(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s retail sector has evolved faster than any market in the world — moving from street vendors and department stores to a $7+ trillion ecosystem dominated by live-streaming, social commerce, and one-hour delivery. For overseas brands entering China in 2025, understanding this dramatic transformation is no longer optional — it is the difference between thriving and disappearing.
1. The Rise of New Retail: Blending Online and Offline Seamlessly
1.1 O2O (Online-to-Offline) Integration
- Alibaba’s Freshippo (Hema) supermarkets pioneered scanning a product in-store and having it delivered in 30 minutes, forcing every retailer to merge digital and physical experiences.
- Overseas brands now use mini-programs inside WeChat to let customers book in-store trials while tracking inventory in real time.
1.2 Smart Stores and Unmanned Retail
- Amazon Go-style unmanned convenience stores (BingoBox, JD’s 7Fresh) reached over 15,000 locations by 2025.
- Facial recognition payment and robotic shelf restocking reduced operating costs by up to 40 %, making 24/7 retail viable even in tier-3 cities.
2. Social Commerce and Live-Streaming Take Center Stage
2.1 Douyin (TikTok China) and Kuaishou Domination
- In 2024, live-streaming generated over ¥3.5 trillion in GMV — more than the entire U.S. e-commerce market.
- Top hosts like Austin Li (Li Jiaqi) and Viya sell billions in a single session, turning entertainment into instant purchase.
2.2 Private Domain Traffic via WeChat Ecosystems
- Brands build official accounts and enterprise WeChat groups to own customer relationships instead of relying solely on platform algorithms.
- Overseas brands use PLTFRM’s private traffic solutions to convert one-time buyers into lifetime members with 60–70 % repurchase rates.
3. Community Group-Buying and Ultra-Fast Delivery Revolution
3.1 Pinduoduo, Meituan, and JD’s New Channels
- Community group-buying exploded again in 2024–2025 with next-day or same-day delivery of fresh produce at 30–50 % lower prices.
- Platforms subsidize logistics so heavily that consumers in tier-4 cities now enjoy free delivery on ¥19 orders.
4. The Shift Toward Sustainability and Premium Consumption
4.1 Green Retail and ESG Compliance
- Consumers born after 1995 refuse brands without carbon-neutral claims; Tmall launched “88 Carbon Account” to track eco-friendly purchases.
- Overseas brands must now pass China’s strict cross-border green certification to appear in sustainability zones.
Case Study: How a European Luxury Beauty Brand Achieved 380 % YoY Growth
A mid-sized French clean beauty brand partnered with PLTFRM in 2023. We rebuilt their entire China strategy around Douyin live-streaming + WeChat private domain + Tmall flagship store synchronization. Within 18 months they moved from 12th to 3rd position in their category, with 68 % of sales coming from repeat private-domain members rather than one-off platform traffic.
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!
