The heated mid-year "618 Shopping Festival" started a month ago with China's e-commerce platforms offering special discounts for the shopping season since May.

There is even a calendar made for discounts in make-up, home applications and others. Consumers were making specific plans to pick the right day for the most preferential prices. Meanwhile, gifts and luxury samples are drawing eyes.

All of these are big deals and are win-win for businesses and consumers. JD.com, one of the China’s largest e-commerce companies made 24.7 billion U.S. dollars last year during its annual 618 shopping sprees.

Though e-commerce platforms are trying hard to attract buyers, in fact, the strongest backers of the shopping sprees are the brands themselves. Some brands even introduced peculiar products including toffee-flavored perfume and palace-styled biscuit. Well, snacks and a big sale, it's really carnival time!