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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.
Workers produce lithium batteries in Qinyang, central China’s Henan province. Photo: Xinhua
China’s private sector

Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids

Higher lithium prices and the end of incentives are reshaping China’s EV market, with hybrids emerging as a more practical option for many.

Singapore

Is Singapore’s plan to regulate blind boxes ‘paternalistic’ or ‘harm reduction’?

China consumption

China targets foreign tourists for Lunar New Year ‘consumption feast’

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Artificial intelligence

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

Rush hour in Beijing. White vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident, according to data from a digital solutions provider. Photo: AFP
China economy

Budweiser and Heineken face polar opposite fates in China as punters stay home

Beer drinkers in China are veering away from bars and high-end restaurants, instead opting for cheaper stay-at-home options, analysts say.

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China property

Sofa so bad: China’s home-furnishing sector hits a do-or-die stretch

Falling home prices and relentless price competition are forcing small decor firms into a battle for survival.

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Indonesia

Can Indonesia’s US$762 million Ramadan stimulus boost spending and growth?

The package, which includes fare cuts and food handouts, is meant to keep people travelling and shopping, and help shore up early-growth momentum.

A trader serves a customer at Lam Dingin traditional market, ahead of Ramadan in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on February 9. Photo: EPA
China economy

Strong Lunar New Year demand fuels China’s gold jewellery market

Retailers offer small discounts to spur holiday sales but are set to raise prices after the festival, as investment banks issue bullish outlooks.

Retailing

Sam’s Club cracks China market formula even as foreign retailers shut shop

The warehouse retailer opened 10 new stores in 2025, accelerating expansion in smaller cities like Zhangjiagang and Yangzhou.

China's economic recovery

China’s Xi prioritises ‘AI-plus’ and consumer spending to counter economic risks

Previously unreleased comments by Xi urge income growth and tech breakthroughs, potentially setting stage for measures ahead of March’s parliamentary meetings.

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A humanoid robot is pictured, with a big AI logo on the ceiling, at the 2025 Global Industrial Internet Conference in China’s Liaoning province on September 6. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong society

Hongkonger denied refund despite HK$170,000 hair transplant ‘falling out’ in a year

Consumer Council warns against exaggerated claims of effectiveness after surge in complaints over scalp inflammation, artificial hair detachment.

Complaints related to hair transplant, hair growth, and hair and scalp care services reached 33, 19 and 13, respectively, between 2023 and 2025. Photo: Shutterstock
Timepieces

How these luxury watchmakers are going beyond boutiques

Luxury watchmakers from Richard Mille to Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre now offer homelike spaces for deeper client connections.

China consumption

China’s Spring Festival box office faces plot twist after 2025 smashed records

Home-grown films lead the charge but fail to meet the phenomenal success of last year’s Ne Zha 2, which attracted record-breaking crowds.

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Pop Mart

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
United States

US inflation cools more than expected, kindling hopes of Fed rate cut

The consumer price index rose 2.4 per cent year-on-year, the lowest level since May, though affordability concerns still weigh on households.

A shopper looks at vegetables in a grocery store in Schaumburg, Illinois, on Monday. Photo: AP
Meituan

Meituan warns of US$3.5 billion loss amid intense food delivery price war

Food delivery giant expects losses to continue into at least the first quarter of 2026 ‘due to ongoing competition’.

China consumption

China overhauls CPI basket, with never-before-seen unveiling of its composition

Beijing’s five-year recalibration aims to better reflect consumption, as policymakers shift weight away from food and housing.

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China technology

Opinion | ‘Becoming Chinese’ memes reflect a world shaped by China’s ascent

The memes are really about how deeply global digital life is embedded in Chinese-built systems – and how comfortable young people are with that.

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There is an emerging trend where foreigners are embracing aspects of Chinese culture by adopting habits such as drinking warm water, herbal teas and wearing slippers indoors. Photo: SCMP composite / TikTok
China's population

Glimmer of hope? Why China’s marriage uptick could spark 2026 birth rebound

Double-digit jump in registration rate, boosted by policy and cultural tradition, offers modest upturn, but demographers are wary of weak fertility intentions.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s efforts to control EV price war sees carmakers paying vendors quicker

Only a handful of the nearly 50 mainland China-based EV builders have been able to turn a profit amid the price wars.

Thailand

Why Thailand is cutting back the sugar in coffee and tea

With Thais averaging 21 teaspoons of sugar a day – triple WHO limits – officials urge cafes to cut syrup to lower diabetes and obesity risks.

Customers wait for their coffee outside a coffee shop in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Hong Kong stock market

Sudden closure of Chinese restaurant chain’s outlets leaves diners in limbo

Operator Shanghai XNG Holdings suspends operations at 10 branches on the mainland, saying the closures are part of a strategic realignment.

Shanghai XNG Holdings reached a peak of more than 100 outlets across its brands in 2015. Photo: Weibo
Fashion

In conversation: Bohan Qiu and Ian Hylton on Chinese luxury fashion

Hylton is known for his eponymous label as well as his work on the brand Ms Min, while Qiu is the founder of Shanghai PR agency Boh Project.

Robotics

Chinese vacuum maker using Temu’s playbook dreams big with Super Bowl debut

Dreame showcases robot vacuum in a Super Bowl commercial, drawing on Temu’s US prime-time campaign that helped it challenge Amazon.com.

China’s private sector

Luckin’s 30,000th store milestone adds buzz to China’s brewing coffee battle

Xiamen-headquartered chain pushes to integrate supply network worldwide and accelerate growth in markets from Asia to the US.

Luckin Coffee’s store network spans more than 300 cities across mainland China. Photo: Handout
China’s private sector

Insta360, Vivo challenge DJI’s turf, eyeing a slice of the gimbal camera boom

Insta360 and Vivo plan new handheld cameras to challenge DJI, but analysts say building a content ecosystem will be the tougher battle.

The Pocket series – compact cameras positioned between smartphones and professional rigs for vloggers – has evolved from a niche gadget into a flagship line. Photo: Handout
Singapore

Singapore wage growth outpaced inflation for most in 2025, PM says

Singapore’s definition of household income now includes income from non-work sources, including rental and investment income.

China economy

Opinion | Why the US really fears Chinese ‘overcapacity’

China doesn’t have a problem with ‘overcapacity’; rather, the United States lacks an economic strategy that can generate abundance.

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