A recent consumption report released by TikTok E-Commerce has highlighted the remarkable surge in sales of Guangdong lychees, particularly those from Maoming, during the summer season. According to the data, orders for Guangdong lychees on the platform increased by over 15 times year-on-year between May 20 and June 25. Maoming lychees accounted for nearly 70% of these sales.
This growth is largely attributed to a special agricultural support initiative launched by TikTok E-Commerce in collaboration with ByteDance Charity. The campaign, titled "Summer Flavors on TikTok," aimed to boost sales through brand building, live streaming from production origins, and incentives for local merchants. The goal was to strengthen Maoming's reputation as China's premier lychee city.
Content Initiatives and Viral Impact
The platform initiated popular hashtags such as #WaitingForThisLycheeAllYear and organized offline events like the "Go to Maoming" TikTok Star Rural Star Farmer activity. Over 30 content creators, including well-known influencers, were invited to visit lychee farms for origin tracing. More than 5,000 influencers and merchants, including top live streamers, participated in promoting lychees through live sales.
By the end of June, videos related to Maoming lychees had been uploaded over 45,000 times, an increase of 831% compared to the previous period. These videos received 6.37 million likes, and 16 topics trended on the hot list, generating over 1.12 billion views. Live streams selling lychees accumulated a total duration of 400,000 hours.
These efforts significantly boosted the number of active merchants and products. During the campaign, the number of merchants selling Guangdong lychees grew by 315%, and the number of products listed increased by 432%.
Consumer Preferences and Regional Trends
White-collar workers emerged as the primary consumer group, accounting for 23% of total sales, followed by urban middle-class families and Generation Z. However, the "精致妈妈" or "stylish moms" group showed the fastest growth in order volume.
The most popular lychee varieties were Guiwei, Baitangying, and Feizixiao. Thanks to promotions via short videos, live streams, and mall placements, consumers also began trying niche varieties like Xianjinfeng and Gualv.
Maoming, renowned as China's lychee capital, has a long history of lychee cultivation with over 40 excellent varieties. Consumer preferences varied有趣ly by region. Sweeter Maoming lychees were more popular among southern consumers with a sweet tooth. Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou were the top five cities purchasing the most Maoming lychees. Shanghai alone placed 190,000 orders in 37 days, leading the nation's food enthusiasts.
In terms of variety preferences, Shanghai consumers favored Guiwei, Baitangying, and Feizixiao. Shenzhen buyers leaned toward Baila and Nuomici, while Guangzhou purchased the most Xianjinfeng.
Logistics and Merchant Collaboration
The spike in sales required coordinated efforts from merchants and influencers. Lychees are delicious but perishable, so preserving freshness was critical. This season, TikTok E-Commerce partnered with merchants and logistics companies to innovate the supply chain. They implemented a new model that combined trunk transportation and local distribution to reduce transit time.
Top-rated lychee stores on the platform included Shunjun Agriculture, Happy Orchard Official Store, Wangpin Fruit Flagship Store, Zhongyuan Fruit Farmers Fresh, Dale Fresh Fruit, and Lihuang Fruit and Vegetable Flagship Store.
Boost to Related Products
The popularity of fresh lychees also drove sales of lychee-related products. On TikTok E-Commerce, dried lychees, lychee-flavored tea drinks, and lychee-flavored sodas saw significant growth, with sales increasing by 228%, 170%, and 399% year-on-year, respectively.
Supporting Local Farmers and Digital Skills
TikTok E-Commerce has been working for the past three years to help local specialties like Guangdong lychees overcome geographical barriers through programs such as "Mountain Goods on Headlines" and the "Golden Origin Plan." In 2025, the platform expanded its supply of rare lychee varieties, including Nuomici, Gualv, and Shuijingqiu.
Beyond increasing sales, the platform also focused on reducing the burden on local lychee merchants and improving their efficiency. In late April, TikTok E-Commerce collaborated with the Gaozhou E-Commerce Association to hold a training session in Maoming. The session covered basic skills in short video and live streaming, digital operation strategies, and fresh product commission-free policies. Local store broadcasters received exclusive traffic support.
By mid-May, 1,040 participants had attended the training, with 464 passing online exams and receiving certificates. Trainees uploaded 781 short videos during the training period, generating a total of 3.7 million online views.
A TikTok E-Commerce representative stated that the platform is committed to building stable, reliable, and efficient sales channels for local agricultural products. Future efforts will continue to support merchants and influencers in promoting high-quality agricultural products and upgrading industrial belts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What made Maoming lychees so popular on TikTok E-Commerce?
The combination of viral hashtags, live streaming from farms, and collaborations with influencers significantly increased visibility and consumer trust, leading to a massive surge in sales.
Which lychee varieties are most in demand?
Guiwei, Baitangying, and Feizixiao are the top favorites, but niche varieties like Xianjinfeng and Gualv are also gaining popularity due to effective digital marketing.
How did TikTok E-Commerce address the perishability of lychees?
By partnering with logistics firms, they optimized the supply chain with faster transportation and local distribution methods to ensure fresher delivery to consumers.
What other products saw increased sales due to the lychee trend?
Lychee-flavored beverages, dried lychees, and sodas experienced substantial growth, indicating a broader consumer interest in lychee-based goods.
How are local merchants supported beyond sales?
Training programs on digital skills, live streaming techniques, and platform policies help merchants improve their operational efficiency and online presence.
Will TikTok E-Commerce continue such initiatives for other agricultural products?
Yes, the platform plans to keep investing in partnerships and programs to promote a wider range of local specialties and support rural economic development.