2024: The first year of the explosion of cross-border content e-commerce

From skyrocketing sales to brand upgrades, 2024 is destined to be a milestone year for cross-border content e-commerce.

01 | Content E-commerce: The New Engine of Cross-Border Business

In 2024, many brands have reaped significant rewards in the field of content e-commerce.

For example, sportswear brandOQQ launched a challenge on TikTok, attracting over 7,000 user videos and nearly 88 million views.POP MART achieved $1.2 million in sales in a single TikTok Shop livestream.

Meanwhile, fitness brandMERACH locked in the promotional frenzy ahead of time through influencer collaborations and self-broadcasts, with GMV surging 240% during Black Friday.

This content-driven e-commerce model not only gives brands more exposure, but also provides users with a shopping experience that is both fun and practical. Data shows that in 2024, the number of social shopping users in the US surpassed 100 million, with TikTok Shop adding 11.9 million new users, becoming the main driver of growth.

The core logic of content e-commerce lies in: “seeding-conversion” integration, making the path from seeing a product to placing an order more efficient than ever.

Image source: POP MART

02 | The Watershed of a New Decade

Looking back at the development trajectory of cross-border e-commerce:

· 2014-2016: The traditional shelf model took off, with platforms like Amazon and eBay becoming the first choice for Chinese merchants to "test the waters".

· 2017-2019: The rise of independent sites, with brand merchants exploring more personalized paths to go global.

· 2020-2022: Price wars reached a fever pitch, leading to the exit of many small and medium-sized merchants from the market.

· After 2023: Price wars subsided, and content e-commerce rose rapidly.

Against the backdrop of a saturated shelf e-commerce market, content e-commerce has redefined the cross-border e-commerce track: through short videos, livestreams, and other formats, merchants can use "content" to directly touch users' emotions and establish deep connections with consumers.

03 | Behind the Blockbusters: Content Empowers Brands

The charm of content e-commerce lies not only in traffic, but also in telling compelling brand stories through content.

· OQQ: From social seeding to platform explosion, Super Brand Day 7-day GMV exceeded $5.19 million.

· Bedsure: With a team of only 10 people, producing 5,000 short videos and 5,000 livestreams per month, achieving annual sales in the tens of millions.

· MERACH: From influencer collaborations to self-produced content, 97-hour marathon livestream, single session GMV nearly $100,000.

In addition, content e-commerce has also driven the popularity of "novel and unique" products. For example, health supplement brand GNC meets user needs through "nutrition packs," while PS5 accessory brand Aolivay achieved explosive sales through fun short videos.

MERACH's TikTok video content Image source: TikTok

04 | The Future of Content E-commerce: Driving Growth with “Content Power”

Content e-commerce is not just a sales model, but a brand-new business mindset.

Compared to traditional shelf e-commerce, which relies on search and display, content e-commerce sparks user interest through emotional resonance, accelerating purchase decisions. In this model, the value of products is redefined: not by low price, but by "good stories".

Final Words: 2025, The Next Wave of Cross-Border E-commerce

Whether it’s influencers, merchants, or the platforms themselves, content e-commerce in 2024 has shown strong vitality. As one cross-border seller said: “The past decade was about shelf e-commerce, the next decade will be about content e-commerce.”

The rise of content e-commerce is the key path for brands to go global and capture global market share.

With the continuous optimization of e-commerce functions on platforms like TikTok, in 2025, we have reason to believe that more brands will break through borders and achieve leaps in global sales through content e-commerce.

What brands do you think will make a comeback through content e-commerce in 2025? Leave a comment and let’s chat!