AI and OMO reshape Hong Kong eCommerce despite retail slump

Consumer search behaviour is undergoing a structural shift, moving away from traditional web searches toward "social discovery" and "direct AI inquiries," a whitepaper by commerce platform Shopline finds.

The "Hong Kong eCommerce whitepaper 2026" explores the digital transformation progress of merchants in Hong Kong and the strategies they can use to stand out during an economic downturn, drawing on data from current merchants using Shopline's services.

Shopline data shows that referral traffic from mainstream generative AI platforms already accounts for 2.5%, and for December 2025 alone, AI platform referral traffic surged 485% year-on-year. 

In 2025, ChatGPT topped the ranking of AI traffic channel conversion rates for SHOPLINE merchants, followed by Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude. This shows that AI is moving beyond just handling data or powering chatbots - it's now entering the age of autonomous agents.

The survey also shows that 40% of its Hong Kong merchants have deeply integrated AI features. On average, these merchants achieved gross merchandise value (GMV) that was more than 1.2 times higher (128.5%) than those who hadn't adopted AI. This performance gap has grown by nearly 50% (48.7%) compared to 2024.

Despite a 2.1% decline in total GMV amid difficult conditions in Hong Kong's retail sector, SHOPLINE merchants saw an 11% increase in average GMV per merchant, with average order value (AOV) rising to HK$669.

The online-merge-offline (OMO) model continues to play a significant role, with 38.5% of merchants adopting the approach - a year-on-year increase of 7.4%. Although OMO merchants make up only around 40% of the total merchant base, they account for 62.9% of total GMV. Their average sales performance was 7.7 times that of pure online stores.

Among various industries, the 3C accessories and electronics category (computer, communication, and consumer electronics) recorded the most significant growth, with GMV rising over 41.9% and the highest average order value (AOV) at HK$1,261. Meanwhile, cross-border sales continue to offer untapped potential, as the number of merchants in this segment grew by 7%, contributing to an 11.3% increase in GMV.

Closely following behind, the "family, mother and baby" and "medical and healthcare" categories also showed strong growth momentum, with increases of 24.1% and 17.5%, respectively. In terms of average order value (AOV), the "3C electronics" and "medical and healthcare" sectors continued to lead, achieving AOVs of HK$1,261.2 and HK$882.8, respectively. Meanwhile, although the "fashion apparel" sector recorded negative GMV growth, it delivered a surprisingly strong AOV performance, reaching HK$897.

Despite the global trade slowdown, cross-border trade remains a significant business opportunity. According to Shopline data, the proportion of Shopline merchants engaged in cross-border trade rose by 7%, while their GMV grew by 11.3%. In addition, the contribution of overseas sales GMV to overall GMV has also seen steady growth.

In terms of industry distribution of overseas orders, the "travel and cultural creative services" sector once again ranked first, rising from 39.4% in 2024 to 43.8% this year. The growth momentum in cross-border trade can likely be attributed to the recovery in visitor arrivals to Hong Kong and the rise of "experience-based consumption," which has fueled strong demand for concert tickets and related merchandise.

Macau remained the largest market, with its share rising from 31% in 2024 to 33% in 2025, indicating a further increase in market penetration or customer repurchase intent. In contrast, the US market's share fell from 24% to 21%, reflecting pressure on order share in that region in 2025, possibly due to competition from expanding markets. Tariffs have also dampened demand in the US market.

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Vincent Kan, general manager of SHOPLINE Hong Kong, said: "The core value of SHOPLINE as an all-in-one business partner lies in ‘implementing AI'. We will lead merchants to break the limitations of single tools, deeply embed diverse AI applications into a unified platform, and further connect to the external AI ecosystem."

"2026 will be a watershed moment for eCommerce development. Brand competitiveness will no longer only be reflected in an ‘AI-ready’ technical layout, but also in finding their own ‘AI puzzle piece’ in the fragmented AI era, and securing a firm footing in the new retail norm," he added. 

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