How is AI changing online shopping in China and the West?

China integrates AI into purchases as Western shoppers use it for discovery.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how people shop, but consumers in China and Western markets are adopting the technology in markedly different ways, according to a June report by Euromonitor International.

The firm's digital survey found that half of consumers globally use OpenAI's ChatGPT to search for products, whilst nearly four in five said generative AI had introduced them to brands they had not previously considered.

In China, only about 3% of consumers said they had not used a generative AI platform for shopping in the past month, compared with about 16% in both the US and the UK.

The gap reflects differences in digital ecosystems and the role AI plays during the buying process, according to the report.

Chinese technology companies are embedding AI directly into online shopping platforms. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. plans to integrate its Qwen AI model into Zhejiang Taobao Network Co., Ltd.'s Taobao and Tmall platforms, letting shoppers search, compare products, receive personalised recommendations, track deliveries, and obtain after-sales support through a single conversational interface.

“The aim is to move from keyword search to conversational commerce,” Euromonitor said, with AI helping shoppers discover, compare, and buy products without leaving the platform.

Western retailers have taken a different approach. Rather than replacing existing shopping channels, companies are using AI mainly to improve product discovery.

Amazon.com, Inc. introduced its Rufus shopping assistant before replacing it with Alexa for Shopping in May. ChatGPT has also become an external product discovery tool, with more than 61% of AI-generated referrals in the US directing shoppers to Amazon in 2025.

Retailers including Target Corporation, Maplebear, Inc.'s Instacart, and Sephora SA have also integrated with ChatGPT.

Euromonitor said Western consumers typically use AI to research products before completing purchases through retailer websites or marketplaces, whilst Chinese consumers are increasingly using AI throughout the entire shopping journey.

Questions to ponder:

1. Will conversational AI eventually replace keyword search for online shopping?
2. Which model will prove more effective: integrated AI marketplaces or standalone AI assistants?
3. How should brands adapt as AI increasingly influences what consumers buy?