E-commerce platforms in China: The battle between shopping titans and rising stars
The Chinese e-commerce platform market generated a staggering sales volume of RMB 15.5 trillion in 2024. This makes China the world’s largest e-commerce market. This flourishing market is growing steadily year on year, reaching an annual growth rate of 7.2% in 2024. Chinese consumers are pampered with a myriad of platforms to choose from, such […]
Artificial intelligence in China: from manufacturing hub to global tech innovator
Artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has been a disruptive force in reshaping various industries. Manufacturing, healthcare, and automotive are revolutionized through enhanced decision-making, task automation, and personalized experiences. Supported by state-led strategies, vast data reserves, and a dynamic tech ecosystem, China is rapidly scaling AI adoption domestically while advancing its technological ambitions on the […]
Meituan’s market strategy: Scaling from local life services to global expansion
Meituan’s market strategy continues to evolve as the company sets its sights on integrating AI and expanding into new markets. With its foundation as the world’s largest on-demand food delivery service, processing over 60 million orders daily through a network of more than five million active couriers, Meituan has established itself as a critical delivery […]
Omnichannel strategies in China: luxury brands’ attempts to multiply consumer touchpoints
China’s luxury market seeks steady recovery amidst challenges in 2022, which rebounded in 2023, as the market is driven by core luxury consumers who are less financially impacted by a slowing GDP. With the vigorous development of domestic luxury e-commerce, omnichannel luxury retail is making progress in China. Luxury brands are not merely adapting to […]
How social commerce in China is transforming shopping and social media
Social commerce defines an ecosystem that combines social media and e-commerce platforms in a dynamic and distinctive manner. It forms a space where the boundaries between online shopping and social interactions blend seamlessly. This fusion is achieved through the integration of social media, online marketplaces, and mobile payment systems, resulting in an environment that immerses […]
PayPal in China: Aiming for a slice of the cross-border transactions market
Born in California in 1998 under the name of “Confinity”, PayPal is an online payment system which allows users to send and receive money around the world after associating a credit card or bank account. The platform has the record for the world’s first digital payment platform, and the it’s the oldest which is still […]
Bilibili: China’s leading platform for ACGN and beyond
Bilibili, also known as B-site (B站), is a popular Chinese video streaming platform founded in 2009. In the beginning, it was a small and niche business concerned with the creation and sharing of videos about the Anime, Comics, Games and Novels (ACGN) subculture. However, over the years, Bilibili gained popularity and enriched its content, quickly […]
How health-conscious consumers are transforming the Chinese beverage market
The beverage industry in China is booming, thanks to the recovery of social events like parties and wedding banquets after the pandemic. The market grew to 1.25 trillion RMB (182 billion USD) in 2022 and produced 183.3 million tons in 2021. The most popular beverages in China in 2022 were packaged drinking water, carbonated beverages, […]
Leveraging WeChat mini programs for enhanced brand engagement and independence
WeChat Mini Programs are lightweight applications that exist within the WeChat platform. Unlike traditional apps, users don’t need to download them separately. They are cost-effective, developed with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and designed to provide a simple, enjoyable user experience. Understanding WeChat mini programs WeChat MPs eliminate the need for separate app downloads, work wherever […]
The ultimate guide to navigate the Chinese digital marketing ecosystem
The incredible popularity of instant messaging and online shopping in China, along with the adoption of smartphones, has greatly helped China in becoming the largest social network and e-commerce market. As of 2021, it is estimated that the total social network users and digital buyers in China reached 987.3 million and 824.5 million respectively. Behind […]
TMall Heybox app: Unwrapping the secret behind successful new product launches in China
As product launches are a crucial tool for companies to foster sales growth and enhance brand awareness, in 2017, Alibaba Group‘s B2C online marketplace Tmall decided to provide its merchants with a dedicated channel to support the releases of their new products. Newly released items on the Tmall Heybox app generated an increasing amount of revenues within three […]
How Single’s Day 2021 was different from all previous Chinese shopping festivals
Single’s Day is the largest online shopping event in the in China. It started in 2009 by Alibaba on the Taobao Mall (Tmall) platform, and has since then, been held annually. 2021 became the largest year for Single’s Day in China, with 290,000 brands participating in Tmall. However, Single’s Day 2021 was different from every […]