Marketplace All-in-One Lunar New Year intersects with AI
Feb 17, 2026
Duncan Clark, author and China tech/retail expert, explains how AI is reshaping shopping during Lunar New Year. He discusses Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 and chat-shopping, the fierce AI-commerce competition among Chinese firms, and Beijing's efforts to curb aggressive pricing. Short, timely takes on tech, retail and the high-stakes holiday sales rush.
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AI Turns Intent Into Instant Purchases
- Chinese New Year shopping is a key battleground where AI is being merged with commerce to drive purchases.
- Companies like Alibaba use AI to compress search and buying into instant execution for consumers.
Ecosystem Unification Through One AI
- Alibaba's QEN (Quen) aims to unify its ecosystem so consumers don't need to pick sites or categories.
- Alibaba promotes immediate delivery offers, using logistics to convert AI prompts into real-world goods fast.
Free Milk Tea As A Live Demo
- Alibaba promoted free milk tea deliveries during the Lunar New Year to showcase Quen's shopping power.
- The giveaway used Alibaba's logistics to deliver products instantly and attract customers.