How AI Is Changing 11.11 Shopping

Since China’s annual shopping festival Double Eleven (11.11) started in late October, one thing is clear: AI is playing a far more prominent role than ever before. Last week I wrote about Doubao (the ByteDance AI assistant) now embedded with direct shopping links. But the story goes deeper: the country’s largest e-commerce platform, Taobao, is also deploying major new AI features this year to help users build more efficient shopping carts.

AI-Driven Tools at 11.11: From Search to Smart Cart

This year, Taobao App launched multiple AI-powered shopping tools ahead of the 11.11 festival. Six major modules including “AI Universal Search” and “AI Help Me Choose” were rolled out, enabling more conversational, intent-based queries and refined product matching.

For example, shoppers can now click “Compare” in their shopping cart when choosing between two pairs of trainers: the AI will automatically pull specs, pricing, user review sentiment, and recommend which item better fits the scenario. This moves beyond traditional keyword search into scenario-based AI decision support.

We compared two trainers from Adidas and New Balance and Taobao AI made its recommendations based on different needs (Source: Taobao App)

Meanwhile, the “AI Universal Search” function sits beside the main search bar in the Taobao App. It accepts natural language questions and links directly to shopping listings with a single tap.

The "AI Universal Search" in Taobao App (Source: Taobao App)

Another trend spotted in social media shows shoppers supplying AI tools with full lists of products and coupons, asking: “How should I fill my cart to make this year’s 11.11 deal maximally efficient?” On platforms like Xiaohongshu (RED), such “AI cart-optimization” posts (“AI 凑单”) have gone viral.

A Xiaohongshu user's post about using Deepseek to get the best deal received 3000+ likes (Source: Xiaohongshu)

Why This Matters for Brands: From SEO to GEO

This shift signals something more profound for brand marketers: the move from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to what we might call GEO (Generaive Engine Optimization). Here’s what to watch:

● Intent over keywords: Instead of bidding on “lipstick red” or “running shoes men”, brands now need content that answers questions like “which lipstick works for my LED-lit K-pop studio livestream?” or “can I stack these two promotions after midnight checkout?”

● Multi-channel, scenario-led content: AI computes across video, image, user reviews, livestream archives and marketplace listings. Brands must serve all these formats with consistency so their products can be leveraged by AI as credible answers.

● Link-ready experience: The moment a user lands on an AI-suggested link, the brand’s landing page needs to convert. Brands can’t rely solely on visibility, they must guarantee a frictionless path from recommendation to purchase.

● Data beyond click-throughs: Brands must measure visibility within AI answer flows: How often was the brand mentioned as the top recommendation? What proportion of AI-suggested cards led to purchase? These metrics will become key.

Strategic Recommendations for Brands

For consumer goods brands operating in China (or planning to), these developments require action:

● Build scenario-based playbooks that map out real-life user questions and tailor product content accordingly (e.g., “travel-ready skincare for red-eye flights”, “lipstick for office zoom + low-lighting”).

● Align content across all modalities (text Q&A, short-video review, influencer demo) so AI can crawl and reliably include you in answer-flows.

● Prepare for global impact: While China is leading, the same voice/AI-commerce patterns are emerging in Western markets too. Brands getting ahead now will gain competitive advantage when these features roll out in the UK/EU.

● Prioritize conversion optimization after being recommended: product pages must be optimized for mobile, fast-checkout, local currency, reviews, and promotions stackable based on AI logic.

This year’s Double 11 may well mark the beginning of a new era in e-commerce: where AI doesn’t just recommend “what you like,” but “how you should buy”. For brands that still treat search and paid keywords as their main playbook, the risk is falling behind. The path forward demands thinking about how your brand appears in AI dialogues, how you support content across formats, and how effortlessly users buy once they click.