Seollal shopping: How Koreans shop, gift, and celebrate the Lunar New Year
Seollal, or Korean Lunar New Year, marks the beginning of the new year according to the lunar calendar and is officially observed as a three-day national holiday. However, many people take additional days off to extend the break. The date changes each year, typically falling between late January and mid-February. In 2026, Seollal took place […]
How fitness trends are fueling the protein market in China
The protein market in China is expected to grow from USD 2.76 billion in 2025 to 2.96 billion in 2026. The market is forecasted to reach USD 4.22 billion in 2031 with 7.8% CAGR between 2026 and 2031. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Chinese people have been eating 7 […]
The dual-track brewing strategy: Peet’s Coffee in China’s calculated gamble
Compared to other international coffee giants, Peet’s Coffee entered the Chinese market relatively late, establishing its first international flagship in Shanghai in 2017. Despite this late arrival, the brand experienced rapid and robust growth. In 2024, Peet’s Coffee in China achieved a 23.8% increase in organic sales, driving its parent company’s global revenue to 8.837 […]
AI in China’s beauty industry: How brands are leveraging technology to meet evolving demands
AI in China’s beauty industry is rapidly becoming a core component. It is reshaping how consumers discover products, understand efficacy, and make purchasing decisions, encompassing everything from ingredient analysis and AI-powered skin diagnosis to AI-assisted livestreaming. For brands, these tools shorten research and development (R&D) cycles and the path from insight to action, enabling scalable […]
The rise of the dry pasta market in China: Convenience, premiumization & e-commerce growth
In China, rapid urbanization and busy city lifestyles have reduced the time available for home cooking, increasing demand for convenient and quick-to-prepare food options. Pasta has become a popular choice for city dwellers who need something convenient to support their urban lifestyle. In 2025, the dry pasta market in China is valued at RMB 10.57 […]
High cost pressures are reshaping consumer spending in South Korea’s wedding market
In 2024, there were 222,412 marriages in South Korea, a 14.8% year-over-year growth, according to Statistics Korea. This is the highest growth rate since 1970, though still 7% below the pre-pandemic 2019 level of 239,159 marriages. Although people are continuing to get married, high cost pressures are driving couples to rethink traditional formats in South […]
Value-for-emotion: The new currency of China’s emotional purchase
Buying large numbers of “blind boxes” like the trending Labubu, investing in a scented candle to improve sleep quality, or spending a weekend at a pottery or ring-making workshop may seem unrelated, but they are all forms of emotional purchase. In China, the emotional economy has seen exponential growth, led by the younger generation. For […]
Crocs’ strategy in China: Building a cult following through comfort and self-expression
Once struggling in China, Crocs has made a comeback by rebranding and tailoring its core offerings to Gen Z consumers. Today it continues to be extremely popular, transcending its status as a footwear trend and becoming a Gen Z cultural and social phenomenon. Crocs’ strategy in China focuses on understanding of its customers and a […]
Inside China’s luxury home appliances market in the trade-in & suite appliance era
China’s luxury home appliances market focuses on the premium tier of major appliance categories, including refrigeration, laundry, kitchen appliances (e.g., dishwashers, ovens, hoods, cooktops), and cleaning appliances (robot vacuums and floor washers). Collectively, the high-end residential lifestyle market comprises consumers who typically purchase luxury residential properties across most categories. In this context, “high-end” denotes the […]
Orange juice market in China: Premiumization drives growth
The orange juice market in China reached RMB 142.9 billion (USD 20.4 billion) in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period of 2025–2033. The market is rising despite a decrease in consumption volume because consumers are more concerned about product quality. They are willing to spend more per unit. In other […]
Gold jewelry market in China: Consumers seek emotional comfort and long-term value amid the new VAT reform
On November 1st, 2025, a quiet regulatory update from China’s Ministry of Finance rewrote the logic of the gold jewelry market in China. The Ministry of Finance Announcement No. 11 adjusted how gold jewelry is taxed. At the same time, international gold prices surpassed USD 4,000 per ounce in 2025 for the first time in […]
Building a “Luxury Moat”: How Mao Geping redefines premiumization in C-beauty
The “C-Beauty wave” has fundamentally reshaped the cosmetics market in China. It evolved from a trend of affordable alternatives to a sophisticated market where domestic brands claimed a dominant 55.2% share in 2024. The first generation of domestic successes, such as Florasis (花西子), Timage (彩棠), and Flower Knows (花知晓), scaled through cultural storytelling and cost-efficiency. […]