China B2C Ecommerce Market Size & Forecast by Value and Volume Across 80+ KPIs - Databook Q4 2025 Update

Key Trends and Drivers

Livestream-commerce continues to formalize and professionalize

• Livestream commerce has shifted from rapid expansion to structured integration across major platforms. Platforms such as Douyin, Taobao Live, and Kuaishou are introducing stricter rules on host behavior, pricing, and product authenticity. 2024 saw large merchants such as Li Jiaqi’s Meione, Oriental Selection, and brand-run storefronts adopt more predictable, scheduled programming rather than ad-hoc streams. Regulatory guidelines released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) in late 2023 and reinforced through 2024 require transparent pricing and disclosure.
• Brands increasingly rely on livestreaming to compensate for slower offline recovery and rising customer acquisition costs on traditional marketplaces. Livestream-commerce is expected to stabilize and evolve into a planned marketing and sales channel rather than a flash-promotion tool. Large platforms will consolidate traffic, while smaller streamer-led studios face higher compliance costs. More brands, especially in beauty, homeware, and apparel will build in-house livestream teams to reduce dependency on megastreamers.

Discount-led “value ecommerce” expands due to consumer price sensitivity

• “Low-price first” retail models initially popularized by Pinduoduo are now widely adopted. JD.com has expanded its “10-billion-yuan discount” program, and Taobao has made value-priced listings a priority throughout 2024. Platforms are emphasizing factory-direct sourcing and simplified packaging to lower end-consumer prices. Slower income growth and cautious household spending patterns, as seen in 2023-24 retail reports, have strengthened demand for value-oriented categories.
• Manufacturers in key clusters such as Guangdong and Zhejiang have increased willingness to supply platforms directly to offset weak export demand. The shift toward low-price competition will persist, with more sectors, including electronics accessories, apparel basics, and kitchenware, moving to factory-to-consumer (F2C) models. Margins for mid-tier brands may tighten, accelerating consolidation or repositioning. Platforms will differentiate through logistics and service quality rather than solely on price.

Cross-border ecommerce grows through platform diversification

• Chinese sellers are increasing cross-border exports via platforms such as Temu, AliExpress Choice, TikTok Shop U.S., and JD Worldwide. The model has shifted toward platform-managed logistics and customer service, making it easier for small manufacturers to sell overseas. Weak global manufacturing demand in 2023-24 encouraged factories to explore higher-margin, small-parcel export channels.
• Platforms are investing in international warehouses and customs-clearance infrastructure to shorten delivery times to the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia. Policy support continues under China’s cross-border ecommerce pilot zones. More factories will adopt “export-to-retail” models with platform-provided fulfilment. Competition between Temu, Shein, and AliExpress will intensify, potentially shifting some logistics capacity away from domestic-only operations. Regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the U.S. may lead sellers to diversify into ASEAN markets, influencing product mix and logistics networks.

AI-enabled retail operations accelerate platform and merchant productivity

• Platforms are embedding generative AI to optimize search, storefront creation, logistics planning, and customer service. Alibaba has rolled out AI-driven storefront tools for Taobao/Tmall merchants; JD.com is applying AI to route optimization; Meituan is testing AI models to enhance order prediction for on-demand retail. The rapid commercialization of Chinese large language models since 2023 (e.g., Alibaba’s Qwen and Baidu’s Ernie) has lowered costs and expanded enterprise adoption. Rising labor and fulfillment costs create incentives for merchants and platforms to automate content creation, customer responses, and SKU management.
• Merchant onboarding and product catalog expansion will become faster as AI-generated descriptions, short videos, and storefront designs become standard. Platforms will use AI to reduce last-mile inefficiencies, improving speed for groceries, daily essentials, and electronics. Competitive differentiation may shift toward proprietary AI tools, making tech capability a key differentiator among large platforms.

Competitive Landscape

Current State of the Market

• China’s e-commerce market remains highly contested, with platforms expanding into adjacent categories to retain user engagement. General merchandise platforms such as Taobao, Tmall, and JD.com continue to anchor the ecosystem, but face increased competition from content-driven platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou, which are shaping traffic flows in ways that differ from traditional search-based models. E-commerce is becoming more integrated with short-video platforms, local services, and logistics infrastructure, blurring the boundaries between marketplace retail, social commerce, and direct-from-factory channels. Retailers are also strengthening fulfilment capabilities to improve reliability in categories such as home appliances, groceries, and personal care.

Key Players and New Entrants

• Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, and Douyin remain the core players, each differentiating through product assortment, logistics, or content distribution. Temu, while designed as an export platform, has influenced domestic pricing strategies by pushing factory-led models. Meituan and Dianping are expanding further into retail categories through on-demand delivery, while Xiaohongshu is strengthening commerce monetization in beauty and lifestyle. Newer entrants include brand-owned mini-program stores on WeChat, which have gained traction as companies invest in direct-to-consumer channels to reduce dependency on large marketplaces.

Recent Launches, Mergers, and Acquisitions

• 2023-24 saw platforms restructure and realign businesses to improve focus. Alibaba reorganized its e-commerce units and introduced new management teams for Taobao and Tmall. JD.com expanded its discount program, affecting category-level pricing dynamics. Douyin launched new merchant-support tools to increase participation from established brands. Cross-border players such as Temu and AliExpress invested in overseas warehouses and logistics partnerships, which indirectly impact domestic sellers by shifting sourcing behavior.

Report Scope

China B2C Ecommerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

China Social Commerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

China Quick Commerce Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Gross Merchandise Value
• Gross Merchandise Volume
• Average Value per Transaction

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Ecommerce Vertical

• Retail Shopping
• Travel & Hospitality
• Online Food Service
• Media & Entertainment
• Healthcare & Wellness
• Technology Products & Services
• Other

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Retail Shopping Category

• Clothing, Footwear & Accessories
• Health, Beauty & Personal Care
• Food & Beverage
• Appliances & Electronics
• Home Improvement
• Books, Music & Video
• Toys & Hobby
• Auto Parts & Accessories
• Other

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Retail Shopping Sales Channel

• Platform-to-Consumer
• Direct-to-Consumer
• Consumer-to-Consumer

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Travel & Hospitality Category

• Air Travel
• Train & Bus
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing
• Hotels & Resorts
• Other

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Travel and Hospitality Sales Channel

• Air Travel- Aggregator App
• Air Travel- Direct-to-Consumer
• Train & Bus- Aggregator App
• Train & Bus- Direct-to-Consumer
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing- Aggregator App
• Taxi & Ride-Hailing- Direct-to-Consumer
• Hotels & Resorts- Aggregator App
• Hotels & Resorts- Direct-to-Consumer
• Other- Aggregator App
• Other- Direct-to-Consumer

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Online Food Service Sales Channel

• Aggregator App
• Direct-to-Consumer

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Media & Entertainment Sales Channel

• Streaming Services
• Movies & Events
• Theme Parks & Gaming
• Other

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Engagement Model

• Website-Based
• Live Streaming

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Location

• Cross-Border
• Domestic

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Device

• Mobile
• Desktop

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Operating System

• iOS / macOS
• Android
• Other Operating Systems

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by City Tier

• Tier 1
• Tier 2
• Tier 3

China B2C Ecommerce Market Segmentation by Payment Instrument

• Credit Card
• Debit Card
• Bank Transfer
• Prepaid Card
• Digital & Mobile Wallet
• Other Digital Payment
• Cash

China B2C Ecommerce Consumer Demographics & Behaviour

• Market Share by Age Group
• Market Share by Income Level
• Market Share by Gender

China B2C Ecommerce User Statistics & Ratios

• Internet Users
• Ecommerce Users
• Social Media Users
• Smartphone Penetration
• Banked Population
• Ecommerce Per Capita
• GDP Per Capita
• Ecommerce as % of GDP
• Cart Abandonment Rate
• Product Retun Rate

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Ecommerce Segment

• Gross Merchandise Value by Segment

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Retail Shopping Category

• Gross Merchandise Value by Category

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Sales Channel

• Gross Merchandise Value by Channel

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Location

• Gross Merchandise Value by Location

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Device

• Gross Merchandise Value by Device

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Operating System

• Gross Merchandise Value by Operating System

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by City Tier

• Gross Merchandise Value by City Tier

China B2C Ecommerce Operational Metrics by Payment Instrument

• Gross Merchandise Value by Payment Instrument

Reasons to Buy

• Comprehensive Market Intelligence: Develop a complete understanding of the B2C ecommerce landscape in China with fundamental ecommerce metrics such as gross merchandise value, gross merchandise volume, and average value per transaction across all major ecommerce segments.
• Granular Segmentation and Cross-Analysis: Analyse the online retail ecosystem through detailed segmentation covering ecommerce segments, retail product categories, travel and hospitality verticals, media and entertainment services, sales channels, devices, operating systems, cities, and payment instruments, enabling deep insight into evolving consumer shopping patterns.
• Operational and Performance Benchmarking: Benchmark marketplaces, direct-to-consumer platforms, aggregators, and category-focused players using KPIs such as GMV share, category-level performance, channel efficiency, device contribution, and payment mode penetration, supporting comparative assessment of platform strengths and competitive positioning.
• Consumer Behavior and Ecosystem Readiness: Understand how demographics, income groups, gender mix, device usage, and payment preferences shape online purchasing decisions, influencing category demand, cart abandonment behavior, product return tendencies, and the shift toward digital-first commerce.
• Data-Driven Forecasts and KPI Tracking: Access a structured dataset of 80+ ecommerce KPIs with historical and forecast values up to 2029, providing clarity on growth drivers, category expansion, sales-channel transitions, and payment-instrument evolution across the B2C ecommerce value chain.
• Decision-Ready Databook Format: Delivered in a standardized, analytics-friendly databook format aligned with financial modeling requirements, enabling ecommerce companies, consumer brands, payment providers, technology firms, and investors to conduct evidence-based market assessment and strategic planning.