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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.
Hong Kong’s retail sector emerged from a 14-month slump in May last year with 2.4 per cent growth. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s retail sales edge up 1% in 2025 after 7.3% decline in 2024

Census and Statistics Department says retail sales for December worth HK$35 billion, and provisionally estimated at HK$380.5 billion for 2025.

Hong Kong stock market

Chinese energy drink maker Eastroc’s shares debut flat in Hong Kong

Hong Kong society

Traces of toxin found in more Nestlé baby milk formula samples in Hong Kong

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers’ shares skid as sales slide after tax incentive ends

Shares in Hong Kong-listed BYD, Xpeng, Li Auto and Nio plummet as tepid January sales underline pessimistic forecasts for the year.

BYD EVs proceed through assembly at a plant in Zhengzhou, in central China’s Henan Province, on November 14, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

New expansion rules: Chinese firms seeking salvation abroad urged to ‘go local’

Industry stalwarts such as Gree stress cultural integration and warn against exporting insular enclaves – in other words, leave the personal chef behind.

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China economy

Opinion | Why China’s persistently low inflation is not all bad news

For investors and policymakers, the key takeaway is what that outcome shows about the economy’s capacity to absorb shocks while rebalancing.

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Sweden

Multinationals race into China’s US$143.9 billion instant retail market

Ikea, Continental and Aldi Nord enlist local partners to launch faster, more comprehensive delivery services than they offer abroad.

Meituan delivery riders gather during a break in a commercial district in Chongqing, China, on November 21, 2025. Photo: Getty Images
China travel

China’s visa-free waivers spark Korean travel boom, underpin tourism revival

Shanghai bookings surge as visitors flock to cosmopolitan streets and affordable dining, with analysts predicting the trend will spread inland.

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China property

Hang Lung flags ‘tough slog’ for property, looks to mainland malls for growth

Hong Kong developer says property segment recovery will be slow, but sees mainland retail and consumption offering the clearest upside.

China economy

Video | Scuffles break out at Ikea clearance sale in China

Furniture retailer to focus on targeted growth in key cities, with plans to open 10 small-format outlets over two years.

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China trade

What haunts China’s investors? Geopolitics and a demographic abyss, survey finds

Weak domestic demand, shrinking confidence in the property market and a declining fertility rate fuel caution among investors in China’s major hubs.

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China’s plummeting birth rates present a daunting challenge, as the nation’s newborn population fell below 8 million in 2025 for the first time since 1949. Photo: AFP
Luxury in China

As LVMH returns to growth, is the slump in China’s luxury market finally over?

LVMH saw its sales in China rise in the second half of 2025, as the vast Chinese luxury market shows signs of recovery.

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China's economic recovery

China tightens rail approvals as Xi warns on waste and ‘operational’ trouble

Intercity lines face stricter break-even rules, as the central government cracks down on ‘back-door’ metro projects and looks to curb redundant infrastructure spending.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s Anta snags Puma from France’s Pinault family in US$1.8 billion deal

China’s largest sportswear firm is acquiring 29 per cent to become Puma’s biggest shareholder while strengthening its global expansion.

The acquisition of Puma will accelerate Anta’s multi-brand globalisation strategy, according to the Chinese sportswear brand. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng targets overseas sales surge in 2026 as China EV battle goes global

Guangzhou-based EV maker targets more than 90,000 overseas deliveries this year amid fierce competition at home.

Xpeng’s G7, the longest range SUV in the world at 1,704km, is gaining traction with overseas buyers. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

China needs silver and young spenders, plus policy support, for growth: HSBC

Longest Lunar New Year holiday ever will provide a tailwind, but growth could falter without more supportive measures, analysts say.

IPO

Chinese drinks maker Eastroc’s US$1.3 billion Hong Kong IPO gives it wings

Shanghai-listed firm is selling 40.9 million shares for HK$248 each, which would give it a market cap of about US$21 billion.

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China economy

Opinion | Talk of digital yuan challenging dollar dominance misses real power shift

China is merely building parallel capabilities. Whether the systems remain complementary or become competitive depends on how others respond.

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People walk past an e-CNY sign at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services, in Beijing on September 5, 2021. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmaker BYD chases 24% export growth with new models, more showrooms

Shenzhen-based company expects to sell 1.3 million cars this year outside mainland China.

China travel

Foreigners flock to China’s ice and snow sights, with 130% inbound tourism spike

Freezing temperatures will not dampen the spirits of snow seekers, as China cements its reputation as the world’s ultimate winter playground.

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US-China trade war

At America’s biggest retail show, the China question never really goes away

Tariffs may ebb and supply chains may detour, but US shoppers – and giants like Walmart and Amazon – still rely heavily on Chinese goods.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-Kuen
Hong Kong property

Complaints against Hong Kong property agents rise faster than home sales

Market recovery exposes pressure points as complaints surge 56 per cent, with online advertising violations dominating cases.

The Estate Agents Authority opened 253 complaint cases in 2025, up from 162 in 2024. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Apple

Apple cuts prices for Lunar New Year as competition heats up in mainland China

Apple offers discounts on iPhones, MacBook and other products – its second promotion in a month ahead of the holiday.

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

‘No choice’: China seen eyeing consumption as a route out of export reliance

Beijing’s policies seen putting income growth above GDP, with investments in social welfare, future tech and advanced manufacturing to spur internal demand.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers’ outlook overseas improves as Europe levels the playing field

Europe’s 33 per cent EV sales growth outpaces the mainland in 2025, while Germany launches a US$3.5 billion subsidy programme.

A BYD Seal is displayed at the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2026. Photo: EPA
Smartphones

Exclusive | China’s Xiaomi, Transsion slash 2026 smartphone shipments as memory crunch bites

Xiaomi cut its latest shipment forecast by between 10 and 70 million units, while Transsion lowered its target by 30 to 45 million units.

Chinese smartphone makers are adjusting their handset shipment forecasts due to rising memory-chip prices. Photo: Shutterstock
China consumption

China’s consumers refuse to open their wallets. Is ‘luxury-phobia’ the problem?

Chinese households are not splashing out on luxury goods partly because they feel ‘stigmatised’ for doing so, scholar argues.

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Hong Kong stock market

Labubu maker Pop Mart surges after buy-back in show of confidence

Repurchase signals management’s confidence and healthy balance sheet, analysts say, though stock remains 40 per cent below last year’s peak.

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