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☆ 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

Indeed, studies show that drinking alcohol is less in vogue with younger millennials and Gen Z. Mounting concern around weight loss drugs GLP-1 drugs, which mimic the action of the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone and stimulate insulin secretion after a meal, lower blood sugar and send feeling of fullness to the brain. What's more, GLP-1 drugs are an overwhelmingly American topic, with most Europeans unaware of them or unwilling to pay high prices. In total, GLP-1 users are only a very small slice of total alcohol consumers, said Spiros Malandrakis, lead alcohol industry researcher at Euromonitor International. The most vulnerable purveyors are those that are trailing the shift in consumption, notably domestic, non-premium beer brands.

Persons: Katie Pell, Pell, wasn't, millennials, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Goldman Sachs, Jason English, Nadine Sarwat, Bernstein, Sarwat, Spiros Malandrakis, —, BUD YTD, who'd, Mickey Velado, Brian Sudano, Nell Healy, Healy, she's, Malandrakis, Ryan Brigden, Brigden, Sudano, Joseph Gabelli, Gabelli, Z, there's, it's, Garrett Nelson, They've, seltzer, Nelson, Molson Coors, Bud, he's Organizations: Gallup, Drugs, Nordisk's Ozempic, JPMorgan, CNBC, Euromonitor, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Beverage Marketing, Constellation, Guinness, Corona, Heineken, Athletic Brewing Company, Heineken Holding, Carlsberg, Constellation Brands, Malandrakis, Beverage, Gabelli, Diageo, Molson Coors, Busch InBev, Molson, Anheuser Busch Locations: Brooklyn, U.S, GLP, imbibing, Angeles, Colorado, Washington, California, North Carolina, San Francisco Bay, Europe, British, Brazil, India

Western automakers are rattled, with Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Peugeot-to-Fiat carmaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI), warning last month of an "invasion" of cheap Chinese EVs in Europe. But Chinese brands are likely to struggle to sell cars in Europe as cheaply as at home. CONSUMER TRUSTWhile some Chinese brands, such as MG, are well known in Europe, others like XPeng (9868.HK) and Nio need to build trust. Surveys indicate most potential EV buyers in Europe do not recognise Chinese brands. But among those aware of Chinese brands, 1% or fewer would consider buying one.

Persons: Annegret, Carlos Tavares, Chen Shihua, ” Shihua, Spiros Fotinos, Alexander Klose, BYD, Geely’s Lynk, Tesla, Aiways, Zeekr's Fotinos, ” Fotinos, Klose, Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Gilles Gillaume, Giulio Piovaccari, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Allianz . Western, Peugeot, Fiat, EV, New Energy Vehicle, Jato Dynamics, Logistics, Geely, South Korean, YouGov, GAC, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe, BERLIN, China, Beijing, Munich, Milan

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Zeekr, Geely Automobile's (0175.HK) electric brand, said on Wednesday that two of its all-electric luxury cars are available for pre-order in the Netherlands and Sweden, joining a growing number of Chinese EV makers launching vehicles in Europe. Deliveries for the Zeekr 001 estate and the Zeekr X SUV are set to begin in the autumn, the company said. Pricing for the Zeekr 01 starts at 59,490 euros ($65,076) including taxes, while the Zeekr X starts 44,990 euros. "Our plan is that through 2026 we will cover the majority of western Europe," he told Reuters. Other Chinese EV makers including BYD, Xpeng and Aiways have all launched sales in Europe, seeking to gain market share while many consumers are still new to EVs.

Persons: Geely Automobile's, Spiros Fotinos, Europe's, Fotinos, Nick Carey, Johan Ahlander, Sameer Manekar, Janane Venkatraman, David Evans Organizations: HK, EV, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, Sweden, Europe, Gothenburg, Spiros, Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, China, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Bengaluru

☆ Burundi-born ex-police officer seeks to be Greece's first Black lawmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Conservative New Democracy party candidate Spiros Richard Hagabimana arrives for an election campaign event at the neighbourhood of Nikaia, near Athens, Greece, May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza VradiSALAMINA, Greece, May 16 (Reuters) - In working-class neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Athens, Spiros Richard Hagabimana is going door-to-door in an election campaign that could see him become Greece's first Black lawmaker. Dressed in a suit and tie, Hagabimana walks the streets of the constituency he is contesting in Greece's May 21 election, meeting voters in farmers' markets and cafes. 'I WOULD HAVE BEEN FINISHED'Hagabimana first arrived in Greece in 1991 on a scholarship to study at the Naval Academy. Hagabimana, then a National Police officer, refused orders to suppress demonstrators and was jailed and beaten, he said.

The hedge funds said they can share ideas, but cannot reveal their trading positions for regulatory reasons. Reddy said he preferred senior unsecured bank debt, that allowed bondholders payment ahead of some other creditors in the event of an insolvency. Taking bearish positions on banks that lend to smaller and medium sized firms could prove opportunistic if the economy weakens, he added. Trend-wise the Japanese yen should continue to weaken," said Chua, noting that central banks in Asia have slowed or paused rate hikes. Insurers, which holds commercial mortgage-backed securities and property, will likely feel pressures on CRE, he said.

☆ China's Zeekr hires ex-Lexus brand veteran to helm Europe operations -memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, April 14 (Reuters) - China's Zeekr has hired a former Lexus executive to helm its operations in Europe, according to a memo seen by Reuters, as the electric vehicle (EV) maker plans to sell into the region later this year. Spiros Fotinos, who spent 24 years with Toyota (7203.T) and led the brand management of Lexus globally, joined Zeekr in September as the chief executive officer of Zeekr Europe to oversee the brand's operation in the region, the memo showed. The Geely-owned (GEELY.UL) (0175.HK) brand said on Wednesday it planned to offer the SUV-styled Zeekr X and its Zeekr 001 EV sedan in western Europe. Zeekr previously said it would start delivering in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. It aims to sell 140,000 Zeekr cars this year, doubling the figure in 2022, An added.

After a bank run of $42 billion in withdrawals, Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by regulators on Friday. The founders were banking at Silicon Valley Bank and wanted to switch banks immediately after being told by their venture investors that the bank was suffering from "liquidity issues." The go-to bank of Silicon ValleySilicon Valley Bank has been a pillar of the startup of ecosystem for four decades, acting as the go-to financial institution for VC fundraising and building strong ties with founders and investors alike. This helped bolster SVB's reputation as the go-to bank of Silicon Valley in the good times, but exacerbated the crisis when it hit Thursday and Friday. "If you're given responsibility to run this iconic Silicon Valley company, you need some humility."

☆ Cool girls don't drink alcohol anymore
▼ + stars: | 2021-11-06 | by ( Allana Akhtar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Young women are using Instagram and TikTok to show others you can be both "cool" and sober. Alcohol alternative drink sales rose this year, on the heels of the "trendy" sober curious movement. Young women like Gomez are on a mission to prove it's "cool" not to drink, and ditching alcohol can even help women achieve self-care and empowerment. Plus, CBD-infused drinks — like ultimate cool girl Bella Hadid's Kin brand — promise a similar buzz without impairing your health or decision-making. Gomez's drink-less Instagram could have an aspirational effect: You can be a cool girl like her — if you don't drink.

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