Internet finance in China is taking off and deposits in online funds such as Alibaba’s Yu’e Bao are swelling. What are the risks that investors should watch out for? Current and would-be investors in China’s tech sector titans are advised to take a closer look at the mechanics propelling the stellar growth of their online fund offerings. […]
Fast Fashion in China: Revved Retail
After years of extraordinary growth, has fast fashion peaked in China? In November, property consultancy CBRE reported that landlords in second-tier city retail properties were courting China’s main fast fashion brands to drive foot traffic, going so far as to waive a flat rent rate in exchange for a percentage of turnover to attract these […]
China Round-up: Video Game Consoles Resurrect; Fight on Shadow Banking; and More Coal for China
The week that was: Beijing continues to restrict shadow banking practices; top economic planning agency approves more coalmines; a 13-year-old ban on video game consoles is lifted temporarily; and L’Oréal pulls the plug on the Garnier brand in China. Gaming consoles set to come back to China, legally If you see a Chinese guy playing on […]
All Hail Alibaba
Alibaba is eyeing expansion into new sectors and overseas, but will old tactics serve on new terrain? If Jack Ma has his way, the sun will never set on Alibaba’s empire. The billionaire entrepreneur’s internet giant rules China’s e-commerce roost, with 500 million registered users and RMB 1 trillion in total 2012 sales from Tmall, […]
How Mobile E-Commerce is Reshaping China’s Retail Landscape
Mobile e-commerce is booming in China, so much so that traditional PC based e-commerce sites are feeling the heat. “Laptop + Digital Camera – RMB 899! Laptop +Mobile Phone – RMB 2,000! Take advantage of these amazing package deals NOW!” This is not a late-night TV shopping program. Despite the shrill insistence by shopping network […]
The e-Grocery Gold Rush
China’s e-commerce companies are suddenly stocking up on groceries. Buying groceries in Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai is a nightmare for many office-goers. After a long day at work, shoppers head to overcrowded supermarkets just to find noise, confusion and impossibly long queues at the payment counter. And it doesn’t end there: they also […]
Logistics revolution in China: Will delivery companies deliver?
China’s logistics sector owes its rapid growth to the country’s e-commerce boom, but can it keep pace? Express delivery in China is cheap and fast. Buy something online and most likely you’ll have a kuaidi (Chinese word for courier) at your door step in just a day or two for a small delivery fee of […]
Digital Marketing and China’s Expanding Internet: Is E-Commerce Giant Taobao China’s eBay?
In January 2013, China’s internet user base reached 564 million users. China’s smartphone users have also surpassed the 300 million mark, signaling a tectonic shift towards mobile internet usage. Despite strict censorship controls on internet content in China, social media has caught on with unprecedented momentum. Established Twitter-like platforms such as Sina Weibo and Tencent […]
Digital Marketing and China’s Expanding Internet: Location-Based Services and the Mobile Internet
In January 2013, China’s internet user base reached 564 million users. China’s smartphone users have also surpassed the 300 million mark, signaling a tectonic shift towards mobile internet usage. Despite strict censorship controls on internet content in China, social media has caught on with unprecedented momentum. Established Twitter-like platforms such as Sina Weibo and Tencent […]
China’s E-commerce Consumers Wise-Up
Increasingly sophisticated online consumers are pushing China’s cyber retailers to the next level Just as clever marketers have whittled the meaning of Christmas down to the goods that are gifted on the 25th of December, festive days in China are quickly following suit. Singles Day—a celebration of bachelorhood on the 11th of November—seems to have […]
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