Alo, NikeSKIMS, Norrona, Soar, Sweaty Betty, Dymatize, Applied Nutrition and other international sports, outdoor and wellness brands are entering or expanding in China. Unlike the mass-market expansion of a decade ago, this new wave is more premium, vertical, community-led and data-driven. For international brands, China remains a major opportunity, but success depends on sequencing: community first, e-commerce validation, localized content and carefully chosen offline experiences.

Douyin E-commerce is shifting from paid GMV toward settled GMV, meaning completed transactions after refunds and fulfillment are becoming more important in traffic allocation. This change reduces support for inflated sales, high returns and pressure-selling tactics, while rewarding merchants with better products, service and real customer satisfaction. International brands entering Douyin E-commerce should focus on product quality, accurate content, fulfillment, after-sales service and sustainable conversion.

ShuTiao is a self-service note “view boosting” tool provided by the Xiaohongshu platform to all content creators. Today, we will provide a comprehensive overview!