Doubao now allows users to voice their shopping needs, such as requesting "an office mouse under 100 yuan," and instantly receives product matches, buying suggestions, and direct links to checkout—streamlining the entire shopping process. This feature, currently in limited testing, is known as "one-click shopping." Major e-commerce players including Alibaba, JD.com, Meituan, and PDD Holdings Inc have already intensified efforts in AI-driven shopping, investing heavily in ecosystem development and real-world implementation.
Industry experts note that as traditional e-commerce growth slows, AI shopping not only reduces costs across supply chain, operations, and customer service but also helps platforms capture next-generation consumer touchpoints through conversational, one-stop shopping experiences. However, challenges remain, such as misinformation, lack of user trust, and fragmented data, requiring further technological refinement and ecosystem integration to achieve a seamless closed-loop system.
Following earlier moves by competitors, ByteDance’s Doubao has initiated internal testing of its AI shopping feature, drawing market attention. Reports indicate that Doubao’s AI assistant now enables users to browse, order, and pay within the app, with a full rollout expected as early as March. Leveraging its large language model for natural language understanding and intent recognition, Doubao can intelligently recommend products across categories like electronics, home goods, and food, offering a lightweight and convenient shopping experience.
While ByteDance has not officially commented, sources close to Doubao confirmed the ongoing testing. Zhang Yi, Vice President of the Guangdong Internet Association and CEO of iiMedia, highlighted that as live-streaming e-commerce peaks, Doubao’s move not only complements its AI monetization strategy but also represents a critical bid to dominate the next shopping interface. With its massive user base and supply chain synergies from Douyin E-commerce, Doubao’s “zero-redirect shopping” could bridge content and transaction, though challenges like supply dependency and user trust remain.
According to QuestMobile, Doubao led domestic AI-native apps with 226 million monthly active users as of December 2025, far ahead of its closest competitor. ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo emphasized integrating existing services via AI assistants to reach new heights.
Prior to Doubao’s test, giants like Alibaba, JD.com, Meituan, and PDD Holdings Inc had already ramped up AI shopping initiatives, each leveraging their ecosystems for differentiated scenarios. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen collaborated with Hema, Fliggy, Taobao Quick Deals, and Alipay on a “3 billion yuan free order” campaign, processing over 120 million AI orders and logging 4.1 billion command calls. Fliggy reported an 800% surge in AI bookings during the holiday, with ticket purchases rising 24-fold. The average transaction price for flights exceeded 700 yuan, while hotels averaged nearly 300 yuan per night. A Fliggy representative noted that consumer adoption of AI travel booking is accelerating, positioning AI as a new super gateway for the hospitality sector.
Other platforms are also advancing: JD.com launched its AI shopping app early this year, featuring conversational shopping powered by its JoyAI model. Meituan and PDD Holdings Inc focus on instant retail and low-cost goods, embedding AI voice ordering in high-frequency services like food delivery and group buying to simplify user interaction.
Industry observers believe that the push into AI shopping addresses slowing growth in traditional e-commerce and the race to capture future consumer entry points. Jiang Han, Senior Researcher at Pangoal Institution, stated that with e-commerce traffic peaking, AI agents can redefine user interaction and unlock latent value, shifting from “search-based” to “AI-assisted” shopping. Zhang Yi added that falling AI costs, proven implementation pathways, and defensive strategic positioning also drive this trend.
According to China Merchants Securities, as AI shifts e-commerce traffic from traditional listings to AI agents, intent-based advertising may replace keyword ads, creating a reinforcing loop of data, models, and transactions. Monetization is expected through transaction fees and targeted ads, boosting conversion efficiency.
Notably, AI shopping’s scaling is reshaping merchant dynamics. Interviews reveal that it offers low-cost, high-efficiency traffic, reducing reliance on traditional ads and influencers. Yet, for small and medium-sized merchants, costs remain prohibitive.
Rapid expansion has also exposed bottlenecks. A senior executive from a leading platform cited issues like frequent misinformation—such as incorrect product specs or mismatched recommendations—as seen in JD.com’s AI app recommending wrong drink flavors or struggling with complex orders. Low transparency in AI recommendations and cumbersome after-sales processes also hinder user trust, while ecosystem silos limit cross-platform price comparison and service integration.
Widespread adoption of AI shopping will require overcoming technical hurdles in model accuracy and multi-scenario adaptation, as well as achieving full integration of data, services, and fulfillment. Industry insiders predict 2026 will mark the start of AI shopping’s large-scale adoption, with three key trends emerging: omnichannel integration spanning online and offline touchpoints, user growth focused on lower-tier cities and elderly demographics, and standardization and accessibility as prerequisites for becoming an industry norm.
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