Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in China, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Shares of Chinese online retailer LightInTheBox surged by more than a quarter on the New York Stock Exchange early on Monday, after the company announced it had started to accept payment in bitcoin. The Beijing-based firm is the latest in a growing list of…
Macy’s, the iconic US bricks-and-mortar retailer, has taken a digital-first approach in its effort to crack the complicated China market by using innovative virtual reality and influencer strategies. “When we came into China, we started digital first, and we…
Chinese textile producer Shandong Ruyi Group is emerging as leading bidder for Swiss luxury brand Bally International. In advanced negotiations with Bally’s owner, JAB Holding, the group has been discussing a price of about US$700 million, insiders say. Ruyi…
French fashion label Saint Laurent, part of Kering, will start selling online in China through a JD.com portal, joining shopping players like Alibaba in trying to tap strong luxury goods demand from Chinese consumers. The French brand created in 1961 by its…
After forming an e-commerce partnership with China’s JD.com, Thai retail giant Central Group expects online sales to account for as much as 15 per cent of its revenue in five years’ time, from 2 per cent now. CEO Tos Chirathivat says the $500 million JV,…
Suning Commerce Group, one of China’s largest non-government retailers, is showcasing its unmanned, automated Biu store at CES 2018 in Las Vegas this week. Running until Friday, CES is the global stage for new innovative consumer electronics. Suning’s…
With two more shops at year’s end, apparel company Bauhaus International (Holdings) had a modest rise in same-store sales for its latest nine months. The quarter reverses a trend of declining sales and store closures by the streetwear retailer. Unaudited…
China and Japan continue to grow as key markets for Swiss watches, reports the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. China had its strongest growth for 30 months at 39.8 per cent, while Japan, up 22.5 per cent, showed strong growth for the second month in…
2018 is just around the corner with Lunar New Year celebrations to follow in February. To commemorate the upcoming holiday, Japanese magnate BAPE is once again dropping its Chinese zodiac designs to celebrate the “Year of the Dog.” The collection features the…
Strong earnings in China and Southeast Asia have helped boost operating profit for Japanese developer Aeon Mall to about ¥33 billion (US$293 million) for the nine months to the end of November. This is up about 10 per cent on the same period a year earlier,…
JD.com plans to form a JV with online fashion retailer Meili to build and run a commerce platform on Chinese voice-messaging service Weixin. Merchants who sell through the new platform, expected to launch before the Lunar New Year next month, will gain access…
British retailer Topshop is about to make its Mainland China debut – opening its largest store in the world in Shanghai. To date, the fashion chain has opened just three stores in greater China – all of them in Hong Kong, where it made its debut in 2012.…
CapitaLand China is about to sell 20 malls across China, following a year of record openings for the Singapore group. Through its wholly owned subsidiary CapitaLand Mall Asia, CapitaLand has signed agreements with unrelated parties to divest its share of…
WeChat may soon become an indispensable part of the Chinese citizens after a report emerged claiming that the Tencent-owned messaging app will be used to officially ID people. The Guangzhou government has reportedly initiated a pilot program which creates a…
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd announced on Wednesday the opening of another 30 Hema Xiansheng fresh food supermarkets throughout Beijing this year, as internet giants focus increasingly on the lucrative fresh-food retail sector. The announcement came right before…
Italian fashion label Alberta Ferretti, part of the Aeffe group, has opened its first monobrand store in Shanghai. Covering 350sqm over two floors, the China flagship store is in the Shanghai Center in the Jingan district. Designed by Milan’s Storage…
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