The Asia Pacific Social Trends Shaping Business in 2026

5. Cross-border Shopping

Why it matters: Asia Pacific is the world’s cross-border commerce hub, with intra-APAC trade accelerating as businesses and consumers look beyond traditional export markets. The evolving global landscape is prompting APAC businesses to diversify and deepen regional connections.

Real world example: Castlery, a business born in Singapore, leveraged Meta platforms to expand into the Australian market, using AI-driven automation to optimize performance across budget, creative, destination, placement, and audience. Korean beauty brand, ANUA leveraged Reels and creator-driven Partnership ads to break into the competitive US market. These approaches helped them navigate the complexities of cross-border commerce and reach new customers efficiently.

Key actions for business

What this means for your business:

Deploy AI where it creates real value: Use AI tools for product discovery and recommendations that actually reduce friction in the buying process—not just for the sake of having AI.

Build your commerce layer into messaging apps: Your customers are already spending hours in chat platforms. Let them browse, ask questions, and buy without switching apps.

Choose creators based on conversion, not follower counts: Test affiliate partnerships with creators whose audiences match your customer profile. Track what actually drives sales, not engagement vanity metrics.

Treat video as a sales channel, not just content: Live streams and short-form video can lead directly to purchase opportunities.

Use data to expand methodically across APAC: Identify markets where your unit economics work, then optimize for local payment methods, logistics, and customer behavior patterns.

The shift: Companies that integrate these capabilities now will build competitive advantages that compound: more efficient acquisition costs and revenue streams that scale across borders.