new user acquisition. During Double 11, 12 of Taobao's overseas sites will support cross-border free shipping and free return services. Hong Kong and Macau will offer "zero-threshold free shipping," while Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia will receive daily large-value shipping vouchers.
Additionally, Taobao will launch its first interactive game "Taobao Wonderland" targeting non-Chinese users overseas. Users can earn gold beans through daily check-ins, which can be used for shopping discounts of up to 50% of order values. New users in 16 countries and regions making their first Double 11 purchase will enjoy "1 yuan flash sale" offers.
Beyond integrated online and offline promotions to drive new traffic for merchants, Taobao Global will provide focused support for key industries including fashion, consumer electronics, furniture and home goods, sports and outdoor equipment, toys and collectibles, and automotive accessories.
Yi Shan, head of Taobao Global Merchant Center, explained that for these priority industries, Taobao will launch dedicated industry channel pages overseas during Double 11. "This extends beyond just Double 11 – it represents our long-term operational strategy. We will drive hundreds of category-specific campaigns throughout the year, distributing substantial industry vouchers and creating exclusive overseas product labels for contracted merchants to help them achieve better sales performance."
During Double 11, over one million merchants will simultaneously sell to regions outside mainland China, with cross-border free shipping items alone reaching 400 million products. Taobao Global estimates that 100,000 merchants will achieve doubled overseas sales targets this year.