(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Chinese consumers are no longer just using AI—they are forming relationships with it. By late 2025, over 400 million people will have a daily AI companion that shops, plans, and even socializes for them.
- Rise of Brand-Specific AI Companions
1.1 Mini-Program & Super-App Agents Custom Agent Deployment: Techniques & Tools: Launch branded AI characters inside WeChat, Douyin, and Alipay using agent SaaS frameworks (Moonshot, Baichuan, Qwen). How-to: Train them on your product catalog, tone of voice, and exclusive promotions. Benefits: Early brand agents (e.g., Luckin Coffee’s “Lucky”) achieve 3–5× higher repurchase rates than traditional CRM.
1.2 Emotional Commerce Layer Personality-Driven Upselling: Strategy: Give the AI a distinct character (cool, caring, funny) that users bond with emotionally. Impact: Users willingly share more data and accept higher-priced recommendations from “friends”.
- Autonomous Shopping & Life Management
2.1 Full Purchase Delegation Set-and-Forget Shopping: Approach: Users set budgets and preferences once; the agent monitors prices across platforms and executes at optimal moments. Outcome: Already live for groceries and fashion among Gen-Z.
2.2 Calendar-Commerce Sync Proactive Replenishment: Technique: Agent scans calendar for travel or events and auto-orders sunscreen, formal wear, or gifts.
- Social AI & Virtual Influencers
3.1 AI KOLs with Real GMV 24/7 Live Hosts: Overview: Deploy fully AI anchors that never sleep and scale to millions of concurrent viewers. - Privacy & Control Paradox
4.1 User-Owned AI Models Bring-Your-Own-Model Trend: How-to: Offer downloadable small models that run locally and only connect to your brand when needed.
Case Study: Xiaohongshu’s AYAYI – The First Million-Dollar Virtual Human
In 2024, Xiaohongshu’s hyper-realistic virtual influencer AYAYI generated over RMB 200 million in direct GMV for beauty and fashion partners. Built on a custom large model and SaaS automation backbone, AYAYI maintains 1:1 conversations with hundreds of thousands of fans daily, remembers their skin concerns, and closes sales inside private chat—showing the terrifyingly effective future of AI companionship in commerce.
Conclusion
The era of passive consumers is over. In China, the most valuable customer in 2025 is the one who hands their wallet to an AI that knows them better than their spouse.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation! info@pltfrm.cn
