E-commerce giants eye rich pickings in lower-tier cities

China's outside-the-box thinking has rewritten the book on e-commerce in a strikingly short amount of time. Just years after Nov 11 made its entry to the world's retail calendar, another once obscure date is shaping up to make a mark: June 18.

As e-commerce companies from JD to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd are fighting over sales, they are also seeking to unlock the spending power of people from smaller cities and towns.

JD saw sales of air conditioners top 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) just 15 seconds after the clock struck midnight on June 1, when the 18-day promotional event officially kicked off, according to a company news release.