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During Black Friday, online retail sales in the U.S. grew at a faster rate than in physical stores, with retail sales, excluding automobiles, increasing by 4.1% compared to the same period last year, according to a data provider affiliated with Mastercard. E-commerce sales surged by 10.4%, while brick-and-mortar store sales only rose by 1.7%, reflecting a trend toward consumer preference for convenience and quick service.
A social commerce platform set a new record in the U.S., with gross merchandise volume exceeding $500 million during the four-day shopping event, the company announced on December 4. A 12-hour live streaming event featuring popular influencers on November 26 surpassed expectations, generating nearly $1.2 million in GMV, said a North American merchandise planner representing a Chinese live sales broadcaster.
Chinese online sellers face distinct challenges when operating in the U.S. market. For instance, beauty and home appliance products with less brand recognition tend to be more popular internationally than in China. Additionally, consumers increasingly utilize artificial intelligence tools for shopping decisions. Data from a U.S. market research firm showed that on Black Friday, up to 40% of consumers used Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus, up from 33% earlier in November.
Some Chinese merchants reported that Black Friday and Cyber Monday did not meet their expectations. Wan Lin, a battery seller based in Guangdong Province who targets European and American customers via platforms like Amazon, Temu, and TikTok Shop, shared that last year he achieved sales of about 20 million yuan (around $2.83 million). This year, despite launching new products and offering larger discounts—around 5%—his sales only marginally increased and fell short of his 50 million yuan target. Wan attributed the shortfall to a weak overall economic environment and reduced consumer purchasing power.
To address these issues, Wan plans to diversify sales channels next year, focusing on expanding his presence on TikTok Shop and Temu, while also revitalizing efforts in China’s e-commerce scene through platforms like Tmall and JD.com.
In China, livestream shopping has become the dominant e-commerce method. In the first half of the year, revenue from livestreams reached 1.9 trillion yuan (about $269 billion), supported by roughly 23,000 livestream agencies serving around 520 million viewers—a 10% increase.
Experts warn that relying solely on a single platform carries risks, as user behavior, traffic costs, and operational rules can vary significantly across different platforms. A multi-platform strategy can help merchants mitigate risks associated with sudden policy changes, rising traffic expenses, or market share decline, according to industry analysts.
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