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Branding signage for WPP, the largest global advertising and public relations agency at their offices in London, Britain, July 17, 2019. The fourth, GroupM China’s CEO and country managing director for WPP China, Patrick Xu, was questioned by police but not detained, the person said. An employee stationed in the closest police precinct to WPP's Shanghai office said police could not comment. "As our fourth largest market globally, China will continue to play a crucial role in WPP's long-term growth strategy. Police visited U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co's Shanghai office in April, then in May, state TV aired a program showing a raid of consultancy Capvision Partners' offices.

Persons: Toby Melville, GroupM, Patrick Xu, Xu, Mark Read, Mintz, Capvision, Bain, Casey, Laurie Chen, Alison Williams Organizations: WPP, REUTERS, Rights, WPP China, Financial Times, Outdoor Holdings, SEC, Police, Bain, Co's, TV, Capvision Partners, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Shanghai, China, Beijing, Co's Shanghai

Those shipments sometimes accounted for more than half of Chinese malting barley demand, depending on the year. "The return of Australian barley means everyone will be happier," said Miller Meng, brewmaster at Shanghai craft beer bar, The Brew. "Australian malt in the market return prices back on the right track," he said. But in the absence of Australian malting barley, many Chinese craft brewers turned to alternatives such as French or Canadian malt. That meant a perilous thinning of margins and the hope is that Australian imports will reverse this trend, craft brewers told Reuters.

Persons: Miller Meng, brewmaster, Trueman, Yang Zhenglong, Matthew Jimenez, Duvel, Casey, Dominique Patton, Peter Hobson, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Canberra, EqualOcean International, Reuters, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, BEIJING, China, Shanghai, Tianjin, Mongolia, Ukraine, Australian, Australia, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Beijing, Canberra

[1/3] Tourists rest on the Bund ahead of the National Day holiday, in Shanghai, China September 26, 2023. China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day from Friday to Oct. 6 in the longest public holiday this year. The China Tourism Academy, part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, estimates people will make more than 100 million trips a day during "the most popular Golden Week in history". In 2019, mainland Chinese tourists spent $255 billion abroad, more than any other nationality, with group tours estimated to account for roughly 60% of that total. ($1 = 7.3030 Chinese yuan renminbi)Additional reporting by Wang Tao in Singapore; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, It's, Joe Zhang, I'm, haven't, Boon Sian Chai, Boon, Cao, Nancy Dai, Zhou Weihong, Wang Zheng, Wang Tao, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Bund, REUTERS, Rights, China Tourism Academy, Ministry of Culture, Trip.com, Spring, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Japan, Tourism, Anqing, Anhui, South Korea, United States, ForwardKeys, Thailand, Singapore

☆ China's e-commerce discount race to the bottom puts incumbents under pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Discount e-commerce is set to dominate globally during the critical upcoming holiday shopping season in the West and Singles’ Day in China, analysts said. Platforms in China, the world’s largest e-commerce market, have recently described a “value-for-money battle” stoked by economic insecurity and a slower-than-expected retail recovery following the lifting of COVID-19 curbs late last year. “There was a clear vacuum for the discount retailer online experience ... Across the world, executives are now focusing on price pressures as discount online retailers gain increasing market share. In the West, the inflation driven consumer wants something cheaper because they're going through a moment of financial insecurity,” Ho said.

Persons: Florence Lo, ”, thrall, Sharon Gai, ” Humphrey Ho, Rui Ma, Trudy Dai, Alibaba, ” Ho, Casey Hall, Vanessa O'Connell, Aurora Ellis Organizations: PDD Holdings, REUTERS, Rights, West, Deal, Hylink, Amazon ., Tmall, Thomson Locations: China, Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, United States, Douyin, Canada, Australia, America, U.S, Amazon, Amazon . Indonesia

[1/4] Couples prepare to get their photo taken during a wedding photography shoot on a street, in Shanghai, China September 6, 2023. "The traditional Chinese wedding industry is probably in for tough times." "People are more inclined to go for a simple and niche wedding," said Chen, adding that a decade ago, it was common for couples to spend millions of yuan. 'NICHE, NICHE, NICHE'The economic downturn has hit the middle class, and the youth, the hardest, resulting in high jobless rates and low household spending. Our strategy has been to stay niche, niche, niche," said Wang.

Persons: Aly, Yuan Jialiang, Ben Cavender, Frank Chen, Chen Feng, Chen, Chow Tai Fook, It's, Xueyi, Jewel Wang, Vera Wang, Wang, Oscar de la, Carolina Herrera, Casey Hall, Xihao Jiang, Farah, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Market Research, Daxue Consulting, COVID, Jewellery, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Xi'an, Hong Kong

☆ U.S. business optimism about China outlook falls to record low - survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Even after the ending of COVID curbs, which weighed heavily on both revenues and sentiment in 2022, the percentage of surveyed U.S. firms optimistic about the five-year China business outlook fell to 52%, according to the annual survey published by American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai. This was the lowest level of optimism reported since the AmCham Shanghai Annual China Business Report was first introduced in 1999. "Frankly, if there was one thing that surprised me about the survey this year it was that number," said AmCham Shanghai Chairman, Sean Stein. China has criticised U.S. efforts to block China's access to advanced technology and U.S. firms have expressed concern about fines, raids and other actions that make doing business in China risky. Last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said during a visit to China that U.S. companies have complained to her that China has become "uninvestible".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sean Stein, Gina Raimondo, AmCham's Stein, Casey Hall, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, American Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai, U.S, Companies, . Commerce, Group, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Shanghai, Southeast Asia, India, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Alibaba said on Wednesday it would open its artificial intelligence model Tongyi Qianwen to the public, in a sign it has gained Chinese regulatory approval to mass-market the model. He was replaced by newly installed Alibaba Group CEO, Eddie Wu. In an internal letter to Alibaba staff on Tuesday, Wu said that AI would be at the centre of Alibaba Group's future strategy. Alibaba first unveiled Tongyi Qianwen in April, saying at the time that the AI large language model, which is similar to ChatGPT, would be integrated into all business applications.

Persons: Aly, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Wu, Wu, Tongyi Qianwen, Casey Hall, Tom Hogue Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, Cloud Intelligence Division, Zhejiang University, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, United States, DingTalk, Alibaba

A man walks past a logo of Alibaba Group at its office building in Beijing, China August 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - New Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu has told staff the tech giant's two main strategic focuses going forward will be "user first" and "AI-driven", according to an internal letter reviewed by Reuters. The new CEO, one of Alibaba Group's founders and long-time lieutenant of former chief Jack Ma, is laying out his strategic priorities at a key moment for Alibaba, which is undergoing the biggest organisational restructure of its 24-year history. Late on Sunday Alibaba also announced that Wu would concurrently serve as CEO of its cloud computing unit, replacing Daniel Zhang. The cloud unit is Alibaba's second-biggest revenue source after domestic e-commerce and houses the group's generative artificial intelligence model, Tongyi Qianwen.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Eddie Wu, Wu, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, ByteDance's Douyin, Casey Hall, Gerry Doyle, Stephen Coates Organizations: Alibaba Group, REUTERS, Rights, Alibaba, Reuters, Cloud Intelligence Group, PDD Holdings, Huawei Technologies, Tencent Holdings, HK, Baidu, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China

☆ China state TV slams beauty influencer who told off thrifty viewer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - China's state television criticised on Tuesday a famous beauty livestreamer who told off a viewer for complaining about the high price of an eyebrow pencil, as many Chinese feel the pinch from an economic slowdown. Livestreaming is big business in China, generating sales of $480 billion last year, and Li gets a commission from the products he sells on his livestreams. Li responded by saying prices were not rising and told the viewer that she couldn't afford the eyebrow pencil because she wasn't working hard enough. Hours later, he apologised to the viewer on this Weibo social media account, and then the following day, he apologised again on his livestream. ($1 = 7.2876 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall; editing by Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: livestreamer, Li Jiaqi, Li, Casey Hall, Miral Organizations: Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China

☆ The Secrets of Debate Swag
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And before you can say “in my prime” or “too honest,” it will end up on a T-shirt in a candidate’s store. At a point in the electoral cycle when candidates are desperate to distinguish themselves and have only minutes onstage to do so, being able to deliver a zinger that will play on via swag is a key advantage. Ever since the inauguration of George Washington, voters have been participating in the electoral process by means of merch. Back then, it was fancy commemorative buttons that were sewn onto clothes (and were, largely, accessible only to the well-off). Now, almost as soon as presidential contenders declare their candidacy and their websites go live, the shops go live with them.

Persons: George Washington Organizations: Republican Locations: swag

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the strong objections of the island's government. "This is a serious warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces colluding with external forces to provoke," it said. China has a particular dislike of Lai for his previous comments that he was a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. China has over the past three years ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, including sending military aircraft and warships near the island.

Persons: William Lai, Nancy Pelosi, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Lai, Deb Haaland, King Felipe VI, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Casey Hall, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, William Mallard Organizations: Joint Staff Office, Defense Ministry of Japan, Reuters, Eastern Theatre Command, U.S . House, U.S, Beijing, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Okinawa, Miyako, SHANGHAI, TAIPEI, Taiwan, United States, Taipei . Lai, Paraguay, China, Taipei, California, South, Asuncion

REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) work communication and collaboration platform DingTalk will split from the company's cloud division, according to two sources close to the company. Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Business Group did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the matter. Though the Slack-like DingTalk will split structurally from Alibaba's Cloud Business Intelligence unit, the sources said it would continue to work closely with the cloud division technology-wise. The tech giant announced the split of its business in March and has said the cloud division was likely to IPO by May next year. Alibaba Group last week reported better than expected results for its first quarter, but sales for its Cloud Intelligence Business Group, a major growth driver outside of e-commerce, reported the smallest revenue growth among the group's business units of 4%.

Persons: Aly, Group's, DingTalk, Casey Hall, Himani Sarkar, Conor Humphries Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Alibaba Holding, Cloud Intelligence Business Group, Cloud Business Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China

Analysts see this more than 7 percent increase in the number of drivers as a manifestation of the subdued job market. At least four others have issued warnings of overcapacity, with some saying drivers get fewer than 10 orders a day as a result. Cai said he earns 200-300 yuan a day, driving for Didi Global - China's answer to Uber - from 8.00 am until close to midnight. Up until recently, he made 400 yuan a day plus bonuses, going home before 8.00 pm. Shanghai driver Li Weimin's rationale for working underscores the shrinking job market.

Persons: Zhu Zhimin, Zhu, Wang Ke, James Cai, Cai, Didi, Wang, Nanxun Li, It's, Li, Casey Hall, Xihao Jiang, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Transport, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Cities, Sanya, Changsha, Haikou, Hainan, Analysys, Beijing

☆ China's livestreaming attracts young hopefuls as competition grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A day in the life of a livestreaming host like Zhang can include more than six hours of talking almost non-stop to camera, time spent on hair, make-up, and on post-broadcast debriefs. I can pick up my phone and I'm livestreaming," Zhang said. The livestreaming industry employed 1.23 million hosts as of 2020, according to iResearch, and a pandemic era boom in livestream sales helped the industry to generate $480 billion in business in China last year. To facilitate an increasingly professional and competitive livestreaming landscape, agencies have sprung up to train stables of young hosts and connect suitable anchors with brands. Indeed, the way brands approach livestreaming in China has also quickly evolved.

Persons: Zhang Jinyu, Zhang, Bytedance's, Shining Li, Shi Jianing, Hugo Boss, Casey Hall, Robert Birsel Organizations: Romomo, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shanghai

[1/5] A woman tastes lab-grown meat served by CellX at an event to mark the opening of the cultivated meat company's pilot production facility in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. As part of an event on Wednesday for government, investors and media, the cultivated meat company CellX served up meat developed in a laboratory from animal cells. The offerings included lab-grown meat kebabs and tofu with minced lab-grown meat. The company, founded in 2020, is among a handful of front runners in lab-grown meat production in China. (This story has been corrected to say lab-grown meat, not lab-grown lamb, in paragraph 3)($1=7.20 yuan)Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Neil FullickOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: CellX, Aly Song SHANGHAI, Ziliang Yang, Yang, it's, Leticia Goncalves, Casey Hall, Miyoung Kim, Neil Fullick Organizations: REUTERS, Daniels, Midland, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Singapore, U.S, Europe

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK) reported its strongest quarterly revenue growth in almost two years on Thursday, boosted by a mid-year shopping festival that attracted bargain hunting consumers amid a sober economic environment. The Chinese e-commerce giant posted first-quarter revenue of 234.16 billion yuan ($32.29 billion), up 14% from the prior-year quarter which was hit by strict pandemic lockdowns. The figurebeat analysts' estimates of 224.92 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. Regulatory concern has eased for China's tech giants, including Alibaba, this year, with Chinese authorities keen to boost private sector confidence. (1 Chinese yuan renminbi = $0.1387)Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Yongming Wu, Alibaba's, Joseph Tsai, Yuvraj Malik, Shounak Dasgupta, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Cloud Intelligence Group, Tmall, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Alibaba, Bengaluru

Travellers walk past an installation in the shape of five stars, at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/file photoBEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. Shares in firms in the latest group of countries with large exposure to Chinese travel demand jumped on the news. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fumio Kishida, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Casey, Sophie Yu, Joyce Lee, Jamie Freed, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, South, Grand Korea, Reuters, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Britain, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, South Korean, U.S, Shanghai, Seoul

In a filing to Shanghai's stock exchange, CanSino said it would manufacture and supply unspecified mRNA products to AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca said the deal would support investigational mRNA vaccines in its early pipeline. The country approved in March its first homegrown mRNA vaccine against COVID, developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (1093.HK). CanSino has been working on its own mRNA COVID vaccine, and said in February it was in discussion with Chinese regulators around the protocol for a late-stage study for its COVID mRNA booster vaccine, CS-2034. It also comes after vaccine maker Moderna (MRNA.O), which has said that it was keen to sell its mRNA vaccine to China, announced a deal last month to develop and manufacture mRNA medicines in the country.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Biologics, CanSino, Wang Wentao, Casey Hall, Ludwig Burger, Miyoung Kim, Mark Potter, Himani Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, HK, CSPC Pharmaceutical, CS, Communist Party, China's Commerce, Moderna, Thomson Locations: Swedish, China, Frankfurt

"The luxury industry seems to be outperforming the consumer market as a whole in China, but you know, really, almost everyone you speak to, there's a level of uncertainty," said Agility's managing director Amrita Banta. "There's a level of not feeling entirely comfortable with their future economic position that is really affecting almost everybody in China." Those factors disproportionately affect "aspirational" luxury customers who can easily live without another Gucci bag or $900 pair of sneakers. In China, luxury consumers are younger than in the rest of the world with an average age of 28, according to BCG - something companies had seen as positive for future growth. "In the trends that I'm seeing in the U.S. and also in China, more aspirational younger consumers are feeling more of a pain," Morningstar senior equity analyst Jelena Sokolova said.

Persons: Richemont, splurge, Morgan Stanley, Hermes, Chanel, Amrita Banta, Dior, Balenciaga, Gucci, Jelena Sokolova, HSBC's Erwan, Rambourg, Casey Hall, Mimosa Spencer, Catherine Evans Organizations: Cartier, Citigroup, Richemont, Citi, LVMH, Bain, Morningstar, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, PARIS, China, North America, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Charlotte, Nashville, Swiss, Americas, Asia, United States, luxury's, U.S, Japan

☆ Shanghai restaurant caters to pampered pets with gourmet dog's dinners
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, July 18 (Reuters) - Hengheng's friends could tell she was enjoying her birthday party in the pricey, health-conscious restaurant in downtown Shanghai by the way she licked her food off the plate. "If my dog is happy then I am happy. China's pet economy was worth 493.6 billion yuan ($69 billion) last year, a 25% increase on the previous year, according to data from research firm iiMedia Research. It is expected to reach 811.4 billion yuan by 2025. ($1 = 7.1867 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hengheng, Tiffany Wang, Ma Tao, It's, Casey Hall, Conor Humphries Organizations: Border Collie, Dog, iiMedia, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China

☆ Jeweller Bulgari apologises after Taiwan listing sparks fury in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, July 11 (Reuters) - High-end jeweller Bulgari has apologised after allegedly listing Taiwan as independent from China on an overseas website, sparking a furious response on Chinese social media. The company and its Chinese celebrity ambassadors became trending topics on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform after users spotted the country drop down menu on Bulgari's website. The controversy prompted state media outlet Global Times to post on social media that: "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and cannot be listed as a country". It's not the first foreign brand to face the wrath of Chinese social media users aggrieved about a perceived territorial slight. Reporting by Casey Hall Editing by Ed Osmond and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bulgari, It's, Versace, Casey Hall, Ed Osmond, Mark Potter Organizations: Twitter, Times, Givenchy, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau

☆ Joseph Pedott, 91, Dies; Made Chia Pets an ‘as Seen on TV’ Sensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Alex Traub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Joseph Pedott, whose decades of commercials for the zany plantlike figurines known as Chia Pets launched them into the pantheon of American consumer culture, died on June 22 in San Francisco. The origins of the Chia Pet’s popularity can be traced to March 1977, when Mr. Pedott (pronounced PEE-dot), an independent advertising executive, wandered around a Chicago home and housewares trade expo looking for new clients. “He said, ‘There’s this stupid item called the Chia Pet. I don’t know why anybody buys it,’” Mr. Pedott later recalled. The sales executive faxed Mr. Pedott a picture of the stupid item in question.

Persons: Joseph Pedott, Chia Pets, Sherry Ettleson, Pedott, ’, faxed Mr Locations: San Francisco, Chicago, Oaxaca, Mexico

☆ China's biggest online travel agency to pay employees 1 billion yuan to have kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company, one of the world's largest online travel agencies, with 400 million users, said it would pay a parental cash subsidy of 10,000 yuan annually for five years for every child born to its employees worldwide. The programme will cost about 1 billion yuan, the company said. "I have always suggested that the government give money to families with children, especially multiple children, to ... help more young people fulfil their desire to have multiple children," Trip.com executive chairman James Liang said in a statement. China's birth rate last year fell to 6.77 births per 1,000 people, from 7.52 births in 2021, the lowest on record. Young people cite high childcare and education costs, low income, a weak social safety net and gender inequality, as discouraging factors.

Persons: James Liang, demographers, Young, Liang, Casey Hall, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Trip.com, HK, Authorities, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China

☆ Brands focus on stories in refining China livestreaming to boost profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Livestreaming sessions by Chinese livestreamers Li Jiaqi and Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, (L) are seen on Alibaba's e-commerce app Taobao displayed on mobile phones in this illustration picture taken December 14, 2021. Stellar growth boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic saw the industry employ more than 1.23 million livestream hosts by 2020, says researcher iResearch, along with numerous accompanying livestream-related training academies and agencies. While Tmall and Li Jiaqi remain powerful, brands moving away from that strategy are cutting reliance on massive discounts and even his famous exhortation, "Oh my god! Liu once thought her brand's price point of about 2,000 yuan ($277) for its dresses made it incompatible with bargain-heavy livestreaming. The dominance of pureplay sales platforms such as Alibaba's Tmall and Taobao, along with JD.com (9618.HK), is increasingly challenged by entertainment and information-led platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Persons: Li Jiaqi, Huang Wei, Florence Lo, Apple's, William Lau, Clyde, iResearch, Jacob Cooke, Li, Liu, Hugo Boss, superhost Viya, Lexie Moris, Betty, Casey Hall, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Apple Watch, HK, Tmall, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, Douyin

The executive, who was expected to make a visit this month, walked through the WF Central mall in Beijing, China on Tuesday, photos circulating on social media showed. The photos showed Arnault with his daughter, Dior CEO Delphine Arnault, and son Jean Arnault, who works for Louis Vuitton, as well as Dior's China president Monika Figlewicz. Other Beijing residents, posting on social media site Xiaohongshu, reported seeing Arnault at luxury department store SKP. LVMH, which owns labels ranging from Hennessy cognac to fashion houses Dior and Louis Vuitton, declined to comment. "The Chinese are very important clients," Louis Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari told Reuters in an interview last week.

Persons: Bernard Arnault, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Gonzalo, Read, Dior, Delphine Arnault, Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton, Monika Figlewicz, Hennessy, Pietro Beccari, Pharrell Williams, Casey Hall, Brenda Goh, Mimosa Spencer, Conor Humphries Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, WF, Reuters, Tiffany, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, SHANGHAI, PARIS, China, Beijing, China . China

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