New products steal the show at this year’s 618 — faster, fresher, more emotional

Platforms are betting on newness as growth slows

This year’s 618 shopping festival has a different center of gravity: new products. Why the shift? Because China’s e‑commerce market is moving into a stock‑market phase — growth is harder to buy with price cuts alone, and AI is seeping into retail. It has been reported that Tmall (天猫) increased first‑release new SKUs by 33% year‑on‑year ahead of 618, while JD.com (京东) unveiled a “new‑products 100‑billion” support plan and Douyin (抖音) said the number of new items exceeding RMB 10 million in turnover during an early promotion week rose 51% year‑on‑year. Platforms are no longer just fighting on price; they are fighting on novelty and emotional resonance.

Categories and supply chains tell the same story

The change is visible in category leaders. Collectibles (潮玩), pet products and mother & baby (母婴) are top growth drivers because they are inherently new‑product–friendly. It has been reported that collectible sales on Tmall surged in recent events, with Bubble Mart (泡泡玛特) and thousands of IP‑driven SKUs appearing during major promos. Mother & baby and pet segments are likewise spawning rapid niche innovations — from pregnancy oral care to emotion‑focused pet accessories — and these niches are where platforms expect higher margins and audience stickiness.

Production and ideation cycles have shortened. Big brands now must push far more SKUs annually to stay relevant; NielsenIQ data show few fast‑moving consumer goods survive more than 18 months without refresh. Factories are responding with small‑batch, fast‑turnaround capabilities. Arrow Lighting (箭牌照明), for example, has expanded dozens of niche stores on Pinduoduo (拼多多) to precise, verticalized new releases and then raised average selling prices by layering in tech and design — a case of supply‑side adaptation to demand fragmentation.

A testing ground for platform strategy (and geopolitics)

618 is a live test of who can turn novelty into sustainable economics. Platforms are rolling out full‑chain support — traffic guarantees, channel co‑creation, and buyouts — to improve new‑product success rates. It has been reported that Tmall plans “over 1,000 AI digital product” first‑releases and that Douyin showcased AI hardware at AWE, reflecting a broader rush into AI gadgets. Against the backdrop of US‑China tech tensions and export controls on advanced chips, Chinese platforms and makers are accelerating domestic AI and supply‑chain solutions to secure the hardware layer. The question for Western readers: can novelty and faster iteration replace the old scale model of discount‑led growth? Watch 618 — it will tell us which platforms can make newness pay.