Calm After the Storm: Singles Day Discoveries and International Brands on Tmall

Not being possessed of the wherewithal to stay up until midnight just to shop online, my Singles Day shopping was not as successful as I would have liked. By way of example, a Uniqlo down vest I put in my shopping basket the day before was completely sold out by 7am on November 11.

However, now that the few gifts to myself have arrived, I can relax and reminisce on another positive outcome of my trawling Tmall for hours looking for bargains: The discovery that a surprising amount of international brands have launched official stores on Tmall. In most cases the stores are hosted and shipped via Tmall's Hong Kong site, so delivery might take a day or too longer than items coming from Beijing or Shanghai. 

Forgive the feminine slant among the brands I have selected here – there are plenty of famous men's wear brands, sports brands, electronic brands, you name it on Tmall as well, but I was feeling particularly self-indulgent in my shopping this year. 

Ocean Spray
The world's most famous (maybe only?) cranberry brand opened their official Tmall stall just in time for Singles Day, and for the rest of us, just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking and cocktails, with both their juices and signature Craisins (dried cranberries) significantly cheaper than they are in stores like Jenny Lou's or April Gourmet.

Penhaligon's
Fans of old school perfumeries will be happy to find out that English perfume house Penhaligon's have a store on Tmall. Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, the eponymous Penhaligon was perfumer to the Queen Victoria. These aren't cheap perfumes – most of the bottles will set you back RMB 1,000, minimum – but they would make an exquisite present for someone special this Christmas. 

La Perla
My fellow ladies will know that buying underwear in Beijing can be, to put it mildly, a bit of a trial. If you're willing to drop a bit of cash, La Perla's international Tmall store could be the answer to avoiding Beijing's not-particularly-enjoyable lingerie boutiques. In theory bras go up to size 80E, but the selection at that size is very limited. 

Topshop
British high street fashion retailer Topshop recently opened their first standalone store in China at Xidan's Galeries Lafayette, but I'm sure most of us would rather shop in the comfort of our own homes than brave the crowds at Xidan. Topshop's official Tmall store stocks everything from shoes to hats, although unfortunately not their good value Freedom jewelry range. I took advantage of the Singles Day deals to restock my collection of their super-comfy and easy to wear Leigh jeans (RMB 420), available in eight colors. Topshop's sister brand (or in this case we suppose brother brand) Topman also have an official store on Tmall.

New Look
Another British high street retailer we didn't know had a store on Tmall, New Look have 10 or so bricks and mortar stores in Beijing, but the selection in store is never good enough to convince me I need to go to Chongwenmen or *shudder* Fengtai. Prices are comparatively lower than Topshop, with dresses going for around RMB 199-399 each. 

More stories by this author here.

Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: wired.com