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TOPIC

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.
People shop at CoCo Park in Shenzhen last month. Photo: Edmond So
China consumption

Shenzhen’s economic dilemma: soaring GDP, stagnant consumption

Shenzhen’s retail sales barely rose in the first quarter despite strong GDP growth, a sign of the Chinese tech hub’s unbalanced development.

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US-China relations

Exiting China market a ‘self-inflicted wound’ for US tech, think tank warns

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong residential property upturn drives recovery in office, retail sectors

Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

International carmakers launch tailored models and accelerate R&D as they scramble to match the speed and sophistication of domestic rivals.

Illustration: Henry Wong
China trade

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

A new cold-storage rail service is whisking mountains of durians from Thailand to China, reducing prices for the prized fruit.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Lights, camera, traction: China’s EV race rolls out film-projecting headlights

Ultra-fast charging technology and a wave of smart features are helping Chinese EVs win over overseas buyers.

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Retailing

Ikea to open first small-format Beijing store to tap changing consumer trends

The Tongzhou district outlet marks the furniture retailer’s pivot to compact formats as China’s property slump hits home-furnishing demand.

Ikea’s smaller stores focus on design services and curated product selections, rather than maintaining extensive on-site inventory, according to analysts. Photo: Handout
Pop Mart

Pop Mart comes with a cool idea for red-hot Labubu: mini-fridges

The Chinese toymaker is launching two limited-edition Labubu-themed mini-refrigerators priced at US$878 each.

China manufacturing

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

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China’s private sector

Turning cast-offs into cash: China’s Zhuanzhuan looks to Europe, US for growth

From phones to luxury bags, the recycling platform wants to take its ‘trash to treasure’ model global as second-hand demand accelerates.

China’s recycling start-up Zhuanzhuan plans to tap into Europe and the US. Photo: Handout
China economy

Letters | ‘Made in China’ label should be source of pride

Readers discuss the value of goods made in China, and Hong Kong’s mega-event strategy.

Employees sew clothes for export at a factory in Tongren in southwestern China’s Guizhou province on May 15, 2025. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

Beijing ramps up tax crackdown, frames consumption levies as fiscal lifelines

Authorities target retailers, shell companies and off-the-books manoeuvres to lessen tax liabilities.

Pop Mart

China’s Pop Mart eyes expansion at home and abroad for its Pop Land theme park

The company’s sole theme park in Beijing will launch its upgraded Labubu Forest Zone on Thursday.

China stock market

Baijiu bet: top China fund manager backs consumer rebound

Zhang Kun ramps up exposure to liquor makers and e-commerce, backing a gradual recovery in consumption despite weak retail data.

Zhang Kun, star investor at E Fund Management, is betting on a rebound in the consumer sector. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song
Indonesia

Can Indonesia’s front-of-pack nutrition labels help fight rising obesity?

Indonesians welcome the new labelling system to reduce sugar, salt and fat intake, but experts warn it is not a ‘silver bullet’.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s premium EVs mount tech-powered challenge to BMW, Mercedes-Benz at expo

10-day show in Beijing, the world’s largest, to feature 1,451 models and exhibition area of 380,000 square metres.

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Cambodia

Cambodia is boycotting Thai products. Smuggled chicken could show otherwise

The Cambodian public is maintaining a boycott of Thai businesses even as the country’s economy is reeling from the global fuel crisis.

Cambodian boats stopped by Thai authorities earlier this month in Thailand’s eastern coastal province of Trat. Photo: Facebook / RTNSpokesperson
Electric & new energy vehicles

CATL to supercharge China’s EV sector with revamped battery tech

World’s largest EV battery producer reveals third-gen product that charges in under six and a half minutes, easing drivers’ range anxiety.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s state energy firm raises fuel prices, risking subsidy strain

Analysts warn the price increases could encourage better-off consumers to switch to products meant for lower-income households.

E-commerce

Hidden office, fractured bone: violent clashes in China’s food safety crackdown

Details of secrecy, obstruction and violence emerge from a probe into 67,000 ‘ghost’ bakeries across China’s biggest e-commerce platforms.

Regulators have imposed the heaviest fine of 1.51 billion yuan on PDD and suspended it from adding new bakery merchants for nine months. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong property

‘Kidults’ and nostalgia drive Toys ‘R’ Us pivot as Hong Kong retail evolves

The retailer is refining its operations with smaller outlets and lifestyle products to capture new demand from Gen Z and young adults.

Toys and collectibles are no longer bought only by children but increasingly by adults, says Leo Tsoi. Photo: Jonathan Wong
US, Israel war on Iran

Why Iran war is making petrol cars an unwanted luxury in Asia

From Nepal to Vietnam, soaring fuel costs are making petrol cars a luxury as Asia outpaces Europe in the race to go electric.

China trade

Record-setting Canton Fair under Middle East cloud as costs hit China’s exports

Manufacturers and buyers offer on-the-ground perspectives at China’s largest trade exhibition, swapping stories and predictions amid massive turnout.

United States

Ticketmaster owner Live Nation ran illegal monopoly, US jury finds

The anticompetitive conduct hurt music fans and the industry, the panel said in a verdict that may have big repercussions on the music world.

The Ticketmaster logo before an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Florida, in September 2024. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Malaysians urged to tighten their belts as Iran war fallout starts to bite

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir warns the effects of the crisis can last until next year, with oil prices expected to remain high.

People walk to their workplace during the morning rush at Kuala Lumpur city centre, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
China’s private sector

Chinese firms drawn to Brazil as they seek anchor for Latin America expansion

Chinese brands like Mixue, BYD, and Geely are surging into Brazil, leveraging strong trade ties and local strategies for growth.

China’s private sector

China’s tea-drink shops thirst for profits as price wars dry up prospects

‘I am learning a hard lesson of how involution can destroy my business,’ a Shanghai shop operator says.

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