The “Cheap China” Era Quietly Ended on Douyin This Double 11
The discounts are gone, the livestream hosts have lost their voices, and one big truth is now impossible to ignore. The era of endless price wars is quietly ending.
According to new data from consumer research firm Lijin, 100 key sub-categories were analyzed across Douyin E-commerce. The numbers jump around, but the story they tell is surprisingly clear.
This year, three things really stood out.
1. The Price War Is Basically Exhausted
For years, ultra-low pricing was the cheat code. Go cheaper, grow faster. That logic no longer works.
Across most categories, average transaction prices rose. Not by a little, but often by a lot. Low prices no longer guarantee high growth. Competing on price has officially been replaced by competing on quality, brand understanding, and actual consumer insight.
In short, racing to the bottom stopped being cute.
2. Chinese Brands Are Not Just Competing. They Are Charging More, and Winning
This is the most important shift.
In menswear, Youngor (雅戈尔) landed on the rankings with an average price of 527 yuan. In womenswear, Bosideng (波司登) topped total sales with an average price of 1,212 yuan. Gaofan (高梵) pushed even further, with prices nearing 2,000 yuan.
Sports and outdoor told the same story. Camel (骆驼) took first place in revenue at an average price of 404 yuan. Li-Ning (李宁) moved over one million units with an average price of 255 yuan. Adidas sat at roughly 400 yuan. Same price tier. Very different power dynamics.
Chinese brands are no longer trying to be “the affordable alternative.” They are setting prices, defining value, and competing directly with global giants.
That pricing voice is new. And it matters.
3. When Everything Slows Down, Niche Wins
Big categories are cooling. Small, hyper-specific ones are exploding.
Fruit and vegetable sterilizing washers saw year-on-year sales growth of 5,263 percent. Tableware sterilizers jumped 4,214 percent. Post-pandemic health anxiety has officially turned into a permanent consumption habit.
Skincare tools, once a fringe category, suddenly broke out. Sales rose 377 percent. Average prices climbed 224 percent. Outside the saturated skincare product market, tools quietly unlocked both volume and margin.
The lesson is simple. Growth no longer comes from fighting in overcrowded markets. It comes from finding a very specific problem and solving it better than anyone else.
Double 11 is no longer just a sales frenzy. It has become a live testing ground for consumer insight. Whoever understands what people want next gets there first.
Kitchen Appliances. Health Is the New Premium
Kitchen appliances grew around two ideas. Health and upgrading.
Fruit and vegetable sterilizers and tableware disinfectors exploded in both sales and price. Tableware sterilizers alone saw average prices rise 340 percent.
Consumers are no longer buying just function. They are paying extra for better technology, better design, and brands they trust.
Meanwhile, mature categories like air fryers and ovens stayed flat in volume. Growth came from higher order values. Penetration is maxed out. Replacement cycles and upgrades are now the game.
Midea (美的), Supor (苏泊尔), and Joyoung (九阳) held the top three, locking down the 200 to 700 yuan range with deep supply chains and serious brand moats.
Philips carved out the high end with an average price of 3,025 yuan, proving Douyin can absolutely sell expensive products.
Menswear. Cheap Wins Volume, Premium Wins Positioning
In basic menswear, extreme value still rules.
Jeanswest (真维斯) became the undisputed traffic king with million-level sales. No surprises there.
The mainstream price bands are locked in. Romon (罗蒙), Woodpecker (啄木鸟), and Jeanswest define the market floor and ceiling for mass consumers.
Selling higher means selling something specific. Fabric quality, craftsmanship, or functional use cases. Brands like Bosideng (波司登), Dragon Tooth (龙牙), and Youngor (雅戈尔) do exactly that. Lower volume. Higher prices. Clear positioning.
Womenswear. Everything Exists at Once
Womenswear on Douyin is aggressively stratified.
Because Double 11 lands right before winter, outerwear dominated. Bosideng (波司登), Yaya (鸭鸭), Alessandro Paccuci, Gaofan (高梵), and Snow Flying (雪中飞) all rode winter jackets to the top.
The price range is massive. Ultra-high-end designer labels like LYNEE coexist with extreme value brands like Jeanswest (真维斯).
Douyin supports both. It sells individuality and mass basics at the same time. Brands like MO&Co. (摩安珂) and Edition (艾迪逊) reinforce the platform’s growing mid-to-high-end credibility.
Makeup. Global Brands Lead, Chinese Brands Scale
International makeup brands still dominate the top. Yves Saint Laurent took first place with an average price of 705 yuan, fueled by pent-up demand for luxury during major promotions.
But Chinese brands are closing the gap fast.
Timage (蒂洛薇), Florasis (花西子), Carslan (卡姿兰), and Bereme (柏瑞美) all crossed 100 million yuan in sales, with prices mostly between 60 and 170 yuan. Brands like Bereme (柏瑞美), DPDP, and Judydoll (橘朵) stabilized their positions with million-unit volumes.
The strategy is clear. Reasonable margins, aggressive pricing, fast product cycles, and ruthless traffic efficiency. It is price for scale, powered by hero products.
Skincare. Ingredients for the Masses, Brands for the Elite
Mass skincare is ingredient-driven.
Kans (韩束), Proya (珀莱雅), L’Oréal, Guyu (谷雨), and Chando (自然堂) sit at 100 to 350 yuan, pushing 750,000 to over one million units each. Growth comes from ingredient education. Retinol. Peptides. Pro-Xylane. Science, simplified.
High-end skincare plays a different game.
Helena Rubinstein (HR赫莲娜), SK-II, La Mer (海蓝之谜), and Estée Lauder sold far fewer units, but with prices above 3,000 yuan, every one of them crossed the 100-million-yuan mark.
Douyin is no longer a clearance channel. It is a trust-building platform for premium brands.
Personal Care. Precision Beats Everything
Winning in personal care means solving one very specific problem.
Fuyanjie (妇炎洁), Canban (参半), and Taotao Cotton (淘淘氧棉) each passed 100 million yuan in sales with over one million units sold. Oral health, feminine care, and menstrual products are no longer niche. They are core demand.
Premium signals are emerging too. Kérastase (卡诗) ranked eighth with an average price of 354 yuan. In haircare, visible results justify higher prices.
Household Cleaning. The Race to the Bottom Is Still On
This category still runs on value.
Blue Moon (蓝月亮), Liby (立白), Vinda (维达), and C&S (洁柔) remain dominant. But challengers are loud.
Vitality 28 (活力28) crossed 100 million yuan in sales at a shocking 16.9 yuan average price. Brands like Momeng (沫檬) and Deyou (德佑) followed similar paths in laundry pods and wet toilet paper.
Margins are thin. Competition is brutal.
Coffee and Instant Drinks. Energy Is Back
Luckin Coffee (瑞幸咖啡) landed at number seven, powered by new products and collaborations. Starbucks made the list too.
Health drinks are booming. Wu Gu Mo Fang (五谷磨房) ranked fourth with a 144 yuan average price, proving food-based wellness has real traction.
Snacks. One Hero Product vs. Ultra-Low Prices
Wang Xiaolu (王小卤) turned tiger-skin chicken feet into a business, ranking second with a 68.9 yuan price and million-unit sales. Focus works.
Three Squirrels (三只松鼠) defended first place with a 17.6 yuan average price, but margin pressure is real. Brands like Crisp Shengsheng (脆升升) and Bicuiyuan (碧翠园) keep the price war intense.
3C Electronics. Education Hardware Breaks In
Accessories remain a quiet gold mine. Torras (图拉斯) ranked fifteenth with solid volume and repeat purchases.
The real shock came from education.
Xueersi (学而思) and Zuoyebang (作业帮) entered the top ten with average prices above 3,000 yuan. Learning devices have evolved. Livestream demos of AI tutoring, eye protection, and massive question banks lowered decision friction and unlocked a new category.
Sports and Outdoor. Domestic Brands Take the Mass Market
International brands still lead premium. Fila, Nike, Adidas, and The North Face dominate the upper tiers. The North Face averaged 1,831 yuan.
Chinese brands own the mainstream.
Camel (骆驼) ranked first in revenue. Li-Ning (李宁) ranked fifth and became the most popular domestic sports brand with 255 yuan average pricing and million-unit sales. Anta (安踏), Erke (鸿星尔克), and 361° followed closely.
Health Supplements. Precision Is the New Normal
Nutriland (诺特兰德) topped the list with 110 yuan pricing and massive volume. Fitness is mainstream now.
WonderLab, Move Free (益节), Five Doctors (五个女博士), and Swisse targeted specific health needs with prices between 282 and 472 yuan.
Broad claims are out. Precision wins.
Final Take. Double 11 Is No Longer About Noise
Double 11 in 2025 is not about hype peaks anymore. It is about clarity.
Consumption did not disappear. Expectations evolved.
Brands that understand this are changing how they talk to consumers. From shouting discounts to building shared value. From quick transactions to long-term emotional trust. From vague demographics to razor-sharp demand insight.
The brands that see the shift clearly are not just surviving this reset. They are shaping what comes next.
