Tencent’s WeChat team releases its report on digital trends in China at WeChat Open Class PRO 2019, its annual event for merchants and developers, along with case studies that showcase how the platform facilitates smart-business and -living.

The report shares insights on how WeChat is increasingly re-shaping lifestyles and helping companies tap in to growing smart-business and -living needs, particularly in the areas of retail, food and transportation. This trend has fueled the ubiquity of WeChat and has created millions of jobs in software development and beyond in the process.

The product cases meanwhile extend across several key WeChat services, including WeChat Mini Programs, WeChat Mini Games and WeChat Pay, illustrating how they continue to remain core to the platform’s effort to further smart business solutions that in turn create smart living capabilities.

WeChat, an Essential Part of Life

WeChat usage increased across multiple demographics, reinforcing its status as an essential part of daily life, particularly in China.

Key highlights from the 2018 WeChat Data Report:

• More people are connected on WeChat: WeChat usage grew across all age groups, especially among people 55-years old and higher. This group also recorded the fastest growth in 2018 among all age groups
• More people are sharing more content: People are sending more messages, making more voice and video calls, and posting more frequently on WeChat Moments
• More people are connected on WeChat at work: More people are using WeChat to improve the way they work
• More businesses are using WeChat to connect: Businesses are rapidly adopting WeChat (including WeChat Pay and WeChat Mini Program) to extend to mobile and to better connect with customers

WeChat Mini Programs and Mini Games Have Tremendous Momentum

WeChat Mini Programs, which is celebrating its second anniversary, has been widely adopted by users and businesses. More than 600 million people use Mini Programs at least once a week on services or products from over 200 industry segments. The number of transactions (transaction volume) increased six-fold in 2018. As part of the event, WeChat’s Mini Program also announces a new scoring system and its “Outstanding Mini Programs Initiative”, both designed to help users discover and access Mini Programs. WeChat will continue to create more advanced tools, open APIs, enhanced cloud services so that developers can help businesses build Mini Programs more efficiently.

The WeChat Mini Games team also helped its community of 100,000 developers to promote new games by launching a new user-seeding program, on top of its existing “Creativity and Innovation Incentives Initiative”.

WeChat Pay, More than Just Payment

During 2018, WeChat introduced features such as “Scan-to-Buy” enabling users to pay without queueing at cashiers and “Smart Recommendations” based on users’ past purchases to help merchants increase conversion and operational efficiency, grow membership program, reduce manpower costs and deliver more personalized services.