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☆ The app data has spoken, and Gen Z's love for Temu is real
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Temu was the most downloaded app by Gen Z in the US in the first 10 months of 2024. AdvertisementAmerica's Gen Z is really here for Temu. The Chinese online marketplace was the most downloaded app by Gen Zers in the first 10 months of the year. "Gen Z values a highly curated shopping experience that delivers both variety and convenience at accessible price points," Whaley said. Gloria Gan, a lifestyle analyst at the UK-based market research firm Mintel, said Temu is making inroads with Gen Z because of the generation's "tech-savviness and frequent online shopping habits."

Persons: Temu, Gen Z, —, Gen Zers, Zers, TikTok, Jim Whaley, Whaley, Gloria Gan, Gen, Gan Organizations: Service, PDD Holdings, Daxue Consulting, Business, Amazon Locations: China, York

☆ A fluffy, $85 toy is taking Asia by storm and sparking legions of knockoffs. Inside the meteoric rise of Labubu.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Aditi Bharade | Erin Liam | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Labubu and Pop Mart phenomenonLabubu dolls at the opening of a Pop Mart store in Bangkok. AdvertisementIn a statement to BI, a representative from Pop Mart said that Labubu has gained a strong global fan base. Advertisement"There's a bit of a 'FOMO' feeling," said Sim, 31, who owns around six Labubu toys. She has around 17 Labubu toys and said she spent over $10,000 on them. Once, she even camped outside a Pop Mart store for the latest drop.

Persons: —, Grace Lee, Lee, ─, Joey Khong, Khong, Bangkok . Sun Weitong, Lung, it's restocked, Tony Lee, Mart doesn't, Taobao, Erin Liam, Lisa, Juda, Kanaprach, Gen Zers, They're, Labubu, It's, Sim Pei Yi, Sim, Ana Gonzales, she's, Gonzales, Tracy Hsu, Lisa —, Hsu Organizations: Service, Getty, Business, Pop, Pop Mart, Daxue Consulting, Southeast, Insight, Singapore, Mart Locations: Asia, Bangkok . Sun, Xinhua, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Pop, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, China, Philippines, New Jersey, California, Canada

☆ China's luxury slump is trickling down to other consumer companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Madeline Berg | Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's luxury slump is spreading to more consumer brands. Companies like Starbucks, Estée Lauder, and Nike have reported falling sales in the region. It's hitting Western brands particularly hard, as reflected by companies across the consumer sector reporting muted sales in China in the most recent quarter. Consumer spending in China never fully recovered after the government started lifting COVID-19 curbs in late 2022. AdvertisementAdidas managed to buck the trend, reporting sales up 9% in Greater China in the third quarter.

Persons: Estée Lauder, —, China's, MingYii Lai, Brian Niccol, L'Oréal, Lynn Song Organizations: Companies, Starbucks, Nike, Service, Burberry, Daxue Consulting, InBev, Carlsberg, Apple, Adidas, Heineken, Greater China, ING Locations: China, Beijing, Greater China, Greater

☆ Budget brands are winning in China as people turn to cheap food and fashion
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Companies like Japan's Saizeriya, Yum China, and Fast Retailing have recently reported strong sales. There are similarities between Japan's "Lost Decade" of economic stagnation in the 1990s, after the country's asset and credit bubbles burst, and China's economic downturn now. The ethos has benefited companies with budget offerings, including Yum China, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut in the country. Intense competitionHowever, China's market is a fast and furious one — even for winners — and the country's economic downturn has created cut-throat competition with aggressive price wars. As China's economic malaise deepened, boba tea went from premium pricing around $3.50 to $5.50 on average to as little as $1 or less over the last few years.

Persons: —, Hideharu Matsutani, Matsutani, Saizeriya, MingYii Lai, Lai, Uniqlo, boba, Jason Yu, Kantar, BI's Matthew Low, Allison Malmsten Organizations: Retailing, Service, McKinsey, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Daxue Consulting, Shoppers, Yum, Fast Retailing, — Locations: China, Japan, Beijing, Greater China, Yum China

☆ Young Chinese are looking for dupes and cheaper substitutes for everything from Hermès to travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Huileng Tan | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese consumers are opting for affordable alternatives across various categories to save money. The trend, known as pingti, is driven by economic challenges and is popular among young people. Consumers are finding cheaper substitutes for luxury goods, everyday items, and even healthcare. It's now become a trend in China to save on nearly every consumer category, from luxury goods to everyday consumables to travel, with cheaper substitutes. A Bank of America survey of 1,052 adult Chinese consumers showed weakening consumer sentiment, with 30% of respondents planning to spend more — down from 45% in June.

Persons: —, It's, Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder, MingYii Lai, it's, Lindy, Hermes Lindy, Lai, Ruth Jin, Xiaohongshu Cleo Xie, they've, She's, Xie, Jin, Yves Saint Laurent, Keith, she's Organizations: Service, Daxue Consulting, Bottega, Prada, University, Dai, PPI, Bank of America Locations: China, Xiaohongshu, Beijing, Ili, Xinjiang, Provence, France, Xishuangbanna, Laos, Myanmar, Bangkok, Thailand, Chengdu, Europe, Asia

☆ American fast-food giants are going big on a China wager, betting they can get the country's new middle class to love them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

An expansion rate surpassing America'sKFC, run by Shanghai-headquartered Yum China, has historically enjoyed the lion's share of the country's fast-food cravings. Hopes for a new middle class in ChinaCities in China are unofficially grouped into tiers according to their status, size, and wealth. Chinese KFC has nearly doubled its menu itemsExpanding during a sluggish economy might make sense for fast food brands, which are often classified as recession-proof as consumers downgrade their spending. Advertisement"Now, they are doubling down further on this strategy by expanding into the inland regions of China, especially Tier Three and Tier Four cities with a growing middle class," they told BI. Yum China has also been expanding aggressively in the country's burgeoning coffee scene, establishing a popular spin-off called KCoffee.

Persons: —, It's, McDonald's, Shaun Rein, Rein, Allison Malmsten, Malmsten, Cui Nan, Wang Gang, Jonathan Bernstein, Bernstein, Kung Fu, Daxue, it's, They've Organizations: Service, Thursday, Business, McDonald's, Tier, China Market Research Group, KFC, LONG, Future Publishing, Getty Images, China, US, Yum China, Daxue Consulting, Publishing, China News Service, Getty, Analysts, Yonder Consulting Locations: China, Kentucky, Weibo, Hangzhou, China's, Shanghai, China Cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanyang, Suqian, Jiangsu, London, Asia, Shanghai thronged

☆ These are the 5 luxury items China's Gen Z is going nuts for, a retail expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Related storiesThat makes sense because, per Germano, Gen Z Chinese buyers are less logo-orientated than their parents' generations. Saint LaurentGermano's third pick was the Saint Laurent Niki Medium bag, which retails for $3,150. Yves Saint LaurentThe Saint Laurent Le 5 à 7 Hobo handbag, which retails from $1,750 to $5,100, is another one of Germano's picks. Jeremy Moeller/Getty ImagesMaison Margiela's Replica sneakers are trendy among Chinese Gen Z-ers, Germano said. Like the understated Saint Laurent Le 5 à 7 Hobo, Maison Margiela's Replica sneakers are simple and discreet enough for everyday use.

Persons: —, Zers, Antonello Germano, Z, GG Marmont, Gucci, Marmont, Edward Berthelot, Germano, Gucci Horsebit, Jeremy Moeller, Gen, millennials, Laurent Niki, Saint Laurent Germano's, Saint Laurent Niki, Saint Laurent, Laurent Le, Yves Saint Laurent The, Yves Saint Laurent The Saint Laurent Le, Germano's, Laurent, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Bernard Arnault's LVMH, Louis Vuitton, Maison, Saint Laurent Le Organizations: Service, Daxue Consulting, Business, Getty, Saint, Yves Saint Laurent The Saint, tote, Bloomberg, Swatch, Dior Locations: China, Givenchy, Japan, Miami

☆ The Chinese economy is so bad, even Chinese people can't be enticed into buying dirt-cheap mega-sale items
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese e-commerce giants try to lure in customers with attractive salesHistorically, e-commerce has accounted for a hefty chunk of China's retail spending. AdvertisementIn 2023, online retail sales nationwide reached $2.12 trillion, accounting for 27.6% of the total retail sales of consumer goods in the country, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. China's youth unemployment rate stood at 14.9% as of December, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. And the average per capita income in China in the first quarter of 2024 was $905, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that new home prices in 70 major Chinese cities were down 0.7% from April.

Persons: —, they've, Alibaba, JD.com, Allison Malmsten, Yaling Jiang, they're, Jiang, Evergrande Organizations: Service, Business, CNBC, National Bureau of Statistics, Apple, Daxue Consulting, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: China

☆ The diamond industry is in trouble as it loses its sparkle in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In China, the industry's second-largest market, lab-grown varieties, a sluggish luxury market, and low marriage rates are causing it to lose its sparkle. Related storiesCook said one issue is a shift in perception of lab-grown diamonds in the country. The Knot's Real Weddings Study found that nearly half of engagement rings bought in the US last year featured a lab-grown diamond as a center stone. A social media analysis by Daxue Consulting found that lab-grown diamonds are also gaining traction in China, particularly among cash-strapped younger people. Even so, De Beers recently announced that it would halt its six-year experiment with selling lab-grown diamond jewelry.

Persons: —, Duncan Wanblad, De Beers, Wanblad, Al Cook, Cook, Paul Zimnisky, Zimnisky Organizations: Service, Financial, Business, Financial Times, Daxue Consulting Locations: China, De Beers

☆ Diamond industry 'in trouble' as lab-grown gemstones tank prices further
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Diamond prices have fallen 5.7% so far this year, according to Zimnisky's rough diamond index, declining more than 30% from their all-time high in 2022. Lab-grown diamonds, which can be up to 85% cheaper than natural diamonds, are made in a controlled environment using extreme pressure and heat. Lab-grown diamond sales have surged from just 2% of the global diamond jewelry market in 2017 to 18.4% in 2023, according to data provided by Zimnisky. An industry 'in trouble'"The diamond industry is in trouble," Daga told CNBC, adding that he believes natural diamond prices could fall another 15%-20% over the next 12 months. Similar to a natural diamond, a lab-grown diamond is graded based on the 4Cs — clarity, color, cut and carat weight.

Persons: Leon Neal, Duncan Wanblad, De, Paul Zimnisky, De Beers, Marcelo Esquivel, Ankur Daga, Daga, Anish Aggarwal, Lionel Bonaventure Organizations: Afp, Getty, De, BHP, Financial Times, De Beers, CNBC, Daxue Consulting, Bloomberg, Zimnisky Locations: Harrods, London, De Beers, American, China, U.S

☆ In China’s battle of the lattes, Luckin Coffee keeps beating Starbucks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Luckin, which already calls itself China’s biggest coffee chain, says it had surpassed Starbucks in mainland China by number of outlets in 2019. By the end of 2023, Luckin had 16,218 stores in China, nearly double its 2022 count of more than 8,200. Starbucks’ outlets in China are entirely company-owned. The number of branded coffee shops in China jumped 58% in the past twelve months, reaching 49,691 outlets, according to a December report by World Coffee Portal. Making a comebackBy 2019, the company had outnumbered Starbucks stores in China, with more than 4,500 outlets, according to the company.

Persons: Luckin, ”, Jinyi Guo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nasdaq, Starbucks, CNN, International Coffee Organization, Daxue Consulting, Visual China, Centurium, US Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Xiamen, United States, Beijing, New York, American

[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

☆ From ice cream to cattle feed: Here are the winners and losers as the summer heat bears down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With temperatures hitting all-time highs, consumers are turning to ice cream and chilled drinks to beat the heat — and analysts say some sectors could benefit. Several Southeast Asian cities hit record high temperatures in May as global climate change exacerbates heat waves and air pollution in the region. A street vendor selling bottles of chilled water amid high temperatures in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. "Use of air-conditioning will skyrocket, benefiting the HVAC industry but leading to extremely high levels of energy usage," said Allison Malmsten, public research director at Daxue Consulting. Cattle feeding at a cattle farm on December 13, 2020 in Pingliang, Gansu Province of China.

Persons: Bain, Zara Lightowler, Kuo, David Kuo, Allison Malmsten, Daxue, Rice Organizations: Getty, Company's, Vitasoy, Cola, PepsiCo, Bloomberg, Unilever, Smart Investor ., Daxue Consulting, Visual China, Co's, Sustainability Locations: Srinagar, Indian, Kashmir, Asia, El, Southeast Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Pingliang, Gansu Province, China, Laos, Malaysia

☆ How a quest for identity made China the luxury powerhouse that it is today
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Traditions provide identity. As CCP has destroyed Chinese traditions, luxury brands step in to provide that," he tweeted. Consider this: The country's luxury market is set to hit 816 billion yuan, or $115 billion, by 2025. "Traditions provide identity. Rapid urbanization and consumerism did more to fuel China's luxury boom than a lack of religion, he said.

Persons: Desmond Shum, —, That's, PwC, Bernard Arnault —, Shum —, Shum, Simon & Schuster, Pierre Xiao Lu, Lu, Karl Gerth, Gerth, Yuwan Hu, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton Organizations: CCP, Service, Privacy, Shanghai's Fudan University, Wharton, University of California, Daxue Consulting Locations: China, Europe, Today's China, San Diego, Beijing

☆ 6 companies that struck it big on China's zero-COVID policies and came out on top after 3 years of lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As China kept to its chaotic zero-COVID push, a few companies reaped the rewards of a country prone to lockdowns. Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesChina's economy suffered under zero-COVID, growing by just 3% in 2022 — one of the country's lowest levels ever. As China's economy reopens after a rollback of the zero-COVID policy on December 7, local media and social bloggers are heaping attention on how much was spent on the lockdowns, and who benefited from the expenditures. However, a select pool of firms and industries gained massive rewards from the years of lockdowns and constant testing. Here are six companies and sectors that came out on top during China's zero-COVID policy.

☆ Luxury stocks rally from China reopening, but world's largest luxury market may choose to shop 'in-house'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the past, trips abroad often included personal luxury purchases for affluent Chinese consumers looking to take advantage of currency and tax benefits. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty Images"China's domestic luxury consumption should far exceed that of overseas luxury consumption," said Zhang, who estimates that in the long run, domestic luxury consumption will account for 70% of the Chinese luxury consumers' spending, and a mere 30% from abroad. That would be the inverse of spending patterns before 2017, when over 70% of Chinese luxury spending took place outside of China, according to Zhang. He added it is unlikely the share of overseas luxury shopping for Chinese consumers will recover to pre-pandemic levels of over 70%. The increasing digitalization of shopping processes has also facilitated Chinese shopping online for luxury goods, Bain & Co said in a report.

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