During China's recent Singles Day shopping festival, artificial intelligence took center stage as consumers increasingly relied on AI-powered tools to navigate online retail. Chatbots are now performing tasks ranging from product discovery and price comparison to completing transactions and scheduling deliveries, significantly reshaping the e-commerce landscape.
AI Integrates into the Shopping Journey
Major e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba (Tmall and Taobao), JD.com, and Douyin are actively integrating AI to enhance consumer engagement amidst intense market competition. These platforms offer AI-powered features for in-depth product research, virtual clothing try-ons, and identifying the best discounts.
Data from WPIC Marketing + Technologies revealed that AI drove approximately 5% of purchases through chatbot links on Douyin in October, with this figure soaring to over 20% for considered purchases like health supplements. Jacob Cooke, CEO of WPIC, noted, "This is still a very new gateway and discovery channel. I expect it to account for a growing share of direct purchases, comparable to livestreaming or social commerce."
However, the full impact of AI's growing use on overall consumer spending remains uncertain. Ben Cavender, managing director at China Market Research Group, highlighted that while some brands may benefit, others could be disadvantaged "if they are no longer showing up in product searches because the consumer is defaulting to letting an AI assistant do the 'shopping'."
AI Transforms Consumer Interactions
Unlike Western markets, AI in China is deeply integrated into "super apps," enabling AI agents to handle complex shopping requests seamlessly. Shoppers can provide detailed specifications, such as asking a chatbot to find a "washing machine suitable for a narrow balcony and quiet nighttime use within a specific budget," as explained by independent technology analyst Liu Xingliang.
JD.com's AI shopping assistant, Dongdong, saw nearly 80 million users seeking advice during this year's Singles Day, more than tripling last year's engagement. Beijing office worker Amanda Gao, 40, shared her positive experience, stating she finds Taobao's AI virtual try-on feature "useful and fun" for clothes shopping.
Surge in AI-Powered Product Sales
Beyond assisting with purchases, AI-powered products themselves experienced strong demand during the festival. Alibaba reported that AI toys, a new category, surpassed 100 million yuan ($15 million) in sales within a year of launch. An example is Dr. Look's AI learning camera, which identifies objects like leaves or insects and explains their characteristics to children.
Sales of AI companion robots also saw a nearly fivefold year-on-year increase in the second half of October, according to Alibaba. Furthermore, AI tokens experienced a sharp rise in demand, with Tmall noting over a 700% increase in sales between October 15 and November 5 compared to the preceding month. Even top livestreamer Austin Li featured AI products, selling 100,000 monthly subscriptions to Alibaba's QwenWork within just 30 minutes.