TikTok—and especially its Chinese counterpart Douyin—is rapidly becoming a key channel for snack discovery and purchasing, setting new rules of the game for brands in China. Social commerce in China is no longer an extension of e-commerce; it is its core. Users discover products directly within content, while ByteDance algorithms shape demand faster than traditional retail.

For Chinese snack brands, this means a complete rethink of digital strategy. Douyin is not just a storefront but a fully integrated commerce ecosystem, where features like “frequently bought together” and “repeat purchase” perform particularly well. According to Euromonitor, these algorithms deliver stronger results in the snack category than in most FMCG segments—largely due to impulse consumption and high purchase frequency.

In China, local brands—from Three Squirrels (三只松鼠) to BESTORE (良品铺子) and LYFEN (来伊份)—actively leverage Douyin to scale sales through short videos, live streaming, and influencer collaborations. Content that emphasizes texture, “scroll-stopping” consumption moments, and strong visual presentation directly impacts conversion rates. Unlike Western markets, where TikTok Shop is still gaining traction, Douyin is already one of the primary growth channels for FMCG brands in China.

Another key driver is the rise of generative AI, which is increasingly integrated into the consumer journey. Chinese consumers, alongside global tools, actively use local AI solutions to compare products, analyze ingredients, and receive personalized recommendations. According to Euromonitor, 28% of users who shop with AI value more accurate product matching, although the overall share of such traffic remains relatively small.

Interestingly, confectionery and trend-driven novelty snacks are seeing particularly rapid growth in China—these categories are most frequently associated with AI-powered search and viral spread on Douyin. Referral traffic in these segments is growing at double-digit rates, amplifying the effect of “explosive” sales.

From a market perspective, China remains a key growth driver in the Asia-Pacific region. Rising demand for convenient food formats, the expansion of digital channels, and a highly developed e-commerce infrastructure create ideal conditions for scaling snack brands. At the same time, competition is intensifying, and success increasingly depends not only on taste but on a brand’s ability to align with platform algorithms.

At the product level, Chinese brands активно experiment with flavors—pistachio, cheese profiles, tropical fruits—and textures, adapting them to visual content and the demands of social commerce. The sensory experience—crunchiness, chewiness, layering—has become part of digital merchandising and directly influences sales.

Ultimately, the Chinese market demonstrates what “the future already looks like”: omnichannel strategies here are effectively built around Douyin, AI-driven recommendations, and deep integration of content, commerce, and logistics. For both international and local brands, one thing is clear—without deep adaptation to the ByteDance ecosystem, competing in China is becoming increasingly difficult.

For CIS retailers working with Chinese suppliers, it is important to understand that brands that have already gone through the “Douyin school” enter your market with a fundamentally different product approach—both physically and conceptually. They are optimized for visual appeal, virality, and impulse purchasing because they have survived in an environment where decisions are made within three seconds of watching a video. This gives them a competitive edge on the shelf: they already know how to capture attention, how to leverage texture and presentation, and how to drive repeat purchases through emotion rather than price alone. When selecting Chinese partners, pay close attention to their digital experience on Douyin—this is a strong indicator of brand maturity and its potential within your retail network.