In the competitive landscape of global e-commerce, scaling profitably requires more than just new user acquisition. For DHgate — a leading cross-border e-commerce platform — the rising cost of acquisition and shrinking access to iOS audiences prompted a strategic shift toward maximizing the value of existing users. By partnering with Appier and adopting its AI-powered retargeting solution, DHgate successfully re-engaged high-value users, unlocked incremental revenue, and achieved a 6.33x increase in GMV.
With years of successful user acquisition campaigns, DHgate had already achieved high market penetration across key regions. However, the growth of new users began to plateau due to intense competition and rising UA costs. Compounding this was the challenge of limited reach on iOS — a result of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, with average opt-in rates in the e-commerce space as low as 15–16%.
To maintain revenue growth, DHgate needed to go beyond acquisition and focus on driving conversions from existing users through precise, performance-driven retargeting.
To counteract market saturation and boost revenue efficiency, DHgate adopted Appier’s AI-based retargeting solution — combining ROAS-oriented segmentation, contextual expansion, and dynamic video creatives to maximize user re-engagement and drive purchases.
1. ROAS-Oriented Segmentation: A Data-Driven Switch from CPA to ROAS Model
Following peak campaign activity during Black Friday and Christmas, DHgate observed stabilized Average Order Value (AOV) and accumulated sufficient volume to transition from a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) to a ROAS model. This shift allowed Appier’s AI to dynamically optimize for high-value conversions, focusing spend on segments most likely to deliver return.
2. Contextual Expansion: Overcoming iOS Limits with Click/View Intelligence
With iOS audience reach constrained by ATT, Appier expanded the targeting pool by leveraging click/view signals and in-app contextual data (such as product name, category, or description). This allowed DHgate to reach and convert high-intent users without relying on user-level identifiers — especially valuable in low opt-in environments.
Appier’s dynamic video creatives, automatically generated based on daily hot items, delivered the highest CTR, ATR, and ROAS across all creative types — outperforming both static display and standard video formats. To generate this high-performing ad format, a product feed provided by the client is needed.
While dynamic videos overall performed best, two specific video creatives stood out, revealing the key drivers of success. 15-second short videos featuring fashion & apparel, which accounts for the majority of DHgate’s transactions, performed exceptionally well. Each video was enhanced with custom visuals, including product-tailored backgrounds, color themes, and compelling descriptions with clear CTAs.
These results show that understanding user shopping preferences, attention span, and visual engagement is critical to maximizing creative impact at scale.
DHgate’s collaboration with Appier demonstrates how AI-powered retargeting can unlock new revenue streams by focusing on user quality, creative relevance, and performance efficiency. Reflecting on the campaign’s success, Partnership Executive Weason Tan shared:
"With increasing user acquisition costs and stricter iOS privacy policies, we shifted focus to re-engaging high-value users. By using Appier’s ROAS-oriented segmentation, contextual expansion and dynamic ad strategies, we significantly boosted GMV and maximized marketing efficiency in a competitive environment."
This success marks a strong foundation for continued innovation and growth through data-driven performance marketing.