Reckitt: social commerce rising star

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 12, 2026

Reckitt has achieved sustained double-digit sales growth in China by shifting its focus to social commerce, leveraging live broadcasts and short-form video content to engage consumers on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou. This strategy has attracted millions of new customers and is now being adapted for other emerging markets, signaling a broader transformation in how the company approaches digital sales worldwide.

Reckitt, the British consumer goods company known for products like Lysol and Dettol, has seen significant growth in China by embracing social commerce—a rising trend where consumers make purchases through social media platforms. The company’s pivot to this strategy began around 2022, when its China-based executives alerted Chief Executive Kris Licht that traditional e-commerce platforms were no longer the primary channel for digital sales. Instead, they urged Reckitt to invest in social media-driven shopping, which combines entertainment and commerce.

Social commerce involves users buying products directly while browsing social apps such as Douyin and Kuaishou, where short videos and live streams dominate user engagement. Reckitt’s response was to build 18 studios in a Shanghai building dedicated to producing a mix of live broadcasts, mini-dramas, and interactive sales presentations. These productions feature Reckitt staff alongside influencers, delivering content designed to promote household staples, from hair removal products to disinfectants.

The approach has paid off. Reckitt estimates that about 800 million of China’s 1.4 billion population use social media daily, spending approximately 90 minutes on average viewing content. Nearly half of these users have made purchases via these platforms. Reckitt’s short-form video strategy attracted 40 million new customers last year, with the company’s videos watched 15 billion times. These efforts have driven 12 consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth in China, a stark contrast to slower growth and declines in some established markets.

In the first half of 2026, Reckitt’s emerging markets segment reported an 8.5% increase in sales to £2.23 billion ($4.23 billion), while North America saw a modest 0.8% increase and Europe experienced a 3% decline. The company’s progress in China stands out amid broader challenges faced by Western brands competing against local companies and adapting to changing consumer behaviors in the country’s slowing economy.

Industry analysts note Reckitt’s deep localization and commitment to digital channels has helped the company maintain competitiveness against aggressive local competition. Reckitt’s Shanghai studios operate live broadcasts for around 12 hours daily, combining real-time interactions with viewers and flexible content adjustments based on shopper feedback. Other studios focus on producing brief scripted videos that embed Reckitt products into everyday scenarios, aiming to engage consumers in a more relatable way.

The company is now exploring social commerce models beyond China, applying lessons learned to markets such as Brazil, Mexico, and Malaysia. Reckitt anticipates the convergence of social media and shopping will become increasingly important across the more than 100 countries where it operates, potentially redefining how consumer packaged goods are marketed and sold on a global scale.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.