China’s ecommerce giants are flipping the script

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Hey—we got a bit curious!

After the latest news about China manufacturing the high-end brands that are being sold in the U.S… are you still buying from the brands? Or are you buying from DHGate or Taobao? Vote in our poll below!

• China is taking advantage of the tariff wars 🤑
• Use Walmart Marketplace to capture peak season sales 🛍️
• Etsy’s making it easier for shoppers to shop in their platform 🔍️
• Chinese apps are the top 5 downloaded apps in the U.S. 📱
• How to use Facebook for Business 🧑‍💼

TRENDING TOPIC

As U.S. tariffs tighten their grip, platforms like Tencent and Alibaba are rolling out massive initiatives to help exporters ditch foreign markets—for now—and pivot to domestic sales.

According to Global Times, Tencent just dropped a 10-point plan aimed at converting exporters into local market contenders. Think: faster store registration, commission perks, digital upgrades via Weixin Mini Programs and Shops, and same-day access to Weixin Pay. The company expects these tools could drive ¥100 billion ($13.6B) in new sales. No small pivot.

Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall aren’t sitting back either. Their new program aims to onboard 10,000+ foreign trade merchants and 100,000 sources, complete with quick onboarding and sales incentives.

Behind this push is the Chinese government’s directive to “integrate domestic and foreign commerce”—aka soften the blow of U.S. tariffs by boosting internal consumption. The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is teaming up with retailers, industry groups, and platforms to help foreign trade enterprises adapt.

These changes are affecting sellers by:

• Moving stock that are currently stuck due to trade tensions
• Giving Chinese consumers a wider range of products to choose from
• Giving Southeast Asia the opportunity as the next export boom, especially with demand growing in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, local governments like those in Zhejiang Province are fueling the fire with support for global brand flagship stores and experiential retail aimed at high-end exporters.

“It has become an urgent task to expand the home market,” stated China’s retail and trade associations, calling out U.S. tariffs as a major disruptor of global order.

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Commerce Helps Communities: Amazon has invested $2 million in two food banks in the Seattle region.
• America Wants India: India's ecommerce is worth $125 billion and could be key to U.S.-India trade talks.
• Education Thru Ecommerce: Amazon Future Engineer program awarded $16 million in scholarships to high school seniors from nearly 40 U.S. states.
• Get Gardening Says Target: Target launched a new fresh flower and plant brand, Good Little Garden. Available nationwide.

ECOMMERCE NEWS

Etsy improves its search result diversity to promote shopping domestically

Do you like waiting for long shipping times? Who wants that, right?

Nobody.

That’s why Etsy wants buyers to shipping items from "next door,” not from “next continent.”

According to Chain Store Age, the platform is rolling out new tools to make it easier for buyers to find local sellers. They plan on new features like curated shopping pages and local seller spotlights.

🔍 Discovering domestic through search

• Curated collectionsshow items based on trends, aesthetics, and occasions. Now, they’ll feature more local finds.
• Optimizing for Etsy’sCreativity standards allows the algorithm to promote a wider range of sellers.
• The Search visibility page feature gives tips! These include insights on listing image quality and quantity, return policies, message response times, and even shipping prices.

🛍️ Why is Etsy supporting local

Why the domestic push? Etsy says 89% of its sellers work from home, often sourcing locally. No complicated overseas production lines. Limited fulfillment difficulties. So, even with global supply chain disruptions, many Etsy sellers remain agile and resilient.

Etsy’s revamping search to help local sellers shine—because shopping small shouldn’t mean searching hard.

SOCIAL PULSE

Chinese apps are once more in the top 5 most downloaded iPhone apps in the US

Ok, so China and Etsy are pushing for local… but are consumers on board?

An article from the New York Post gives us some insight into a recently trending and unexpected shift in consumer spending.

🔑 Key highlights

• Chinese e-commerce platforms, DHgate and Taobao, have shot into the Top 5 most downloaded free iPhone apps in the U.S. (DHgate ranked #2 as of Friday).
• This is likely due to the viral videos claiming pricey fashion products are initially manufactured (for cheap) in China. These include designer clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories.
• These luxury goods can be purchased directly from DHgate and Taobao.
• Shein and Temu are set to increase their prices soon. U.S. consumers rapidly adopted alternatives such as these in search of better deals.
• Alibaba.com managed to land the 6th position.

⚠️ Buy with care

This reaffirms that most buyers care more about the price than where the products are from. Unfortunately, buying from these sites is risky. Product quality is uncertain and buyers have been warned.

SELLER REFRESHER

5 ways to use Facebook for Business

Using Facebook for Business is much more than checking boxes and filling out your brand info. If you're ready to really use the platform to grow your brand, HubSpot has just the guide.

• Make scroll-stopping content 🤳
  Photos and plain text are fine… for starters. Now it’s about short-form videos, polls, Lives, and product demos. The goal? Start convos, show off your stuff, and invite feedback—not just post and ghost.
• Talk to your people 💬
  80% of brands flunk the engagement test. Facebook algorithms want interaction, and so do your customers. Use comments, DMs, and even WhatsApp—and track it all with Meta Business Suite's tidy to-do list.
• Build a group 👪
  Think community, not just commerce. Groups are gold if you rely on referrals, sell memberships, or want users helping users. 
• Listen up 👂
  It’s not “social” media if it’s just you talking. Use listening tools to track brand mentions and hashtags so you can actually learn from your audience— know what’s hot and what’s not.
• Ads: yes, but smart
  Facebook Ads are still king for targeting and ROI. Start with retargeting people who already visited your site. 

Bonus: Meta Business Suite gives audience insights you can use to fine-tune campaigns and avoid burning budgets.

Got it? Now, go level up your Facebook marketing!