The Cross-Border E-Commerce Landscape Has Shifted Again—The Old Playbook No Longer Works

These questions may seem scattered, but they all point to the same shift:Cross-border e-commerce is moving from a scale-driven game of “listing products and buying traffic” to a global business game focused on “building brands, localizing, and using AI to manage operations with precision.”

The old playbook is becoming ineffective, while the new one cannot be found in any secondhand analysis.

10 19–20, Hall 4, Shenzhen Futian Convention and Exhibition Center, Alibaba 2026AliExpressAnnual Summit and Double 11 Seller Conference will take place.AliExpress is bringing its direction, policies, and opportunities for the coming year to the event all at once: two days to get your questions answered, take away practical strategies, and connect with resources.

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For sellers, the value of the annualsummitlies not in the spectacle, but in the density of information.

This summit focuses on four key areas: branding, localization, AI, and compliance. It will present the platform’s annual strategy in one place—what business models will be prioritized next year, which markets will receive more investment, and where the boundaries of compliance lie. The full picture will be laid out at the event. This is also the spirit of the conference: go global with AliExpress, and make the whole world your home market.

Double 11 policies and opportunities in key industries will be announced at the same event:Where will traffic come from? How should you invest in monetization? Which categories will receive policy support? We’ll go through it all, point by point. You’ll know what to do after listening!

Also worth noting: the event will feature four themed exhibition halls—a Brand Hall, a Country Hall, an Industry Hall, and an Ecosystem Hall. After hearing about trends and policies in the morning, you can turn around and connect with resources across markets, industries, and the ecosystem. For sellers, this condenses a year’s worth of “asking around and guessing” into two days of in-person confirmation.

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Looking at the guest list, this summit brings three kinds of people together in one place.

Those who understand the trends.Yao Yang, renowned economist and dean of the Dishui Lake Advanced Finance Institute at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics; and Hua Xiansheng, renowned AI scientist, executive dean of the Institute of Engineering Intelligence at Tongji University, and IEEE Fellow. One will explain the global trade and economic landscape; the other, the paradigm shift in AI—both cover topics sellers need to understand but rarely get the chance to explore in depth.

Those who can provide support.The president of AliExpress, the Brand+ marketing lead, country business leads, and industry and marketing leads will all be there. Strategy, policies, and playbooks will be presented by the people who created them—not through secondhand interpretations.

Those who have been in the trenches.Leaders from dozens of top brands, including Xiaomi and Anker, will attend. Representatives from brands such as Rokid and Thinkcar will share their experiences on site, and major Shenzhen-based cross-border sellers with businesses worth hundreds of millions will also be there to hear practical insights. From the ecosystem, executives from affiliate and content platforms such as Google China, Awin, Mitgo, Tradedouble, and Slickdeals will take the stage together. Get the inside story directly from them. Strike up a conversation with a business owner nearby, and you might discover a new path for your business.

With the summit countdown underway, for sellers who are still undecided, the value of making the trip comes down to five things.

First, take away practical strategies.A detailed look at Double 11 policies and strategies: where traffic comes from, how to invest in monetization, and a point-by-point review of policies for key industries. You can put what you learn into practice as soon as you get back.

Second, take away a sense of direction.Find out which business models will be prioritized over the coming year and how brands can use Brand+ to achieve strong sales overseas—all in 2 hours on site, without having to guess based on secondhand interpretations.

Third, take away strategies for different countries.Europe and the United States, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea will each be covered separately. Top sellers already achieving strong sales overseas will share their expertise for free—and explain why the same products need different strategies in different countries.

Fourth, take away connections.Leaders from dozens of top brands and major cross-border sellers with businesses worth hundreds of millions will be there. Resources and opportunities often emerge from a single face-to-face conversation.

Fifth, take away answers.Hundreds of industry account managers will be on site. Which products are right for developing bestsellers? How should you respond to the EU tax reform? How can you join overseas managed services? No need to wait for a reply—ask in person and get the answers you need to move forward.

For sellers, the cost of attending is two days; the cost of not attending is another year of figuring out these issues alone.

Back to the four questions at the beginning—compliance, AI, profits, and the market. The answers aren’t in any one article, but at the same venue: the people who set the rules, track the trends, and have been through the battles will all be in Shenzhen this time.

10 19–20, Hall 4, Shenzhen Futian Convention and Exhibition Center. See you in Shenzhen.