technology and consumer behaviour
By lens · 1 takes across the edition
The Next Web · Netherlands · China's 618 festival grew just 4% as retail sales contracted for the first time since COVID reopening
The Next Web reported that Alibaba and JD.com both billed 618 2026 as the first AI-native shopping festival, deploying AI agents to auto-fill carts, negotiate coupons, and execute purchases on behalf of users. Consumer uptake was low: surveys cited by TNW found the majority of active shoppers disabled or ignored AI purchasing features, citing distrust of automated spending decisions and preference for manual deal-hunting. The AI infrastructure investment did not translate into incremental GMV.
“Alibaba and JD.com billed 618 as the first AI-native festival, but surveys found most shoppers disabled AI purchasing features, preferring manual deal-hunting.”