Beijing: Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of China’s online shopping industry, with the country’s month-long Singles Day shopping festival highlighting growing consumer interest in AI-powered services, devices and digital products.
From chatbots that recommend products and assist with purchases to AI-enabled toys and companion robots, e-commerce platforms are expanding their use of the technology. Consumers are also purchasing AI tokens, which represent units of computing capacity used to access and operate AI models.
Major online retailers, including Alibaba, JD.com and PDD Holdings, are increasingly using artificial intelligence to attract shoppers amid intense competition and cautious consumer spending. Alibaba’s Tmall and Taobao platforms have introduced AI-powered shopping features, including product research tools, virtual clothing try-ons, and services that help customers identify discounts.
AI is also influencing purchases through social commerce platforms. On Douyin, chatbot links accounted for around 5 percent of purchases in October, according to data from WPIC Marketing + Technologies. The share exceeded 20 percent for products requiring more consideration, including dietary supplements.
Industry analysts expect AI-assisted shopping to become a more significant route for product discovery and direct purchases, potentially gaining importance alongside livestreaming and social commerce. However, the extent to which these tools can increase overall consumer spending remains uncertain.
Their impact varies between brands depending on platform algorithms, product pricing and visibility in AI-generated recommendations. Businesses could also lose exposure if shoppers increasingly rely on AI assistants instead of traditional product searches.
Singles Day sales record modest growth
Interim figures from data platform Syntun showed that sales during China’s Singles Day shopping festival increased by 2.4 percent between October 7 and October 31. The platform is expected to release updated figures covering the full event on Thursday.
The growth compares with a 1.1 percent increase in China’s retail sales during the year through the end of September. Originally established as a single-day shopping event, Singles Day has developed into a month-long retail festival, with participating platforms launching discounts and promotions on different dates.
AI becomes more integrated into online shopping
China’s e-commerce ecosystem has incorporated AI shopping services more extensively than many Western markets, partly because of the popularity of super apps. These platforms allow AI agents to research products, apply promotional offers, complete transactions and arrange deliveries without requiring consumers to switch between applications.
The technology also enables shoppers to search for products based on specific requirements, such as household appliances that meet particular space, noise and budget restrictions.
JD.com reported that its AI shopping assistant, Dongdong, attracted nearly 80 million users seeking recommendations during this year’s Singles Day campaign, more than three times the previous year’s figure.
AI toys, robots and tokens see rising demand
AI-powered consumer devices are also emerging as a growing category. Alibaba reported that sales of AI toys on its platforms exceeded 100 million yuan (around USD 15 million) within a year of the category’s launch.
Products include educational cameras that use AI to identify objects such as plants and insects and provide information about their characteristics. Sales of AI companion robots increased nearly fivefold year-on-year during the second half of October, according to Alibaba, although the company did not disclose the total number sold.
Meanwhile, leading livestream shopping influencer Austin Li promoted AI products during his broadcasts for the first time, selling 100,000 monthly subscriptions to Alibaba’s QwenWork service within 30 minutes. The figures highlight how artificial intelligence is expanding beyond business applications and becoming an increasingly visible part of China’s consumer shopping habits.
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