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Chinese retailers invest in generative AI to boost performance

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SHANGHAI, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese retail players are investing in generative AI to boost sales and Singles Day could be the perfect opportunity, according to a new report by Bain & Company launched today.

Since 2023, big players such as Alibaba and JD.com have been investing ferociously in AI with up to 40% and 50% of their acquisitions respectively, being AI-themed. Against a backdrop of slowing retail and a more subdued Singles Day, generative AI is expected to feature more prominently.

Bain & Company’s survey of over 500 merchants trading on China’s giant e-commerce platforms are embracing AI as 52% have used at least one generative AI–enabled tool. Slightly more than half have used generative AI–powered customer service chatbot tools, and about one in three have used AI to generate content.

Crucially, 56% of surveyed merchants say AI tools have had high positive impact in improving productivity (time and effort) and 39% responded with high positive impact in terms of operational cost reduction. In March, for instance, JD.com launched an enhanced suite of AI-powered solutions designed to cut merchants’ operational costs by as much as 50%. The solutions include an assistant to accelerate online store launches and a realistic avatar generator to enable round-the-clock interactive shopping livestreams.

“AI’s increasing prominence across Chinese retail offers a timely boost to a maturing industry that is facing challenges including slower retail sales growth, price stagnation, falling property prices, youth unemployment, and fragile consumer confidence,” said Kelly Liu, partner at Bain & Company’s Greater China Retail and Performance Improvement practices.

On the consumer side, AI is slowly gaining traction. Bain & Company’s survey of over 3,000 Chinese consumers revealed that only 12% of shoppers used AI retail tools in the last six months, with 23% penetration among Gen Z shoppers over the same period. Across all ages, Chinese shoppers are most likely to have used generative AI in the areas of visual search (beginning a search with an image rather than a text-based query), customer service chatbots, and voice-activated search and shopping.

In the consumer survey, 49% of shoppers said they are excited about the upcoming Singles Day, down from 53% in 2023 and 76% in 2021. About three-quarters of respondents said they expect to spend the same amount or less on Singles Day promotions in 2024, broadly in line with last year’s findings. Some shoppers have also indicated that they want to limit their Singles Day spending to household products only. Shoppers who plan to maintain their Singles Day spending are also hoping that this year’s deals will be as attractive as last year’s.

“As expected, economic headwinds have caused a stagnation in Singles Day sales last year as gross merchandise value increased by a record low of 2%, supported by newer livestreaming and short video e-commerce channels,” said James Yang, head of Bain & Company’s Greater China Retail practice. “We have predicted this for some time now, and it is vital that Chinese retailers deepen their customer engagement. AI tools can energize customer retention efforts, enabling e-commerce players to hyper-personalize their engagement with consumers and create bespoke shopping experiences for them.”

Retailers that master generative AI in three key areas — deepening customer engagement, turbocharging productivity and cost savings, and finding new growth beyond trade — could build a lasting strategic advantage, says the report.

To retain and nurture customer relationships, leading players are already starting to deploy enhancements such as SEO-friendly automation of product pages, AI-written summaries of customer reviews and even virtual try-ons – through services such as Taobao’s AI fitting room.

Generative AI has massively expanded cost-saving automation possibilities in previously labor-intensive areas of marketing, through the creation of product photos and descriptions, as well as in merchandising and software engineering. A big part of the AI productivity opportunity involves helping frontline staff to be more effective through smart automated assistance that gives them more capacity to get things done.

Bain & Company’s experience advising on generative AI globally suggests many retailers should be able to increase revenue by 5% to 10% overall through AI-powered personalization initiatives and achieve productivity gains of 30% to 40% in marketing, 25% to 30% in software development, and 5% to 25% from using generative AI to reshape the way employees work on the front line, in warehouses, and at HQ.

Chinese retailers need to transition faster from AI experimentation to deployment at scale. Longer term, Chinese retailers must also consider how they can use AI to find new growth beyond trade as the technology starts to open up adjacencies to traditional buying and selling that could extend their already diverse activities.

“We have strong reasons to believe that Chinese retailers have what it takes to succeed in the AI race and win over customers. E-commerce penetration rates have been robust and e-commerce infrastructure—particularly its vast ecosystems of consumers, retailers, and partners—should accelerate adoption as familiarity with AI builds. And finally, the market’s AI research and development is also notably strong, leading the world in AI-related patent filings,” said Melanie Sanders, Asia Pacific head of Bain & Company’s Retail practice.

Editor’s Note: For more information or interview requests please contact:

Gary Duncan (London) — Email: gary.duncan@bain.com
Katie Ware (New York) — Email: katie.ware@bain.com
Ann Lee (Singapore) — Email: ann.lee@bain.com

About Bain & Company

Bain & Company is a global consultancy that helps the world’s most ambitious change makers define the future.

Across 65 cities in 40 countries, we work alongside our clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. Our 10-year commitment to invest more than $1 billion in pro bono services brings our talent, expertise, and insight to organizations tackling today’s urgent challenges in education, racial equity, social justice, economic development, and the environment. We earned a platinum rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains, putting us in the top 1% of all companies. Since our founding in 1973, we have measured our success by the success of our clients, and we proudly maintain the highest level of client advocacy in the industry.

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China-Europe Youth Exchange Campaign: When Fashion Meets Football — A Green Pitch Appointment for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

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BEIJING, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On July 18, in Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, China, the much-anticipated Guizhou Village Super League staged several thrilling grassroots football matches, accompanied by a one-of-a-kind football culture creative showcase.

The showcase, themed Common Love, blended fashion runway elements with local music and dance, presenting 16 distinctive football-themed jersey designs. These featured Italian architectural graffiti, Brazilian color blocks, as well as motifs of the Great Wall, pandas, Chinese auspicious clouds, and ethnic patterns. The outfits were modeled by over 20 young people from diverse walks of life in Guizhou, while the designs themselves were contributed by more than 100 youth participants from over 20 countries and regions during the China-Europe Youth Exchange Campaign: When Fashion Meets Football.

Launched by the China Media Group, European and Latin American Languages Programming Center, the campaign took football as a shared global language. Through youth creative workshops and interactive exchanges, it encouraged young people worldwide to harness AIGC tools to design football jersey patterns, thereby deepening mutual understanding and strengthening friendship.

This initiative drew enthusiastic participation from youth across the globe, who engaged in online dialogues on sports culture and AI-driven creativity. Experts such as Ana Vasques, Executive President, IETI Artificial Intelligence & Creative Design branch; Giulio Cuomo, Professor of Video Production and AI at Accademia Italiana; and Dr. Zhang Youyu, Distinguished Research Fellow at Peking University, shared their insights based on the campaign’s outcomes. They emphasized that football has long transcended the realm of sport, evolving into a cultural symbol that embodies diverse civilizations. Meanwhile, the innovative application of artificial intelligence is opening new pathways for cross-cultural dialogue among global youth.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhzZPHPk8IA

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3006669/20260719205937_131_59.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-europe-youth-exchange-campaign-when-fashion-meets-football–a-green-pitch-appointment-for-cross-cultural-dialogue-302829189.html

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Singtel Receives Four Frost & Sullivan 2026 Recognitions for Leadership in Enterprise Connectivity, Cybersecurity, and Digital Transformation

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The recognitions highlight Singtel’s leadership in secure connectivity, network transformation, IoT innovation, and cybersecurity, delivering customer value through intelligent digital infrastructure and AI-enabled enterprise services.

SAN ANTONIO, July 20, 2026 /CNW/ — Frost & Sullivan is pleased to honor Singtel with the 2026 Southeast Asia IoT Connectivity Service Provider Company of the Year, 2026 Singapore Network Transformation Customer Value Leadership, 2026 Singapore Cybersecurity Services Company of the Year, and 2026 Singapore SD-WAN and SASE Service Provider Company of the Year recognitions. These acknowledgements reflect Singtel’s outstanding achievements in delivering secure, intelligent, and scalable digital infrastructure that enables enterprises to modernize operations, simplify complexity, and accelerate digital transformation across Singapore and Southeast Asia. They underscore the company’s consistent leadership in strategy execution, customer value creation, and innovation across enterprise connectivity, cybersecurity, software-defined networking, and IoT connectivity services.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Singtel excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to anticipate evolving enterprise requirements while consistently translating long-term vision into measurable customer outcomes. Through platforms such as Singtel CUBΣ (CUBE) and its multidomestic IoT connectivity architecture, the company continues to unify networking, cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven intelligence into integrated solutions that address the growing complexity of hybrid, multicloud, and connected environments. “Singtel has established itself as a benchmark for enterprise digital infrastructure by converging connectivity, cybersecurity, network intelligence, and IoT orchestration into a unified, customer-centric ecosystem. Its disciplined execution, platform-led innovation, and commitment to simplifying complex enterprise environments continue to strengthen operational resilience and deliver sustained value for organizations across the region,” said Kenny Yeo, Director at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a long-term strategy focused on digital innovation, intelligent infrastructure, and customer-centric transformation, Singtel has moved well-beyond traditional telecommunications to a trusted technology partner for enterprises navigating increasingly connected and data-driven environments. Its strategic investments in AI-enabled operations, cloud-native platforms, secure connectivity, and ecosystem partnerships enable organizations to modernize critical infrastructure while maintaining the flexibility to support future business growth.

The company’s strategic agility and sustained investment in integrated digital platforms have enabled it to scale innovative services across local, regional, and global enterprise environments. Innovation remains central to Singtel’s approach through solutions including the CUBΣ connected intelligence platform, multidomestic IoT connectivity powered by eSIM orchestration, managed cybersecurity services, AI-driven network automation, and network-as-a-service capabilities. These solutions simplify network and security management, strengthen cyber resilience, improve operational visibility, and provide enterprises with scalable, secure, and high-performing connectivity across cloud, edge, IoT, and hybrid infrastructures.

By streamlining service delivery through intelligent automation, centralized orchestration, proactive monitoring, and flexible managed and co-managed service models, Singtel continues to help organizations reduce operational complexity while improving service reliability and business agility. Its ability to integrate best-of-breed technologies in a unified operational framework, combined with strong regional network ownership and localized expertise, enables customers to confidently scale digital initiatives while maintaining security, governance, and operational excellence.

Frost & Sullivan commends Singtel for setting a high standard in competitive strategy, execution, and customer value across multiple technology domains. By combining intelligent networking, secure digital infrastructure, AI-enabled operations, and cross-border IoT capabilities in an integrated platform strategy, the company is shaping the future of enterprise connectivity while helping organizations build resilient, future-ready digital ecosystems.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents its Company of the Year and Customer Value Leadership recognitions to organizations that demonstrate outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, competitive positioning, and business performance. These recognitions honor forward-thinking companies that continuously raise industry standards through innovation, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Tarini Singh
E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com

 

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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Foreign entrepreneurs find business opportunities and a home in Yiwu

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BEIJING, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily:

Yiwu, a city in east China’s Zhejiang province, is neither a coastal hub nor a border town. Yet it has built a trade network that reaches across the globe. Today, the city is home to more than 10,000 foreign-invested businesses and around 38,000 foreign merchants who live and work there.

People’s Daily reporters recently visited Yiwu to meet foreign entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses and settled down in the city. They shared stories of growing alongside Yiwu and becoming part of its remarkable transformation.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Yiwu,” said Senegalese businessman Sourakhata Tirera, a sentiment he often expresses. He first came to Yiwu in 2003 to source hardware products and was immediately impressed by the Yiwu International Trade Market. He noted, “If you can’t find something here, it’s probably because you haven’t searched carefully enough.”

In 2007, Tirera opened a foreign trade agency in Yiwu. In 2012, leveraging Yiwu’s comprehensive foreign trade pilot reform project, he established a wholly foreign-owned trading company. Today, his company ships 200 to 300 containers every month, dealing in more than 1,000 product categories and providing one-stop sourcing services for clients across Africa.

“Everyone is fascinated by Yiwu because it’s a place full of opportunities. Things that once seemed impossible can become reality here,” Tirera told People’s Daily after he finished receiving a trade delegation from Gabon.

Yemeni businessman Maged Mohammed Ali Al-Huraibi came to Yiwu alone in 2008 to pursue his entrepreneurial dream and founded a cosmetics trading company. In 2024, Yiwu launched a one-stop entrepreneurship service for foreign talent, offering factory leasing, policy consultation, and talent recruitment. Seizing the opportunity, Al-Huraibi invested in a cosmetics factory early that year, successfully transitioning from trader to manufacturer.

“Yiwu made my entrepreneurial dream come true. Now I want to bring cosmetics made in Yiwu to even more countries and regions around the world,” Al-Huraibi said.

Yiwu’s success is not simply about gathering products. More importantly, it comes from the city’s ability to create what the market needs — pioneering new approaches where none exist and forging new paths through continuous exploration.

Nepalese businessman Khadka Raj Kumar first came to Yiwu in 2002. In 2011, Yiwu pioneered a dual-track system for representative offices and foreign-invested business entities, addressing challenges related to residency, employment and business operations for foreign entrepreneurs. The following year, Kumar established his own trading company in Yiwu and later bought a home there.

In 2013, Yiwu established China’s first people’s mediation committee dedicated to foreign-related disputes, inviting foreign businesspeople to serve as mediation processes. Kumar has served in this role since 2017 and has participated in resolving more than 150 foreign-related disputes.

“In Yiwu, we’re not outsiders — we’re part of the local community,” he said.

As Yiwu’s sixth-generation marketplace, the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center marks the city’s transition from traditional trade to a digital trade ecosystem.

Pakistani businessman Sheikh Jamil, who has operated in Yiwu for 21 years, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. According to him, more and more business is now conducted online. With the help of AI, he can quickly generate product solutions tailored to different market demands. “I can do business with the whole world without leaving my office,” he said.

Yemeni businessman Hasan Mohammed entered Yiwu’s cosmetics business as a distributor a decade ago. In 2018, he registered his own cosmetics brand in Saudi Arabia. With its products registered in Saudi Arabia, manufactured in China and sold worldwide, his business model delivers both high-quality products and a strong competitive edge.

“Yiwu is more like an ecosystem where ideas can quickly become reality. It offers not only opportunities, but also the potential for continuous growth,” said Mohammed.

For Brazilian businesswoman Ana Garcia, Yiwu’s transformation from “Made in Yiwu” to “Created in Yiwu” has been fueled by broad support in branding, digital innovation and global expansion. She founded a business consultancy that helps overseas clients identify market opportunities and sourcing needs, connect with qualified suppliers, and manage every step of the supply chain — from product selection and quality inspection to logistics and customs clearance.

Yiwu belongs not only to China, but also to the world. Together with entrepreneurs from around the globe, the city will continue turning the impossible into the possible, further burnishing its reputation as the “world’s supermarket” and ensuring that products created in Yiwu benefit people in more countries.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/foreign-entrepreneurs-find-business-opportunities-and-a-home-in-yiwu-302829158.html

SOURCE People’s Daily

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