In a tumultuous year for advertising, every market we cover except China will experience a decline in ad spending, and Google will see its first ever contraction in digital ad revenues.

China is the largest digital market in the world, leading all countries in terms of ecommerce, mcommerce and social commerce. It’s also home to many of the largest ecommerce conglomerates, including Alibaba and JD.com, who are generating sales at a scale that far exceeds that of companies in the US—including Amazon.

Despite a downgrade to our forecast, digital ad spending in China will still grow 5.0% this year. But there will be a power swap among the major platforms, as Tencent displaces Baidu and becomes the No. 2 publisher. And Alibaba will remain No. 1, but with lowered expectations.

Amid unprecedented recessionary headwinds caused by the coronavirus pandemic, China’s total ad spending will downshift considerably, but remain in positive territory at 0.4% growth. This will make it the only national market we cover to see net growth this year. Digital ad spending in China, meanwhile, will grow by 5.0%.

Global retail ecommerce sales will decelerate to a 16.5% growth rate in 2020. Even as consumers transitioned en masse to ecommerce during the pandemic, the drag caused by multiple recessions internationally has reduced the overall outlook.

Retail social commerce sales in China will grow to $242.41 billion (RMB1.675 trillion) this year, accounting for 11.6% of total retail ecommerce sales in the country, according to our latest estimates.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are turbocharging digital transformation in China's retail sector—and the country is already leading the world in terms of retail ecommerce sales and penetration.

As shelter-at-home and quarantine measures keep consumers in China at home, brands ramped up their efforts to meet consumers' high expectations for digital services by offering free online tools and courses, streaming live events and adopting new ecommerce strategies.

eMarketer research analyst Man-Chung Cheung discusses the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in China. He explores the role of big data in managing the crisis, points out signs of a retail rebound and considers takeaways for the US and Europe.

China has proven to be a hotbed for digital innovations, especially in the past few years. During this time, marketers worldwide have observed the latest trends coming out of the country, applying what they learn to their own markets.

In 2019, 94.5% of internet users in China will be social network users. That amounts to just 59.0% of the country’s population. This report covers the trends shaping the market, as well as our first-ever user forecast for the popular short-video platform Douyin and updated estimates for WeChat and Sina Weibo.

eMarketer global director of public relations Douglas Clark breaks down our usage figures for Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp worldwide.

In 2019, we estimate that 577.4 million people in China made a purchase via proximity mobile payment within a six-month period. Those users account for 49.6% of the country’s population. Next year, more than half of the population will utilize this payment method, with that figure rising to 60.5% in 2023.

Programmatic advertising will account for 71.0% of the digital display ad market in China this year. Mobile programmatic growth, as well as gains in private marketplaces and programmatic direct play a role. This report features our latest programmatic display forecast for China and explores these and other factors shaping the market through 2021.

Consumers in China, whether buying at retail outlets or street stalls, are using proximity mobile payments—largely supported by QR codes—and reducing their dependency on cash.

Consumers’ use and acceptance of biometric technology—especially facial recognition—varies widely, depending on which part of the world you’re in.

eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg joins principal analyst Nicole Perrin to discuss whether major US tech firms are taking a page from the BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) playbook. Are Americans entering the age of the domestic super app? What would that mean for brands?

eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum explores our usage estimates for Tencent’s WeChat and what’s keeping the mobile messaging app on top.

Consumption of digital video is booming. The number of new formats and innovative content has flourished. And traditional broadcasters are experimenting with digital channels to keep pace with the changing user behavior.

Digital and mobile video viewership, adoption of subscription over-the-top (OTT) services and video ad spending are on the rise throughout the world as audiences, programmers and advertisers continue to shift focus from traditional to digital platforms.