The Floor Price Left the Building
In the first Double 11 under the platform pricing rules, the base price became the brand’s responsibility again.
The 2026 Double 11 was the first major promotion since China’s internet platform pricing rules took effect on 10 April, and all three leading platforms dropped the lowest-price promise. JD led on availability, fulfilment and trade-ins; Tmall on brand value, new AI products and token consumption; Douyin on in-stock shipping, single-item cuts and no presales. Brands moved toward full-channel price control and channel-exclusive models: one home-furnishing leader held identical list prices across Tmall, JD, Douyin and physical stores, with discounts coming only from platform member coupons, while an appliance brand shipped two configurations identical in hardware and separated only by model number and colour to break price comparison. The control target has shifted from the price paid to the price listed, because a floor broken by the brand itself cannot be restored within the year.