The Past, Present & Future of Consumerism in China - Interview with Karl Gerth (Part I & II)
In order to understand the future trajectory of China’s domestic consumer market, it’s important to gain an understanding of the historical context of consumerism in China. Karl Gerth is a professor at the University of Oxford who teaches modern Chinese history with an emphasis on consumer culture. He brings a truly unique perspective combining both [...]
Interviewed By British Chamber of Commerce on Luxury Consumerism in China
The British Chamber of Commerce recently interviewed me on the topic of luxury consumerism in China for the Spring-Summer issue of their business publication, the ChamberEye. I follow an interview on China’s middle class consumers with Tom Doctoroff, CEO of JWT Greater China and author of Billions.
I have included selected responses below, but the [...]
Domestic Innovation to Meet the Needs of China’s Rural Consumers
Is China capable of producing global brands? Will Chinese companies ever be able to foster domestic innovation without technology transfer from western MNCs? These two questions are at the forefront of mainstream analysis on China’s next stage of economic development. Both the Economist and Washington Post recently published detailed articles addressing these issues, and I [...]
What are China’s consumers eating? Yum! Brands - One Company, Three Pillars of Success (Part II)
This is the second article in a series of posts on Yum! Brands’ success in China. For part one please click on “What are China’s consumers eating? Yum! Brands - One Company, Three Pillars of Success (Part I).”
Pillar III: East Dawning & Little Sheep Hot Pot - Trusted Local Chinese Dining
In 2005 [...]
What are China’s consumers eating? Yum! Brands - One Company, Three Pillars of Success (Part I)
Creating a company is hard, but creating a market is harder. The China Observer recently looked at how companies such as Proctor & Gamble and Campbell’s Soup were doing just that in China. KFC, now part of Yum! Brands, had to do the same thing in China, creating a market for Western fast food that [...]
Tom Doctoroff & China’s New Middle Class
I spent this past weekend writing an in-depth post about Yum! Brands influence and operating model in China. I was just about to publish it, when I came across this fantastic interview from Tom Doctoroff. The interview originally appeared in the Chamber Eye, the magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, and was [...]
What are China’s luxury consumers buying? (Updated)
China’s consumer confidence has reached record levels this past quarter. According to a joint study conducted by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Nielsen, China’s consumer confidence in Q1 2010 has reached levels not seen since 2007 . I am often skeptical of the figures reported by NBS, however this does fit with the [...]
Consumer Market Observations: China’s Consumer Ambassadors & More
During a business trip to Shanghai last week, I was able to connect with several top China-consumer focused professionals to exchange perspectives on China’s retail landscape and consumer market. Here are a few key points from these conversations that I will discuss further in future postings.
“Consumer Behavior Ambassadors”: There seem to be two types of [...]
Aging Chinese Consumers and Their Post-80’s Children
“Marketers entering China will need to evaluate their portfolios very carefully. A mix of brands, targeted to different demographic groups, or those that work well in India or other less-developed nations may struggle in China. The one child policy – as well as other core changes in Chinese society – has radically altered the population [...]
The new, young Chinese consumer - Canvas8
“An increased standard of living has radically altered consumption habits of the mainstream Chinese urban consumer. Consumers who once focused on purchasing low-priced goods to meet basic needs have transformed their spending patterns. China is now home to the world’s second largest luxury goods market, the second largest diamond market and the number one automobile [...]
