The Trends that Shaped China E-Commerce for 2024—and a Look Ahead to 2025

Published on: December 19, 2024

Jacob Cooke

Co-founder & CEO

WPIC Marketing + Technologies has had a front row seat to the shifts in China’s digital and e-commerce landscape in 2024.

As the year draws to a close, our data and insights point to a landscape where consumer confidence remains strong, platforms are more merchant-friendly, and brands must continue to innovate to meet the rising expectations of Chinese consumers.

This year, China has seen a drawing down of aggressive price wars that previously defined the market, replaced by a focus on value creation and merchant support. At the same time, emerging platforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu have continued to redefine the shopping experience through content-driven, interest-based commerce, creating powerful new opportunities for brands to engage with targeted audiences. Traditional search-based platforms Tmall and JD.com remain strong anchors, adapting to these changes with investments in premium membership programs, AI-driven tools, and improved merchant ecosystems.

Meanwhile, the Chinese consumer has proven to be resilient, value-driven, and increasingly selective—with a clear willingness to invest in products and experiences that align with their evolving priorities. Chinese consumers are embracing healthier lifestyles, fueled by rising participation in sports and outdoor activities—a movement further amplified by the Olympics. A “consumption upgrading” trend is evident in categories like wellness supplements, pet care, fashion, and mother-baby products, where premium price points are driving strong growth.

Overall, China’s e-commerce market continues to offer one of the most promising opportunities for brands seeking international growth.

Below, we offer a detailed breakdown of the top trends that shaped China’s e-commerce market in 2024 and offer a forward-looking perspective on what brands should prioritize heading into 2025. Whether you’re a new entrant or a market leader, now is the time to align with these trends, seize opportunities, and build a sustainable growth strategy in the world’s largest digital marketplace.

1. Swapping Louis Vuitton for Lululemon

China’s younger consumers are driving a fundamental shift in purchasing priorities. Flashy luxury labels, once dominant, are giving way to premium brands like Lululemon and Arc’teryx that emphasize lifestyle, wellness, and quality. Through their product offerings and marketing, these brands have successfully positioned themselves at the intersection of fitness, outdoor activities, and healthy living—lifestyle movements that have captured the attention and spending power of Chinese consumers.

For Lululemon, China sales are up 40% this calendar year and have topped US $1 billion. Since 2018, Lululemon has grown from a footprint of 10 Mainland China stores to 130, including a new massive flagship in Beijing’s Sanlitun. However, what makes Lululemon’s strategy even more remarkable is that the brand’s China prices are 20% higher than in the U.S.—and products priced at 1,000 RMB (US $140) or more account for 40% of online sales. Already dominant in China’s first-tier cities, Lululemon is taking that premium pricing strategy to lower-tier cities, where the company has identified a major growth opportunity.

The struggles of luxury labels like Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, have fueled a media narrative that Chinese spending power has cratered—but these struggles are largely about shifting consumer preferences (we still see solid performance from brands like Hermès that better align with evolving preferences).

At WPIC Marketing + Technologies, we have worked with hundreds of premium global brands across virtually every product category. In many of these categories, our teams have been observing “consumption upgrading”—consumers swapping cheaper alternatives for premium brands. That’s especially true in categories related to new lifestyle trends like healthy living—functional food, vitamins, athletic wear, science-backed skincare, mother-baby, personal care, and more.

Today’s Chinese consumer value the quality, durability, and subtle signaling effect of authentic premium products. This willingness to pay a premium highlights a critical insight: consumers are not “cash-strapped,” but “value-conscious”—spending intentionally on products that align with their aspirations.

And the strong performance of Lululemon is not an outlier.

2. Pockets of Growth: Lifestyle, Wellness, and Self-Expression

In the fall, WPIC released a report “Profiling China’s Fastest Growing Consumer Segments”. The report analyzed GMV across Tmall, JD.com, and Douyin and revealed robust growth in categories tied to evolving lifestyles, health-consciousness, and self-expression. This trend has been amplified by cultural moments such as the Olympics, which are driving participation in sports such as tennis, swimming, and cycling. Searches for tennis gear surged by 300% on Tmall following Zheng Qinwen’s gold medal win, while sales of Speedo goggles spiked by 150% due to the historic success of Chinese swimmers.

According to WPIC’s report, the broader outdoor and sports market grew by 22% YoY in 2024, with specific sub-categories seeing significant increases:

Hiking Gear: +47.8%
Skiing Gear: +47.4%

Consumers are not only engaging in physical activities for health, but also for emotional and social connection—a notable lifestyle shift in China—and that’s fueling consumption in related categories.

More broadly, we’re seeing consumers place greater emphasis on wellbeing—for themselves, their families, and their pets—which is reflected in strong growth in other categories:

Vitamins & Supplements: Driven by growing health awareness, protein powder, and baby vitamins lead the way, growing by 55% and 52.5%, respectively.
Pet Products: With an 18.3% YoY increase, the Chinese pet market continues to thrive, with sub-categories like pet grooming up 29.5%.
Fashion & Beauty: The rise of quiet luxury, science-backed skincare, and expressive cosmetics underscores a focus on quality and self-expression, with beauty sales up 6% and fashion growing 14.4% YoY.
Mother Baby: Despite declining birth rates, Chinese parents are investing more in their babies’ health, leading to a 7.3% rise in sales in this category.

China’s evolving consumption landscape underscores that spending priorities have shifted toward emotional fulfillment, experiences, and well-being. Brands that understand this can find significant opportunities for growth.

3. Xiaohongshu’s Meteoric Rise: From Inspiration to Transactions

Nowhere are these lifestyle trends more evident than on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
Xiaohongshu has cemented itself as the go-to platform for China’s young, affluent consumers, particularly urban women seeking premium and international brands. Initially a platform for content discovery, Xiaohongshu has been investing inclosing the loop from inspiration to purchase by expanding its e-commerce functionality.

Over the past year, Xiaohongshu’s purchasing users have quadrupled, and the number of merchants exceeding $1 million in monthly sales grew by 350%. Live-streaming orders alone surged by 540% during this year’s 6/18 festival. Despite being a relatively smaller e-commerce player by gross merchandise value (GMV), the platform’s growth trajectory is undeniable—and its innovative blend of social content and commerce makes it a critical channel for brands in the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle segments.

Brands like On Running and Lacoste have tapped into Xiaohongshu’s unique ecosystem to thrive—by combining strategic KOL partnerships, authentic user-generated content, and offline activations. Accordingly, WPIC is helping more and more brands set up flagship stores on Xiaohongshu, recognizing that there is strong ROAS and first mover advantage with e-commerce on the platform still in its early stages.

4. Singles’ Day 2024: A Clear Return to Premium Goods

This year’s 11/11 Singles’ Day was a resounding success, showing a 16% YoY increase in GMV across platforms—despite many naysayers projecting minimal growth or even a contraction. In line with the premiumization trends, the festival highlighted a clear preference for premium branded goods across categories such as beauty, mother-baby, electronics, and FMCG.

Alibaba emerged as the festival’s standout winner, buoyed by its renewed focus on delivering exceptional consumer and merchant experiences. The 88VIP premium program, with over 40 million high-spending members, played a central role, reflecting the consumption power of China’s premium shoppers.

Looking Ahead to 2025: What Brands Should Prioritize

Looking ahead, the trends that shaped 2024 will continue to gain momentum, offering clear opportunities for brands willing to invest strategically in China’s evolving market:

Leverage Social Commerce: Xiaohongshu will play an increasingly dominant role, enabling brands to inspire, engage, and convert consumers in real-time.
Capitalize on Lifestyle Trends: Events such as the Olympics, F1 Grand Prix reflect a broader cultural embrace of fitness and wellness, driving demand for sports equipment, athletic wear, and health-focused products.
Focus on Premiumization: Chinese consumers are willing to pay for quality, authenticity, and brand trust—even as cheaper alternatives remain accessible.
Adopt an Omnichannel Strategy: To succeed in a fragmented e-commerce landscape, brands must integrate search-based marketplaces, content-driven platforms, and offline touchpoints for a holistic consumer experience.

Conclusion: China Remains a Major Growth Opportunity

Amid ongoing economic narratives, China remains a critical growth market with resilient consumer sentiment and dynamic digital platforms. Brands that understand the evolving preferences of Chinese consumers—and leverage platforms like Douyin, Tmall, and Xiaohongshu—will find significant opportunities to thrive in 2025.

At WPIC Marketing + Technologies, our data and insights point to a vibrant and promising landscape in China’s e-commerce space. Whether you’re a new entrant or an established player, now is the time to identify those pockets of growth, align with emerging trends, and capitalize on the world’s largest e-commerce market.

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The Trends that Shaped China E-Commerce for 2024—and a Look Ahead to 2025

Jacob Cooke

1. Swapping Louis Vuitton for Lululemon

2. Pockets of Growth: Lifestyle, Wellness, and Self-Expression

3. Xiaohongshu’s Meteoric Rise: From Inspiration to Transactions

4. Singles’ Day 2024: A Clear Return to Premium Goods

Looking Ahead to 2025: What Brands Should Prioritize

Conclusion: China Remains a Major Growth Opportunity

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