Hong Kong enterprises are determined to expand their cross-border e-commerce business and tap into more emerging markets as the city prepares to scale up its annual online shopping promotional campaign for local brands, extending beyond the Chinese mainland into Southeast Asia.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) on Tuesday announced it will partner with Chinese mainland social media and e-commerce platforms -- including Taobao and JD.com -- to stage the third edition of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival. For the first time, the event will also reach the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with Singapore and Malaysia as primary markets.

Running from Aug 1 to 20, the online shopping festival’s mainland version will feature more than 280 brands and 600 products from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, providing dedicated offers and inviting influencers to host live-streaming sales.

READ MORE: HK shopping fest eyes ASEAN market

The ASEAN version will follow from Sept 21 to 27 on Shopee and Lazada, two leading e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, showcasing around 100 homegrown labels and 300 products.

Among this year’s Hong Kong Shopping Festival brand lineup is Wai Yuen Tong Medicine Company Limited, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine label based in the SAR. As a returning participant from the first two editions, Executive Director Vivian Tang Man-wai said the company has long been eager to “sell high-quality Hong Kong products overseas”.

“Through the festival, we hope to strengthen our visibility in Singapore and Malaysia, connecting with more customers and meeting their demand for Chinese wellness and health products,” Tang said.

She added that the company expects to establish a solid foothold in the ASEAN market, positioning the region as its next strategic milestone.

ProFone (Hong Kong) Limited, a first-time participant this year, shares a similar ambition. Managing Director Edmond Yung said ProFone’s products have already been selling via several online channels on mainland platforms such as Tmall, and the company has experience with major shopping campaigns like Double 11. Joining the Hong Kong festival alongside other local counterparts could be an advantage for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), he said, as this collective presence might help local brands gain wider exposure to customers rather than “fighting alone”.

Jacky Chung Wing-hi, associate executive director of the HKTDC, said many local SMEs lack the resources to learn about e-commerce marketing techniques.

He added that around 30 percent of participants in the festival’s mainland edition have little experience in that market, while over 80 percent of those joining the ASEAN edition are new to online promotion in the region.

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Through the event, Chung said the council aims to help Hong Kong companies enhance their digital marketing capabilities and brand influence, while strengthening the foundations to expand their footprint into both the Chinese mainland and ASEAN markets.

In an HKTDC survey conducted in April, 232 local exporters, or about 46 percent of respondents, said they had already engaged in cross-border e-commerce, while another 20 percent were planning to adopt online sales channels within the next 12 months.

HKTDC Director of Research Bruce Pang Ming said that by evolving from traditional trading practices to adopting e-commerce, businesses can diversify their operational and market risks, while unlocking new growth opportunities.

“In the increasingly competitive market landscape, Hong Kong businesses should make good use of their established reputation for quality, credibility and international appeal,” Pang added.

The HKSAR saw a 53.4 percent year-on-year increase in its export values in June, according to the Census and Statistics Department. Total exports to Asia as a whole jumped by over 54 percent from the same period last year, with shipments to Singapore logging the strongest increase among markets in the region.

Contact the writer at gabylin@chinadailyhk.com