18 June marks China’s annual mid-year shopping festival, and its popularity among consumers shows no signs of slowing down. Ahead of the event, Taobao announced it would invest 2 billion RMB (about 276 million USD) to help brands, merchants, and livestreamers boost their sales. Shortly after, it added another 3 billion RMB (about 414 million USD) discounts. With a total of 5 billion RMB (about 690 million USD) poured into the event, it’s clear Taobao is going all in on 618 this year. And it’s not just shoppers in China getting excited—international users are getting in on the action too.
The topic “Taobao tops app download charts in multiple countries during 618 (618期间淘宝再次登顶多国APP下载榜)” recently trended on Weibo, sparking plenty of discussion. According to public data, on 17 May, Taobao ranked in the top two on app download charts in countries like France, Germany, South Korea, and Vietnam. In some places, it snagged the top spot in the shopping category.
On social media, foreign users have flooded Taobao’s official Weibo account with questions like, “What’s worth buying on Taobao 618?” But the language gap has also led to some hilarious misunderstandings. In China, customer service reps often call users “亲” (literally “dear”), but some overseas shoppers misread it as a romantic gesture. One shopper tried to buy a popular fruit called “baba mandarin”—but thanks to translation software, it came out as “poop mandarin,” leaving customer service staff at a loss for words. To help new users avoid similar mix-ups, some helpful netizens even created a “Taobao English” guide.
The wave of international interest has driven up overseas sales and order volumes for many sellers. This trend was already picking up steam back in mid-April during the “tariff issue.” On April 12, Taobao recorded 104,000 overseas app downloads. By April 15, that number had jumped to 326,000—a 222% month-on-month spike in just twelve days.
Taobao’s rising global profile highlights its competitive edge. As one of China’s top three e-commerce platforms, it offers a massive product range and a reliable supply chain. Around 70 million items on the platform support free global shipping, catering to shoppers around the world. And through a partnership with Alibaba International, Taobao’s “Global Free Shipping for Fashion” plan is helping deliver items efficiently across borders. For many international users, choosing Taobao is also a vote of confidence in China’s manufacturing power, product quality, and brand value.