The superapp model that dominates in China never took hold in the West. Something is changing

Western tech platforms are increasingly borrowing China’s superapp playbook, bundling more services into one app.

Uber is deepening its Expedia partnership with hotel bookings, while TikTok Shop is expanding across Europe.

X, PayPal, WhatsApp and ChatGPT have also tested broader ecosystems, though with mixed results.

China’s faster adoption of mobile payments, different digital history and looser path to platform consolidation helped superapps emerge there first.

If the model takes hold in Western markets, major apps could combine shopping, payments and services and reshape competition and user behavior.