E-commerce Morning Brief: Doubao AI-Powered Smartphone Launches; Kuaishou E-commerce Kicks Off Full Merchant Recruitment for 2026 Double 11 Shopping Festival

Item 1: Kuaishou E-commerce Launches Full Merchant Recruitment for 2026 Double 11 Promotion

As of September 16, Kuaishou E-commerce has fully rolled out merchant recruitment for its 2026 Double 11 Shopping Festival. According to the event schedule, this year’s promotion will enter the pre-sale head-start phase in early October; the opening launch will kick off in late October, with dedicated category-themed days to drive targeted conversion across product verticals; early November will see the all-category Big Day, while mid-November will feature the closing Big Day and bestseller restocks to capture consumer demand and push for a strong final sprint. Platform subsidies including cross-scenario product subsidies, surprise fan-exclusive coupons, official instant discounts, and category-specific vouchers will run through the entire promotion cycle.

Item 2: ByteDance’s H1 2026 Net Profit Declines Amid Ramp-up in AI Investment, Sources Say

People familiar with the matter revealed that driven by heavy investment in artificial intelligence, ByteDance saw a year-over-year drop in net profit to approximately $20 billion in the first half of 2026, with its net profit margin also sliding further to around 16.7%. Meanwhile, fueled by overseas operations led by TikTok, ByteDance’s first-half revenue rose 30% year on year to roughly $120 billion. The share of overseas revenue hit a new record high: although Douyin still contributes the majority of ByteDance’s total revenue, overseas revenue primarily generated by TikTok now accounts for over 30% of the top line. ByteDance did not comment on the aforementioned figures.

Item 3: Voolga, Botanee and Giant Biogene Enter Medical Aesthetic Injection Track

On September 15, Voolga officially announced that its first Class III medical device product, "Voolga Floral Age Kinetic Serum", will launch in October this year, marking Voolga’s official entry into the medical aesthetic injection market. The product is mainly designed to improve symptoms such as adult skin dryness and dull complexion. Previously on September 12, Botanee announced that its first self-developed Class III medical device had received regulatory approval, marking the company’s formal foray into the medical aesthetic injection segment. The approved product is "sodium hyaluronate solution for injection", commonly known in the market as "water light injections". In fact, as early as June 9, Giant Biogene launched its new Class III medical device product, "Collgene Xinsheng 753 Collagen Injection", the company’s first Class III medical device for medical aesthetic injection use.

The three companies share a common trait: their core businesses cover both skincare products and medical devices, with their medical device portfolios previously dominated by Class II products such as medical dressings. In 2026, all three players are expanding from the medical dressing segment into the medical aesthetic injection track.

Item 4: Trip.com Posts RMB 2.4 Billion Net Loss in Q2

On September 16, Trip.com Group released its Q2 2026 financial results, reporting net operating revenue of RMB 15.7 billion for the period, up 6% year over year. Adjusted EBITDA stood at RMB 4.6 billion, down from RMB 4.9 billion in the same period last year. The company recorded a net loss of RMB 2.4 billion in the quarter after recognizing a one-time expense of approximately RMB 5.2 billion related to an anti-monopoly penalty imposed by the State Administration for Market Regulation. Excluding the impact of the fine, net profit would have reached RMB 2.7 billion. Trip.com Group has accepted the administrative penalty decision, is implementing all rectification requirements in accordance with laws and regulations, and will continue to improve its long-term governance mechanism.

Item 5: Doubao AI Smartphone Officially Launches, with Priority Access to ByteDance Product Ecosystem

According to September 16 reports, the ZTE Nubia NaviX Ultra, equipped with the Doubao AI mobile assistant, is now officially on sale. At this stage, its voice-operated agent gives priority support to ByteDance’s full product suite, and is compatible with a small number of third-party apps including Caocao Mobility. Hands-on testing found that after a user issues a voice command to Doubao such as "order me a cup of coffee", the assistant cannot currently complete the operation on external e-commerce apps including Taobao Flash Sale and JD.com, and will instead suggest placing the order via Douyin’s in-app services.

Item 6: SHEIN Expands U.S. Local Fulfillment Network with New 737,000-Square-Foot Automated Warehouse in Indiana

Per foreign media reports, less than two weeks after its public listing, SHEIN opened a new warehouse in Lebanon, Indiana. According to an official company announcement, the newly launched U.S. warehouse spans 737,000 square feet. The new facility further expands SHEIN’s operational footprint in Indiana, where its total occupied warehousing and related space now exceeds 2.5 million square feet.

In 2025, the U.S. abolished the previous de minimis exemption for imported goods valued under $800, leading to higher tariffs and fulfillment costs for direct cross-border small-parcel deliveries. The expansion of SHEIN’s Indiana warehouse represents a strategic ramp-up of its local fulfillment capabilities against this policy backdrop.

Item 7: Temu’s GMV in Kazakhstan Surges 189-Fold in Two Years

Temu has recorded a 189-fold increase in transaction value in Kazakhstan over two years, becoming a standout case of rapid expansion in the local cross-border e-commerce market. Third-party data shows that in 2025, transaction value on international e-commerce platforms in Kazakhstan rose 50% year over year to $2.23 billion, while transaction value on local and Russian platforms grew 19% over the same period. Meanwhile, notable shifts have emerged in consumer shopping behavior: total platform transaction volumes have doubled, but average order value has dropped significantly, with consumer spending focus shifting from installment purchases of electronics to home goods and apparel. Home goods now account for 25% of total transaction volume, while apparel makes up 15%.

Item 8: U.S. Sellers’ Share of Mercado Libre Cross-Border GMV Rises from 8.7% to 25.9% in 16 Months

Latest monitoring data shows that between April 2025 and August 2026, the share of cross-border GMV on Mercado Libre contributed by U.S.-based sellers jumped from 8.7% to 25.9%, representing nearly threefold growth in less than 18 months. Meanwhile, sellers based in mainland China and Hong Kong SAR remain dominant in cross-border sales, collectively contributing 71.9% of total cross-border GMV. Notably, the average order value for U.S. sellers reached 352 Brazilian real, roughly 4.8 times the 73 real recorded for Chinese sellers, pointing to growing market segmentation driven by high-AOV player entry.

That concludes today’s morning brief. For more e-commerce insights, stay tuned to Ebrun Audio News.

This article was first published on the official website of Ebrun.