An AI App Became a Sales Channel

One fitness brand says a fifth to a third of orders now arrive that way, without paid media.

Fitness brand Sole told First Financial on 11 November 2026 that orders referred from an AI app to its e-commerce store now account for 20% to 30% of its sales, without additional media spend and at roughly a 4% transaction commission. In the same period, e-commerce advertising in short drama apps rose from under 30% of inventory to more than 70%, with one ad appearing in every three videos, as the short drama audience grew from ten million to 400 million in three years. Two caveats apply: the 20% to 30% figure is a single brand’s own account with no platform-side corroboration, and commission and attribution rules remain opaque.