Consumer Staples Author：Yue Liu Editor：Luke Sheehan Oct 22, 2020 07:01 PM (GMT+8)

Relying on search engines as information vendors can no longer create added value for Baidu.

Image credit: Baidu

The Baidu App has launched a shopping function – which is actually an e-commerce module that Baidu integrate, having repackaged it from the e-commerce platform 'Duxiaodian' where it was launched in 2019. In the past 12 years, Baidu has repeatedly made efforts in the e-commerce sector, but products have failed due to misaligned positioning and lack of differentiated advantages.

Baidu responded that this attempt is meant to further aggregate Baidu's e-commerce resources, cultivate users' new habits of 'search + shopping,' and create a new closed-loop. In terms of smart hardware, Baidu currently has two sales channels, e-commerce platforms and its own websites. However, its products' promotion has always been limited, so Baidu may plan to regain users through e-commerce channels.

On the other hand, Baidu's driverless taxi service has officially opened for testing in Beijing. And the most important infrastructure behind this is mobile payment. Powering the e-commerce business may lead users to Baidu's mobile payment product Du Xiaoman where it may take the fight to Alibaba and Tencent.