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Consumers

Consumers
News about consumer spending and shifting shopping habits from around the world with a focus on developments in Hong Kong and mainland China.
last updated:
27 August, 2024
Greenpeace campaigners calling for a cut in plastic production at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on October 19. Its survey found that 97 per cent of the waste collected from two ecologically important riverbanks is plastic. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong environmental issues

Opinion | What Hong Kong’s 2023 waste data tells us, and what it doesn’t

The good news of less waste generated is tempered by the lack of clarity on plastic waste statistics and officials’ mistaken faith in incineration as a solution.

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China exports

How ‘made in China’ became trendy, thanks to Labubu toy’s Asia-wide success

China stock market

Buy or wait? Consumers put Beijing on hook for more rescue subsidies

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Japan

‘Very worrying’: record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, survey shows

Economy, rising prices, uncertain job prospects and the state of the world among reasons for concern, as more feel standard of living declining.

A new survey shows a record high 78.2 per cent of Japanese people are anxious about their lives. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | True Hong Kong service won’t be found in an order-it-yourself app

From QR codes to place an order in restaurants to self-service checkouts, cold tech is taking away the warmth of proper service.

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China jobs

How China’s consumption downgrade pushed small businesses to the brink

Small-business owners have been forced to cut staff and close stores in ever greater numbers in recent months, adding to China’s economic gloom.

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Hong Kong property

Mainland Chinese retailers make their presence felt in Hong Kong

China’s largest coffee chain opens first outlet in the city as it goes up against US rival Starbucks.

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Luckin Coffee, China’s biggest coffee chain, has expanded into Hong Kong. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong watchdog receives 19 complaints over Real Madrid fan meet fiasco

Consumer Council cites organisers as saying they will not be issuing full refunds.

Electric & new energy vehicles

EV maker Nio unveils Firefly branded cars to take on Mini Cooper and Smart

The launch is an advancement in Nio’s drive into international markets.

China economy

Editorial | Patience needed when it comes to managing the economic recovery

Bringing about meaningful structural changes and stimulating healthy growth in the world’s second-largest economy is no simple task.

A quality inspector checks crankshafts at a factory which produces the mechanical component for both the domestic market and export in Binzhou in China’s eastern Shandong province. Photo: AFP
China's economic recovery

China sees surge in travel demand for extended Lunar New Year holiday

Flights and group tours are already booking up weeks ahead of the eight-day public holiday, which begins on January 28.

Crowds of people walk past the Peace Hotel on Shanghai’s Bund during the Lunar New Year holiday in February 2024. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | Why China will struggle to boost consumption

A system which emphasises stability and control will face challenges in uncovering the DNA of the Chinese consumer.

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Stocks

Chinese toymaker Pop Mart’s 370% surge fuelled by blind box collectibles

Pop Mart’s blind box toys have become a global sensation, turning the toymaker into the hottest Chinese growth company.

Japan

In Japan, a protein pioneer’s edible insect experiment fails to fly

The founder of Gryllus Inc, which has filed for bankruptcy, maintains that his company’s insect-based food was ahead of its time.

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While crickets are traditionally consumed as snacks in rural Japan, Gryllus Inc. aimed to elevate their status as a viable food source. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | In 2025, the only constant in China will be change

With China’s economic and social landscape set to be reshaped, businesses must stay agile and be prepared for change and uncertainty.

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A worker makes Christmas decorations at a workshop in Huaibei, in China’s eastern Anhui province, on December 10. Photo: AFP
Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Claws celebre: complaints spike over Hong Kong’s claw machines

One enthusiast says he received just a few trinkets instead of the waffle maker he had spent HK$500 securing.

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Starbucks

Starbucks hires chief growth officer in China to fight off Luckin Coffee

Tony Yang will focus on attracting young coffee drinkers via tie-ups with entertainment franchises and pop culture icons.

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Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Plasticisers in nearly half of desk mats sold in Hong Kong exceed EU standards

Seven out of 15 products tested by Consumer Council contain ‘reproductive toxicants’ at levels that could harm users’ endocrine system.

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has found that one tested writing mat contained plasticisers over 220 times the EU limit. Photo: Elson Li
China's economic recovery

China’s November consumption misses estimate, adds urgency to stimulus

Retail sales grew by just 3.0 per cent last month, while property investment also continued to drag, falling by 10.4 per cent in first 11 months.

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Hong Kong property

More Hong Kong shops to close, as retail shifts online

Local beauty brand JaneClare is an example of a firm that is making money online, but still values real-world spaces.

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China technology

Chinese venture capital firm finds growth in niche spending amid overall slump

BA Capital has been able to tap into niche consumer areas to grow into a firm with US$1.38 billion under management.

Furry dolls from Chinese toy company Pop Mart are pictured during the opening ceremony for its new store in Bangkok on July 5. Photo: Xinhua
TikTok

TikTok Shop is outperforming Shein and Sephora among US shoppers online

A new consumer trends report found that 45 per cent of surveyed Americans have bought something on TikTok.

TikTok Shop launched in September 2023. File photo: Shutterstock
Beauty

What perfumes do Chinese like? New trends as industry surges

With the Chinese perfume market far outpacing the global one, experts reveal note trends in mainland China and Hong Kong, and in Singapore.

E-commerce

Beijing puts e-commerce sector’s ‘refund-only’ policy and PDD under scrutiny

The State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Commerce have directed Pinduoduo owner PDD to fix this practice.

Banking & finance

China’s Urban Revivo takes global fashion push to Bangkok, New York, London

Parent FMG is also reportedly planning a more than US$100 million initial public offering in Hong Kong.

Urban Revivo’s largest store in Southeast Asia in the One Bangkok complex, pictured on December 12, 2024. Photo: Yuke Xie
China stock market

China consumer spending to rise modestly in 2025, Bain and Kantar say

Report predicts a single-digit percentage rise in the value of consumer spending next year, as volume rises while price pressures continue.

Tourists walk past a shopping mall in Kunming City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on December 6, 2024. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV start-up Hozon eyes exports to ride out price war

The Shanghai-based EV maker aims to sell 50 per cent of its cars overseas by 2026 and turn a profit the same year, founder Fang Yunzhou says.

E-commerce

No Black Friday windfall for Chinese online shops selling overseas

Cut-to-the-bone pricing is eating into the profit margins of Chinese merchants selling online to global shoppers.

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