China’s $900B Live-Commerce Market Nears US E-Commerce Scale
Event summary
- China’s live-commerce market reached ~$900B in 2025, nearly matching the entire US e-commerce market.
- APAC accounts for 55% of global e-commerce revenue in 2025, with China’s social-commerce market projected to hit $1.8T by 2030.
- 67-68% of North American and European consumers have never purchased via social media or used quick commerce.
- Quick commerce dominates FMCG online sales in India (80%) and enables sub-30-minute delivery nationwide in China.
The big picture
China’s live-commerce market is reshaping global retail dynamics, with APAC leading in adoption of formats like social commerce and quick delivery. While the West lags in consumer behavior, AI and retail media networks are emerging as key enablers for convergence. Brands that treat these channels as core rather than experimental will define the next decade of growth.
What we're watching
- Adoption Lag
- How quickly Western consumers will embrace live, social, and quick commerce as mainstream shopping behaviors.
- AI Integration
- The pace at which AI-driven monetization and measurement systems bridge the East-West retail divide.
- Retail Media Growth
- Whether Western brands can effectively scale retail media networks amid measurement challenges.
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