Online shopping utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding in China.
According to Reuters on November 12, purchases made through AI chatbot links on the short-form video and social commerce platform Douyin accounted for approximately 5% of total purchases in October. For items like health supplements, where consumers typically review product information thoroughly before buying, the share of purchases via AI chatbots exceeded 20%. This data was sourced from market research firm WPIC Marketing and Technologies.
This trend indicates that Chinese consumers are beginning to use AI not just as a tool for information searches but as a shopping assistant. For instance, consumers can describe their desired product specifications and budget to the AI chatbot and request comparisons of prices and features across various products. An example might be asking the AI to find a washing machine that fits in a narrow balcony and operates quietly at night within a specific budget. The AI not only recommends suitable products but also guides users through discounts, promotional events, and payment benefits, supporting them throughout the purchasing process.
Jacob Cook, CEO of WPIC, noted that AI is establishing itself as a new pathway for product discovery and purchasing, predicting that its share of direct purchases will rival that of live commerce and social commerce in the future. The rapid adoption of AI shopping in China, compared to the West, is largely due to the proactive integration of AI by super apps. Major platforms like Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall, as well as JD.com, have incorporated AI features into their existing shopping services, allowing users to handle product searches, comparisons, coupon applications, and order and delivery scheduling without switching between different apps.
JD.com reported that approximately 80 million users sought shopping advice from its AI shopping assistant, Dongdong, during this year's Singles' Day shopping festival, a figure that has more than tripled from the previous year. Alibaba is also expanding its AI shopping ecosystem by offering virtual clothing try-ons and AI-based product search features on Taobao.
AI-related products have also emerged as popular items. According to Alibaba, AI toys generated over 100 million yuan (approximately $20 million) in sales within a year of their launch as a new product category. Sales of AI companion robots increased nearly fivefold in the latter half of October compared to the same period last year. Additionally, sales of AI tokens, which are necessary for the computing resources required to utilize AI models, surged by over 700% from October 15 to November 5 compared to the previous period.
Meanwhile, overall sales performance during this year's Singles' Day (November 11) online shopping festival did not show significant improvement. According to data from Xintu, the cumulative sales across major e-commerce platforms from October 7 to 31 totaled 1.263 trillion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth rate of only 2.4%.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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