China’s shopping landscape is transforming as AI reshapes product discovery and purchasing decisions. From AI shopping agents to shifting priorities, changing consumer behavior is creating new opportunities and challenges for brands and retailers.

AI is fueling a banner year for global advertising, pushing digital spending to new heights despite economic and geopolitical stresses. Retail media is surging worldwide, while Meta and Amazon gain ground in the battle for ad dollars.

Asia-Pacific remains the world's largest subscription OTT market by viewers, but countries are divided into three camps: emerging markets, developed ones still building audiences, and mature ones focused on profitability and content quality.

GenAI user penetration is high across Asia-Pacific, but every country has its nuances. Government policy, local AI ecosystems, demographics, and digital infrastructure are creating distinct paths to adoption in China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

Third-party marketplaces concentrate most of the world's online shopping, and the model keeps expanding: social platforms now run marketplaces, US retailers are opening their marketplaces to international shoppers, and Latin America has become the most contested battleground. This FAQ covers how marketplace power is distributed, where the growth is, and what sellers should do about it in 2026.

Tepid sales growth reflects deepening consumer caution and weaker demand.

With domestic demand weakening, companies are chasing growth in the US and other international markets.

Alibaba, Pinduoduo, JD.com, ByteDance, and Xiaohongshu face scrutiny amid weak demand.

Retail media ad spend in Japan is growing fast. But it remains less mature due to a fragmented retail sector, strong traditional players, legacy systems, and a culture favoring offline relationships. Convenience stores and mobile payments will drive growth.

China rivalry and US headwinds dent earnings, even as Temu courts value seekers.

Amid economic pressure, Asia-Pacific ad spend growth is slowing while digital’s share expands. Uncertainty has been the driver for ad dollars to shift to digital for measurability, boosting retail media and digital video.

Total media time is plateauing across Asia-Pacific. But mobile and video are driving digital’s continued gains as traditional media declines.

AI and food delivery investments drive revenue growth at Alibaba and JD, but at the expense of profits.

Global ad spending is accelerating again, despite geopolitical shocks. Digital is tightening its grip, even as traditional media gets a temporary boost from major events. The sources of growth are shifting across regions—and among platforms.

The company’s agentic commerce expansion underscores diverging adoption trends in the US and China.

Alibaba and other tech giants in China are accelerating AI adoption with aggressive subsidies and ecosystem advantages. OpenClaw is fueling agentic AI beyond chat into execution, giving users tools that act on their behalf. Consumer enthusiasm and trust are speeding the move toward agent-led commerce.

Asia-Pacific retail sales growth will stay resilient at 4.9% in 2026 despite volatility, as ecommerce in China nears 50% of retail sales, and livestreaming will top $1 trillion for the first time. Instant and AI-driven commerce will reshape the region’s digital commerce future, and India and Southeast Asia will power the next growth wave.

Stronger Spring Festival spending and a surge in holiday travel hint at renewed consumer momentum in China. Spending on technology, sustainability categories, and travel is offering some retailers cause for optimism.

Regulatory crackdowns and trade barriers threaten growth—but its consumer appeal remains strong.

China’s Q4 spending reinforced platform consolidation, as advertisers concentrated budgets on large platforms with data, scale, and commerce integration.