Annual report · 2025
Chinese Brands Going Global 2025: momentum, TikTok and better DTC
The growth of Chinese brands on the global stage accelerated again in 2025. The Combinant audits 270 brands (from a sample set of 664) and ranks the Top 100 — with significant gains in traffic, follower counts and engagement across social channels, ecommerce platforms and owned websites.
Three shifts define the year since 2024: wider market access through country-specific websites and strategic ecommerce platforms; a stronger social presence — especially on TikTok — with higher-quality content; and more capable DTC websites with better customer support.
- 270
- brands audited and ranked (from a 664 sample)
- 54/100
- of the Top 100 are electronics brands
- 91%
- of the Top 100 now on TikTok (up from 67% in 2023)
- 1M+
- Facebook followers for over a third of brands
Key findings
What the data shows
01 Wider, smarter market access
Brands added country-specific websites, localised content and services, and blended multiple ecommerce channels with offline distribution — with clearer geo- and language-specific targeting making their focus markets easy to identify.
02 TikTok drives the social leap
Presence on TikTok among the Top 100 rose from 67% (2023) to 91% (2025) — the strongest channel growth — with Pinterest up from 53% to 67% and steadily improving content quality.
03 From ecommerce-first to brand-building
Historically biased toward ecommerce and sales over branding, brands are increasingly building their own DTC sites: most Top 100 brands now run brand-website ecommerce and an official Amazon store.
04 Electronics and EVs still lead
Electronics remains dominant with 54 of the Top 100, while EVs stay a high-potential category as traditional carmakers build global recognition through social.
05 Emerging markets, not just the West
Developed markets (US, EU) are viewed as the ultimate prize, but emerging markets are often more promising. North America has the most brands present online; Africa and the Middle East show the highest average digital scores, with the Middle East among the fastest-growing.
06 The biggest movers rewarded social effort
Brands gaining the most score were those investing in social channels — the top movers since 2023 included FAW Motors (+99), POP MART (+47) and Geely Auto (+43).
FAQ
Common questions
- How many Chinese brands does the 2025 report track?
- The Combinant audited 270 brands from a 664-brand sample and ranked the Top 100 by a composite digital score.
- Which categories dominate the ranking?
- Electronics leads with 54 of the Top 100, followed by home & kitchen and auto/EVs.
- How important is TikTok to Chinese brands?
- Very — presence on TikTok among the Top 100 rose from 67% in 2023 to 91% in 2025, the strongest social-channel growth in the study.
- Which regions are growing fastest for Chinese brands?
- North America has the most brands present online, while Africa and the Middle East show the highest average digital scores — the Middle East is among the fastest-growing destinations.
- Who are the top-ranked brands in 2025?
- realme, SheIn, Huawei, DJI and Xiaomi lead the 2025 ranking by digital score.
Get the full report
This is a summary of the headline findings. The full report includes the complete Top 100 ranking, regional breakdowns, category data and the marketers' playbook.
The Combinant audited 270 Chinese consumer brands (from a total sample set of 664) using website, social media and ecommerce data (January 2025), ranking the Top 100 by a composite digital score.