Rise of domestic brands reeling in 'China haul'

Wang gave the example of Real-SilkLife, a Chinese direct-to-consumer brand offering silk, cashmere and linen clothing and home products, primarily in the US and Europe.

By using Shoplazza's system and AI agents to streamline tasks such as store setup, product listing, multilingual content management and data analysis, the brand increased regional orders by 30 percent and average order value by 22 percent over three months.

Wang said another example is JammyJem, a Chinese brand selling squishy toys and blind-box products. "It uses online livestreams and TikTok short videos to engage overseas consumers, and buyers also share their purchases and unboxing videos, drawing in new shoppers," he said.

JammyJem's data for Japan showed that around 60 percent of its customers who placed orders in a given month made at least two purchases that month, while about one-third placed orders five or more times.

Rizzo, the Italian student, said her interest in Chinese products continues after she returns to Italy.

She typically selects items on Taobao, Tmall and JD.com before traveling and has them delivered to an address in China. She tried ordering from China to Italy once but found international shipping expensive, particularly when buying from multiple sellers.

Charl Albertyn is a 34-year-old South African who has lived in China since 2014. Through his company, Hofmeyr Consulting, he organizes trips for international visitors, while his work with Lumiverse Media LLC focuses on Chinese business, technology, food and consumer culture.

Albertyn said his perception of Chinese brands had changed considerably over the years. He has witnessed Chinese companies grow stronger, not only in manufacturing, but also in design, technology, branding and consumer experience.

"I don't think price is necessarily the most important attraction anymore," he said.

"Chinese products can be attractive because of their quality, design, variety and technological innovation, but perhaps most importantly because they increasingly offer something that is distinctly Chinese."

He sees this as part of a broader shift in China's global image.

"After living here for more than a decade, that is probably the biggest change I have seen: China has moved from being perceived primarily as the world's factory to increasingly being recognized as a source of brands, products, experiences and ideas in its own right," said Albertyn.