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Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in a Swisse ad. The brand tops the list of the most-popular vitamins in the country of 1.4 billion people. Supplied
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by Michael Smith Shanghai | They are the Australian vitamin supplement and health product companies you may have never heard of. But in China their products, ranging from tea tree facial wipes to natural fruit laxatives, are in hot demand.
While vitamin giants like Swisse and Blackmores again dominated the list of top-selling Australian brands during the world's biggest online sale over the weekend, many of the companies in the top 10 are not so well known to Australian investors.
Overall Australian sales on Alibaba's Tmall platform during China's 24-hour annual online event, known as Singles' Day on Sunday.rose 35 per cent, according to a breakdown of the data obtained by AFR Weekend from the e-commerce giant on Friday.
Dominant brand Swisse topped the list for the second year running followed by milk powder producer Devondale, which is owned by dairy giant Murray Goulburn.
Vitamin and healthcare brands made up the bulk of the top 10. Bio Island, a company operated by Sydney-based JBX Pty Ltd which sells supplements such as fish oil, milk calcium, and lysine, was third on the list.
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ASX-listed Blackmores, one of the pioneers of the China consumer export boom, was fourth followed by Healthy Care, another supplements brand which made its fortune selling grape seed capsules via Chemist Warehouse. Tea tree face and body care group Thursday Planation was fifth followed by skin care company G&M, muesli producer Arnold's Farm, listed infant formula group Bellamy's and Nu-Lax, which makes fruit laxatives.
Health supplements were the most popular goods from Australia based on the number of Chinese buyers during the 24-hour sale followed by adult milk powder, infant and toddler nutrition, emulsion, powdered drink mixes, dairy products, facial masks, baby toiletries, serums and milk powder
Australia was the fourth most popular market by Chinese consumers during the shopping festival, which was created by Alibaba a decade ago.
Designed initially to encourage single people to treat themselves by going shopping on 11/11 - considered a lucky date in China - the event this year racked up a whopping 213.5 billion yuan ($42.4 billion) in sales. That was 27 per cent higher than last year.
Alibaba said Australia was fourth top country globally selling products into the world's biggest consumer market during the 24-hour online sale. Australia came third last year. The top three were Japan, the United States, and South Korea.
The hype in China surrounding Singles Day, which Alibaba has expanded to promotional campaigns in other countries, is staggering. Alibaba hosted a gala event in Shanghai on Saturday night featured pop diva and James Packer's former fiancee Mariah Carey. Australian super model Miranda Kerr was also there on the catwalk and reportedly singing in Chinese.
Whipping up China' 1.4 billion population into a shopping frenzy via endless promotions and promises of discounts is the key to the event's success. However, China's slowing economy as the US trade war starts to hurt consumer sentiment means Alibaba will struggle to break another record next year.
Top 10 brands among Chinese consumers buying cross-border from Australia (by number of buyers)
Swisse
Devondale
Bio Island
Blackmores
Healthy Care
Thursday Plantation
G&M
Arnold's Farm
Bellamy's
Nu-Lax
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