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Retailing

Retailing
Latest news and features on retailing with a particular focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia, covering consumer goods and services, retail strategies, shopping habits, sales results and trends.
The Merodi After School series features a mischievous little girl with the magical ability to talk to animals. Photo: Handout
Pop Mart

Pop Mart’s Merodi Hong Kong debut highlights challenges of sustaining IP success

Toymaker’s latest character launch draws tepid demand, raising questions about the company’s reliance on Labubu’s success.

Hong Kong property

SHKP, Hong Kong’s bellwether developer, posts 36% jump in first-half net profit

Style Edit

Style Edit: Delvaux CEO Jean-Marc Loubier on the new K11 Musea flagship

China consumption

China’s weak consumption gets Lunar New Year boost

An 8.6 per cent increase in Lunar New Year spending is a rare bright spot in Chinese efforts to bolster domestic demand.

Spring Festival traffic. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Demand for AI eyewear surges during China’s Spring Festival

AI glasses form part of the government’s national subsidy programme, which includes smartphones, tablets and smartwatches.

Icons and Influencers

How Amanda Cheung is mixing charity, cocktails and Hong Kong heritage

The community-minded creative on championing Hong Kong culture through F&B and family legacy – particularly her charity work with the First Initiative Foundation (FIF).

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China property

Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property suffers in China retail slump

China’s key shopping street rents have fallen to 2018 levels as cautious consumers cut spending and landlords lower prices to fill vacancies.

Retail therapy: Chinese consumers have been spending more cautiously and saving more amid uncertain job prospects. Photo: Xinhua
China travel

Chinese shoppers are Asia’s biggest airport spenders, study finds

China’s travellers outspend even their Indian and Saudi peers, splashing twice the regional average on luxury goods, airport retail study says.

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Gold in Hong Kong

Investment gold retailers move into vacant Hong Kong high-street shops

‘We see overwhelming demand for investment gold coins and bars,’ retailer San Gold Coins’ Sophia Chen says.

Britain

Co-founder of British retailer Asos dies after falling from balcony in Thailand

Quentin Griffiths’ friend told police the Briton had been worried about lawsuits from his former wife, a Thai national.

Asos co-founder Quentin Griffiths’ body is found at the bottom of this residential building in Pattaya on February 9. Photo: Reuters
China consumption

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

Beijing sees huge untapped potential in spending by inbound travellers as it strives to drive up demand over the crucial nine-day holiday.

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Tourists from Russia take selfies on the Bund in Shanghai. China is keen to drive up spending by inbound travellers over the Lunar New Year. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

Customers look at gold rings at a jewellery store in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters
Mainland China

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.

Shoppers at Sam’s Club in Hangzhou on February 1, 2026. The retailer has introduced products catering to local tastes in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Weibo
Hong Kong society

Curry fishball toys a hit as Hong Kong nostalgia shines at Lunar New Year fair

Vendors say locally designed Hong Kong-themed merchandise drew in customers at Victoria Park’s Lunar New Year fair.

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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Style Edit

Style Edit: Lane Crawford’s beauty rewards are gifts you’ll actually want

Elevate your self-care with Lane Crawford’s HK$8.8M Beauty Rewards Programme and redeem products from brands like Skit and Tom Ford Beauty.

Guerlain’s Tailor Made Treatment is one of the many offerings from Lane Crawford’s new beauty rewards programme. Photo: Handout
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.

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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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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For China’s consumer price index (CPI) basket, Beijing has increased the weight of transport and communications to 14.3 per cent in its latest five-year adjustment. Photo: Getty Images
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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A couple participates in a group wedding in August, in China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong property

Exclusive | Box office bust? The show may be over for another Hong Kong cinema

IFC Mall is reportedly looking at the big picture as it explores potential tenants to replace upscale movie theatre Palace IFC.

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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong enterprise for needy unable to set up new shop after government error

Tender exercise cancelled after erroneous power supply details sent to bidders by Housing Authority, leaving Agape Garden in limbo.

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.

Bohan Qiu (left) and Ian Hylton at the latter’s in-house residency at Rosewood Hong Kong’s Beaureguards boutique. Photo: Alexander Mak
Fashion

Q&A | Thailand’s Gentlewoman: viral totes and Covid resilience

Discover how 3 Thai accountancy and finance graduates steered the fashion brand’s rapid rise using smart data-driven design and being nimble enough to adapt.

Gentlewoman’s viral tote bag. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong property

How Hong Kong’s headquarters economy fuels rebound in commercial property

The headquarters economy is powering office and retail recovery, with rising demand, stabilising rents and renewed investor confidence.

China’s private sector

China’s Year of the Horse shoppers let emotional satisfaction take the reins

Brand prestige fades in importance as consumers favour festival-themed toys, playful designs and pet items.

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