What is ‘China Digital Retail Report’?
China Digital Retail Report (CDDR) is a weekly Substack publication by Ed Sander, focusing on the online and offline retail activities of China’s internet companies. It publishes reports, articles and videos related to:
e-commerce in China (Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, etc)
offline initiatives of China’s e-commerce companies (Hema, Meituan Xiaoxiang, JD 7Fresh, etc)
cross-border e-commerce (AliExpress, Temu, Shein, TikTok Shop, Joybuy)
instant retail/quick commerce (JD, Meituan, Alibaba, etc)
local services (meal delivery, group-buying, sharing economy, ride hailing, etc)
relevant apps (Tencent’s WeChat, Douyin, etc)
What content does CDRR publish?
CDRR shares various types of content:
[Media] - shorter articles or Substack Notes that summarise and comment on insights from Chinese Tech publications
[Video] - explainer videos, keynotes and masterclasses by Ed Sander, selected fragments from interviews, etc.
[Report] - deep-dive reports of 6.000-10.000 words about specific companies and sectors. Reports are based on extensive research using expert interview transcripts from the Six Degrees Intelligence Polarisix database. This content will feature free previews, while the full reports are only available to paid subscribers.
[Report] posts are powered by Six Degrees Intelligence.
Who is Ed Sander?
As a China digital retail analyst, independent writer, study tour leader and public speaker. Ed has published hundreds of articles about digital technology in China. He developed a series of highly acclaimed study and inspiration tours for entrepreneurs and professionals. Ed is regularly interviewed by various publications, radio and TV media.
Before starting China Digital Retail Report, Ed published for various other platforms, among which China2025 (NL) and ChinaTalk (NL). Ed also wrote more than 60 reports for Tech Buzz China between 2022 and 2026 (click here for a list).
You can follow Ed on X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Substack Notes.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Here are a few reasons why I think you should subscribe, especially if you are working or investing in the brand/e-commerce/retail sector:
Chinese internet companies will get a bigger footprint in global retail markets. Temu and Shein were just the beginning. General knowledge about these companies is limited, and we need to gain more insight into their roles to adjust our strategies in a timely manner for these new competitors or partners. Do you know what Meituan, Luckin, Cotti, Dingdong, JD, etc are already doing in worldwide markets?
To better understand these players, you need to trace their history before they came to your market. For example, what has TikTok Shop already done in the US and Southeast Asia? TikTok Shop is also following the same roadmap as Douyin in China. If you know what Douyin did in China, you know what TikTok Shop's next move will be. Meanwhile, Temu will try to become a 'new Pinduoduo' for the global market. Do you know what that means?
Some of the latest retail innovations take place in China. Live commerce was just an example; China is now leading the way in instant retail.
CDRR publishes weekly, including at least one monthly paid publication (deep-dive reports and exclusive video material), and the rest are free publications. The pricing for the paid reports is very reasonable, as I want to make it financially accessible to a wide audience while also being able to finance my research.
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