Online shopping used to be a fast-growing retail segment in Chna, but growth is dropping, says consumer expert Ashley Dudarenok at Asia One. Influencers feel the pressure after they have been winner for the past years now AI is gaining pace, she adds.
Asia One:
The industry is grappling with a weaker consumer environment, where retail sales rose just 0.4 per cent in August on the year, down from July’s 0.6 per cent, while growth of 1.1 per cent over the first eight months of 2026 reflected sluggish household spending.
Yet livestreaming has reshaped China’s shopping habits, with online retail sales exceeding 36 per cent in 2025, up from less than 18 per cent in 2021.
“It is still growing, but the growth is a lot more difficult,” said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of digital consultancy Chozan.
“Merchants need to compete a lot harder for customers’ wallets … and the expectations of customers are as high as ever, but the budgets are lower.”…
The debate is also playing out among regulators and consumers. Rules for clear labelling of AI-generated content took effect in September 2025, while ByteDance-owned Douyin – China’s version of TikTok – has banned fully AI-generated livestreams and requires disclosure of the use of digital hosts.
Backlash has greeted some influencers who revealed that AI avatars were appearing in their place.
“I think a human livestreaming host is sort of an endangered species, but it depends,” Dudarenok said, adding that as AI-generated content becomes more common, consumers may gravitate back toward the authenticity of human hosts.
“I don’t think they’re going to disappear completely, but the less successful hosts … they will have to use better tools or change occupations.”
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.
Are you looking for more consumer experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.
