Ecommerce transactions on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, tripled to $77.48 billion (RMB 500 billion) in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2020, per a report by Chinese news outlet LatePost. (More recent figures are not available.).

China joined 16 other countries when its powerful Personal Information Protection Law came into effect in November 2021. The law gives consumers even more opt-in rights than GDPR, and regulators in China have more leeway in enforcement.

Alibaba’s stranglehold on ecommerce in China is loosening: The company’s earnings disappointed amid weakening consumer demand, robust performances from rivals, and more scrutiny from Beijing.

Shein’s legal maneuvers demonstrate its global ambitions: The fast-fashion retailer is expanding its Singapore presence as it attempts to bypass stricter Chinese rules on offshore IPOs.

In China, ecommerce sales will make up a substantial share of 2022's total retail sales at 46.3%, while the UK and South Korea will round out the top 3, with 36.3% and 32.2% ecommerce shares, respectively.

(US retail ecommerce sales will hit $933.30 billion this year, according to our forecast. And Amazon’s US retail ecommerce sales are projected to reach $386.40 billion this year—accounting for 41.4% of all US retail ecommerce sales.). This has given its buy button wide reach: In 2016, Amazon reported that 33 million people in 170 countries used Amazon Pay to make a purchase.

China deems personalized recommendations discriminatory and harmful to user well-being: The new law could discourage users from spending time—and money—on retail and social media platforms.

It’s hard to imagine US mcommerce approaching 40% penetration of retail sales anytime soon, but China still holds lessons for the US. Some trends in China eventually found their way to the US, including:. Mobile payments. Social commerce. QR codes. Which trends in China are happening now and have a decent chance of similar uptake in US mcommerce? Livestreaming shopping channels.

China continues to lead the world in all things ecommerce, including innovation. Social commerce livestreaming is just one of many new stories for 2021 and beyond.

In the beauty sector, for example, cross-border sales accounted for 16% of total retail ecommerce sales of skincare and makeup in China in 2020, equivalent to $1.7 billion, according to The NPD Group. As that growth continues, we predict that more than 313 million internet users in China will make cross-border purchases in 2021.

Social commerce is rising rapidly worldwide. But to what extent can the US market mirror that of China, the world leader in social commerce?

AirAsia, one of the world’s largest budget airlines, is on a mission to build a regional super app. While it follows in the footsteps of titans like WeChat in China and Gojek in Southeast Asia, AirAsia could blaze a path for travel and other industries not endemic to the mobile space. Companies looking to expand their mobile business should take lessons from its journey, wherever its final destination may be.

This year, apparel brand Dickies worked with Alibaba to launch a new line of baseball jackets in China just ahead of Singles’ Day, while Philips debuted a water flosser designed specifically for the Chinese market. There is a need to focus on accessibility.

This interactive shopping format is now ubiquitous and synonymous with online shopping in China—beyond Singles’ Day. But there are some differences between regional markets: Influencers in China often work with multiple brands within a much longer streaming window, for example. But brands can take what they learn about livestreaming in China and apply it to their operations in other countries. 3.