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TOPIC

Retailing

Retailing
Latest news and features on retailing with a particular focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia, covering consumer goods and services, retail strategies, shopping habits, sales results and trends.
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.

China GDP

China’s financial powerhouse Shanghai aims for 5% growth, ‘global influence’

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Sweden

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

Pop Mart

Labubu toymaker Pop Mart picks London as European headquarters in overseas push

CEO Wang Ning reveals firm’s latest expansion plan at Friday’s closed-door meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

A shopper walks inside a Pop Mart store in London on May 21, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
E-commerce

China slaps US$3.7 million fine on Kuaishou for live-streaming e-commerce breach

The penalty reflects a broader regulatory crackdown on content and operations deemed undesirable or harmful on Chinese online platforms.

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 GDP

Tale of 2 megacities: how did Beijing, Shanghai GDPs surpass 5 trillion yuan?

China’s two largest cities are outpacing national growth rates, each generating gross domestic products equal to a small European country.

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People hang out at The Bund as the financial district of Pudong is seen in the background in Shanghai, China. The GDPs of Beijing and Shanghai have now exceeded 5 trillion yuan and both cities are comparable to European countries Sweden and Belgium. Photo: Reuters
United States

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs amid AI shift, post-pandemic restructuring

The restructuring and cost-cutting come despite soaring profits and strategic hiring in key areas.

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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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
China's economic recovery

China’s manufacturing powerhouse cuts 2026 GDP growth target after missing mark

Guangdong province, an industrial behemoth hit by property and global headwinds, shifts focus in a strategic pivot amid national reforms.

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Employees work on a production line for an electric flying car at a factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on November 6. Photo: AFP
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.

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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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.

Apple led the smartphone market in mainland China with a 22 per cent share in the fourth quarter of 2025. Photo: AFP
Fashion

How next-gen brands are blending luxury with sportswear

Functional shouldn’t mean unfashionable – as new sportswear brands like Literary Sport, Johanna Parv and Spence are demonstrating.

Niche sportswear brands like Spence are demonstrating that functional can also be fashionable. Photo: Handout
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.

Singapore

Singapore’s retail ownership data sparks debate about foreign chains’ influence

Some observers warn that public perception could be warped since popular foreign chains in places with high footfall may be more visible.

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China GDP

China’s two-speed economy faces tough 2026 as growth cools

Lost momentum, weak domestic demand and high yardsticks point to a challenging year ahead for the Chinese economy.

Photo: AFP
Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong’s Taipan bakery told to wind up, Ocean Empire boss declared bankrupt

Separate court rulings highlight struggles of city’s retail and catering sectors amid shifting consumer patterns.

Hong Kong property

Fancl distributor couple buys Lippo Centre office, shop in US$38.3 million deal

Purchase by the Japanese skincare brand’s distributor marks a 60 per cent cut from 2017 price as cash-rich local investors hunt for bargains.

Labubu

Explainer | What is mystery shopping, made popular by Labubu?

The Pop Mart craze is spreading to other retailers like Le Creuset and E.L.F. Beauty as ‘blind shopping’ takes off around the world.

When you buy a Labubu you do not know which one you will get, which has helped propel the toy to global domination. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s finance sector a ray of sunshine for city’s retail property segment

Financial services providers are emerging as a new force in the city’s retail property leasing space, analysts say.

Forthright Securities has leased three storeys of retail space totalling 14,000 sq ft at Golden Centre in Sheung Wan for its first flagship branch in Hong Kong. Photo: Google Maps
China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

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IPO

Chinese chain Qdama, known for its night discounts, plans Hong Kong IPO

The leading seller of meat and fresh produce on the mainland plans to open 1,400 stores in the next five years using proceeds from the IPO.

Consumers

Foreign, Hong Kong retailers shut mainland China stores amid fierce competition

High-profile store closures included those of Lane Crawford, Ikea, Triumph, Zara Home and Zara.

Lane Crawford plans to close its store in Chengdu after February 28. Photo: agirlaboutdesign.com
China’s private sector

Changing tastes: China’s new affluent consumers seek quality not extravagance

Rise of upper middle class reshapes China’s retail market, driving demand for quality goods and creating a battleground for global brands.

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The success of US retailer Sam’s Club in China is attributed to its “premium-value” offering sought by upper-middle-income consumers. Photo: Eugene Lee
China inflation

China’s consumer prices stay flat in 2025 amid focus on price wars

Beijing has been intensifying efforts to combat industrial overcapacity and fierce competition in key sectors, aiming to stabilise the economy and support growth.

Hong Kong property

Repeat buyer tucks into another McDonald’s Hong Kong shop for US$15.2 million

Evergreen Capital Partners added the Causeway Bay shop to its portfolio after acquiring two other outlets from the fast-food giant.

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