Ask Chinese consumers what their leading platform is for purchases, both domestically and internationally, and they will point at the Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, as it is called in English. It offers a lead against competitors like Douyin and is a leading source for travellers, although only available in Chinese. “Xiaohongshu wants you deep in niche rabbit holes with people who care about the same weird stuff you do. “This isn’t just a slogan change,” says branding expert Ashley Dudarenok in Campaign Asia, “it’s Xiaohongshu cementing its moat against rivals like Douyin.”Read More →

Traditional luxury markets have contracted, with the exception of travel, which is one of the conclusions of the 2025 Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey. “The average household consumption of China’s HNWIs was down 12% in the past year,” says Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of Hurun, the research organization responsible for the Hurun Rich List in the Jing Daily.Read More →

Cashless payments have become mainstream in China, but cash is still valuable and the government supports cash payments, says financial expert Sara Hsu, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, specializing in supply chain management in the Guardian. A “[recent] directive pushes China’s policy of inclusive finance further to ensure that both elderly Chinese and foreigners can participate in economic transactions,” says Hsu.Read More →

Just lifting the stringent Covid-19 restrictions in China did not revive its economy as expected. The lockdowns ended in December 2022 and visas were issued in March 2023 again, but the recovery had been lackluster. The aviation industry belongs to those with the most disappointing predictions by June. 22, 2023, as it expects to be back to normal by the end of 2024, hoping for an extension of government support, reports the South China Morning Post.Read More →

Business analyst Shaun Rein comments on the disappointing figures from Alibaba for CNA. “The economy is improving, but certainly not on track,” he says. While the consumers might be traveling more compared to 2019, they are certainly spending less, as their confidence is low, Rein adds.Read More →

Leading VC William Bao Bean explains how travel startups managed through the COVID-19 crisis at PhocusWire Pulse. In China, they survived by focusing on booming domestic travel, but the lack of international travel hit some severely. Some of the travel startups he guided to the market had to give up their efforts to enter the Asian market, while others adjusted to the difficult market conditions.Read More →

China’s National Day is the start of its October Golden Week. Business analyst Ashley Dudarenok dives in her vlog into the history and the economic motives behind that weeklong season of travel and celebrations, and its disruptive effects on retail, logistics, and other industries.Read More →