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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.
Photo: Reuters
China inflation

China’s factory price jump contrasts with muted consumer inflation

Higher oil costs and the AI boom are driving up producer prices, while weak domestic demand is weighing on consumer prices.

China-EU relations

Opinion | EU threat of trade war against China is a strategic farce

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China inflation

China’s consumer prices see May uptick as oil shock inflates factory-gate costs

Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s fast-changing consumers force MNCs to adapt via local alliances

General Mills and Mölnlycke follow Starbucks, Burger King in forging partnerships to better tap local market insights.

People buy coffee at a mobile Starbucks set up next to a historic building in Beijing on January 30, 2025. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek’s bargain AI triggers price war across China’s tech sector

DeepSeek’s pricing shock is rippling through China’s AI sector, pressuring rivals and unsettling cloud providers.

Hong Kong property

Why Hong Kong’s lofty wealth status matters to high-end malls

Positive trend comes from a surge in affluent spending, with new flagship projects reinforcing the city’s role as a global brand magnet.

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US-China relations

How Chinese drink chains are testing the limits of soft power

New tea and coffee brands from China are winning customers across America, but their broader influence remains unclear.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Electric & new energy vehicles

Why foreign marques are struggling to keep pace with Chinese EV demand

Domestic brands surge on fresh incentives and better batteries, while foreign carmakers fail to sustain their earlier market share.

China travel

China, South Korea agree to more flights per week as tourism to Japan dwindles

The additional flights are the first increase between the two countries since before the Covid pandemic.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | For airport city to take off, Hong Kong must learn from 11 Skies failure

When the market the project was designed for has largely disappeared, the more useful question is whether it can adapt.

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11 Skies is a 3.8 million sq ft mixed‑use retail and entertainment complex at Skycity near Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok, seen here on May 27. Photo: Sam Tsang
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s BYD, Chery chart 80% growth overseas as EV demand spikes

‘Eye-catching’ numbers show efforts paying off amid growing brand recognition abroad and tepid sales at home, analysts say.

A shopper passes a display of Chinese-made cars, including models from Chery and Omoda, in a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 23. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s China sales surge to 2026 high, but rivals crowd the rear-view mirror

Tesla’s China sales rebounded in May on financing incentives and stronger demand, but local competitors are gaining momentum.

Architecture and design

Marcel Wanders: from knotted chairs to Moooi’s new Shanghai showroom – interview

The Dutch designer champions fun over mere functionality as he introduces the Moooi brand to China and aims to explore cultural individuality.

China’s private sector

The big scoop: lemon tea chain to revamp Haagen-Dazs’ struggling China business

General Mills is offloading the ice cream brand’s mainland China stores, as foreign businesses revamp models amid heated domestic competition.

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Haagen-Dazs currently operates nearly 200 stores in mainland China. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong retail sales rise 8.6% in April, but ‘full recovery has yet to emerge’

Retail sales for first four months of 2026 up 11.3 per cent from the same period last year.

People at a shopping centre in Mong Kok. Photo: Karma Lo
Smartphones

Huawei to ship more units as price surges dent China’s smartphone sales: report

As higher memory prices raise costs for China’s handset makers, a research firm predicted Huawei would be the only domestic brand to increase shipments.

Gen Z

Birthday parties at premium gyms? How Gen Z ditched drinking for wellness

Millennials may have embraced athleisure, but wellness is an identity for Gen Z – and gyms are their social clubs.

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China property

Food Republic joins wave of foreign brands retreating in China

Singaporean operator leaves capital after 25 years as food court model loses favour amid rise of food delivery, shopping-mall evolution.

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Following the Beijing closure, only four Food Republics will remain in China, all in Shanghai. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers recover in May but competition fierce amid overcapacity woes

Consumer willingness to embrace new tech, along with cash subsidies from local governments, gave the EV sector a much-needed boost.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s BYD aims for zero accidents with ‘God’s Eye’, vows crash cost coverage

EV giant pushes affordable autonomy with its system, aiming to make self-driving safer and accessible to mass-market consumers.

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United States

US key inflation gauge worsens, eroding Americans’ income, spending power

Inflation of 3.8 per cent in April was the highest since May 2023 amid high petrol prices and food costs.

Supermarket shoppers in Chicago, the US earlier this month. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
China food security

China hog prices, near decade low, seen squeezing profits amid deflation risks

Ministry data reveals nine-month slump in breeding stocks while top-listed companies face big financial hits as rising fuel and grain costs erode margins.

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A pig is seen in China’s Hunan province. The price of live pigs in the country remains near a decade low. Photo: SCMP
China’s private sector

A new battlefront for KFC and its Chinese rivals: the lighter meal

Big-name fast-food chains are seeking to capitalise on a surge in demand in China for lighter meals.

Banking & finance

Millions of Chinese consumers ditch their credit cards amid weak retail spending

Banks report there are 120 million fewer active credit cards in China with 687 million customer accounts, a dramatic drop from 2022’s peak.

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Hong Kong property

Hong Kong to see more mainland Chinese brands enter retail market, analysts say

In the first four months of the year, more than one fifth of new entrants in the city’s retail market were mainland brands, according to JLL.

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Last year, Mao Geping Cosmetics opened its first outlet in Hong Kong at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Li Cao
Fashion

Chinese fast-fashion juggernaut Shein to buy eco-friendly Everlane

The ‘jarring’ takeover bid arrives at a time when Everlane is struggling with weak sales and higher debt.

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Chinese fast fashion heavyweight Shein is buying Everlane for an undisclosed price. The deal comes as Everlane is struggling. Photo: AP
United States

US jobless claims fall as lay-offs remain low despite economic uncertainty

Despite historically low lay-offs, the labour market appears to be stuck in what economists call a ‘low-hire, low-fire’ state.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Chery plans for 1m EVs sold abroad amid global energy crisis

Anhui-based carmaker anticipates 27 per cent increase in foreign deliveries in 2026 as battery ranges improve and oil prices rise.

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