Retail

Douyin and WeChat are China’s leading social platforms, but serve different purposes for different brands In China’s digital landscape, Douyin and WeChat dominate as leading platforms, each offering unique pathways to over a billion users. Their approaches to engagement, commerce and storytelling differ significantly, making them essential for brands aiming to tap into China’s lucrative market. With Douyin’s short-video focus and WeChat’s mini-programs, these platforms redefine how global businesses connect …

China’s booming cross-border e-commerce market offers British businesses unparalleled access to a vast consumer base. From Tmall Global to Little Red Book, explore their unique strengths, and how to reach the right Chinese shoppers in 2025 Why Cross-Border E-Commerce Appeals to British Businesses For British businesses, cross-border e-commerce into China is a compelling opportunity to tap into the world’s largest online retail market without the complexities of establishing a physical …

Marketing to Chinese consumers is considerably different from marketing to British consumers. It is imperative for localised marketing and an alternative strategic approach, writes Jack Porteous of TONG Global China’s vast consumer market, in particular its e-commerce channels, which accounted for approximately £1.1 trillion of purchases from nearly one billion internet users in 2024, are an attractive proposition for many global consumer brands, including those from the UK. The UK’s …

A new report published by Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University and Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall, offers one of the most data-rich portraits yet of online consumption in China. The China Online Consumer Brand Index (CBI) for 2023–2025, backed by big data from nearly a billion users, reveals a sharp shift in consumer behaviour, from price sensitivity to brand-driven, quality-first purchasing. Here are ten essential takeaways from the CBI that offer …

China Consumer 2024, which took place on 14 October at London’s 4 Hamilton Place, saw over 200 delegates in attendance as brands and entrepreneurs joined expert speakers to understand the latest news, trends and opportunities in China’s growing consumer market CBBC’s newly appointed Chief Executive Peter Burnett opened the event, stating that China will be the single largest growing consumer market by 2030 and will contribute 40% of the worldwide …

Traditional Chinese festive occasions like Mid-Autumn Festival represent an important opportunity for brands. But with consumer trends around Chinese festivals evolving, how can brands keep their marketing relevant? Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on 17 September this year, is one of many occasions in the Chinese calendar that brands need to keep an eye on. Beyond their cultural significance, national holidays are also important drivers of consumption, marking rises in spending …

China Consumer remains CBBC’s flagship consumer event and is a must-attend for any UK brand interested in making its mark in the Chinese market. With China undoubtedly a powerful engine for global growth, the country is emerging as a test lab for the future, with future global trends in retail, marketing and commerce sown and grown in China’s vast and highly sophisticated consumer marketplace.   With leading expert speakers and global brand representatives speaking on topics ranging from sustainability to rising consumer industries and …

In a bid to strengthen its consumer economy and boost its global influence, Shanghai is offering brands that open their first store in Asia (or indeed the world) in Shanghai a one-time reward of RMB 1 million (about £111,000). High-quality product launches and debut exhibitions held in the city will also have access to subsidies of up to RMB 1.2 million. The incentive is part of the “First in Shanghai” …

Providing consumers with an ‘experience’ is essential for brands entering and operating in China. This was one of the key messages from CBBC’s most recent China Chat event, which took place on 25 October 2023 at CBBC member Sybarite’s London offices Now that China is firmly free from the spectre of Covid controls, brands in China and the UK are naturally asking questions about the current state of the China …

Focus speaks to Simon Mitchell, co-founder of global design studio Sybarite, about the future of retail in China Simon co-founded Sybarite with Torquil McIntosh in 2002, since which time they have delivered nearly 3,000 projects, including retail and experiential concepts, and designs for notable brands and retail operators of varying scales, from monobrands through to master planning. Their successful repositioning of the Shin Kong Place mall to ‘SKP’ in China …