The latest China Online Consumer Brand Index (CBI) and Tmall’s results for 2025 indicate that Chinese consumers are not pulling back. CBI measures consumption quality and brand equity and is conducted by Peking University with support from Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Group. The study finds that consumers within China are consistently reaching for recognised brands with clear value propositions. Through 2026, Tmall will help brands remain competitive with several initiatives: from the launch of a new generation of agentic AI tools to investments in high value consumers.
Brands: Capitalising on emotion and identity-based opportunities
Tmall’s 2025 results underscore China’s sustained growth opportunities for global brands. The number of brands generating over RMB100 million ($14.5 million) in annual sales grew by 15% year-on-year. Over 13,000 brands with sales above RMB10 million ($1.45 million) achieved double-digit GMV growth.
A similar trend can be observed within CBI’s China Top 500 Online Consumer Brands List for 2025 which tracks the biggest winners in the country’s e-commerce sector. Despite being in a market defined by rapid trend cycles and intense competition, established brands including Apple, Haier, Midea, Xiaomi, and Huawei have commanded top positions across categories. Their continued success over the years can be attributed to relentless innovation, deep consumer trust, and strong platform operations. Smart technology brands such as DJI and imoo have also stood out, reshaping everyday consumption through intelligent products.
Meanwhile, emerging brands that evoke emotion and resonate with consumers’ identities have maintained their momentum, driven by young shoppers’ appetite for products that go beyond mere functionality. The CBI list reveals a rising cohort of brands in the toy and pet sectors reflecting this trend. In toys, nine brands in the collectibles category made the top 500, led by Pop Mart, alongside Bandai, Jellycat, and MiHoYo. As the pet economy continues its premium ascent, ten brands entered the top 500, including domestic player Myfoodie, which nearly matched the scores of international incumbents.
Consumers: Rising demand outside Tier 1 cities
The CBI also points to geographic diversification of quality consumption across China. The top 10 cities for brand consumption quality include second and third tier hubs such as Hefei, Nanchang, and Zhoukou, alongside first-time entrants Yichun and Harbin. As capital of Heilongjiang province, Harbin recorded online retail sales growth of 14.7% year-on-year, nearly double the national average. Wuhan and Nanjing cracked the top 10 both in brand consumption quality, and purchase behaviours for top-rated brands, signalling a convergence of aspiration and purchasing power.
Given China’s varied consumption landscape, Tmall has strengthened its suite of AI-powered tools to help brands reach high-potential consumers. Its AI marketing tools can now automatically run real-time analysis and distribute vouchers to boost conversions among new and potential consumers. The platform has committed RMB10 billion ($1.45 billion) in store coupons to accelerate brand growth in 2026.
In addition, Tmall has pledged to expand exclusive benefits for its 88VIP members, a high-spending cohort that grew to nearly 60 million members in 2025, to drive further brand growth within this valuable segment.
AI Agents: Tmall transforms e-commerce operations for brands
Tmall has upgraded its Business Advisor tool with agentic AI capabilities. Every merchant now has a dedicated 24/7 AI agent team capable of executing tasks across the full operational chain, from store inspections and sales analysis to visual content generation and customer service. The upgraded tool integrates Tmall’s cloud-based AI skill sets with the merchants’ first-party and customer relationship management data, automating workflows across membership management, 88VIP operations, and marketing campaigns.
The AI push builds on a strong 2025 performance. Tmall and Taobao’s AI toolkit saved hundreds of billions of RMB in costs for five million merchants. In a pilot project, the AI customer support tool Dianxiaomi boosted conversion rates by 30% among 200,000 merchants. Dianxiaomi is now being upgraded to combine conversational guidance with direct task execution in a single session.
Separately, the Tmall Innovation Center (TMIC), has integrated Alibaba’s Qwen model with the platform’s product knowledge base, delivering a reported 20-fold improvement in new product development efficiency.
Tmall:
Deepening brand investment and agentic capabilities for merchants in 2026
The challenge for brands is to capture the next wave of growth in China against a backdrop of quality focused consumption and expanding AI capabilities. The brands that succeed must combine consistent positioning with data driven agility, backed by platform tools that turn insight into action.