China has yet to produce a retailer with the authority, bargaining power, and brand aggregation capabilities of Sephora, Space NK, or Ulta Beauty. The reasons are structural, historical, and deeply linked to how China’s beauty economy developed.

The absence of subscription models in China is not due to technological limitations or lack of platform capability. Instead, it is rooted in deep structural differences: ● China skipped credit cards ● Consumers distrust auto-pay ● Brand loyalty is low ● Promotions dominate shopping behavior ● Consumers prefer high control and flexibility

Since China’s annual shopping festival Double Eleven (11.11) started in late October, one thing is clear: AI is playing a far more prominent role than ever before.

The AI platform Doubao (豆包), developed by ByteDance, has begun seamlessly connecting user queries with direct shopping links on its parent short-video platform Douyin (抖音, the Chinese Tik Tok), delivering a new model for beauty-commerce integration.

Known as a “club for China’s middle class,” Sam's Club, one the most successful foreign retailers in China, sparked controversy by introducing more mass-market domestic snack brands - products that consumers noted were already widely available in regular supermarkets or even roadside convenience stores.

China’s largest trading card company, Kayou (卡游), holds the licenses for hits like Ultraman and My Little Pony. According to its IPO prospectus, the company generated 10 billion RMB (≈1.4B USD) in revenue in 2024, with a staggering net margin exceeding 40%.

Founded in 2007, Chinese DIY toy group Robotime has grown into a creative powerhouse with over 200 designers, a 200,000 m² factory, and exports to 100+ countries.

Summer is peak travel season in China. But beyond theme parks and scenic landmarks, a new type of destination is capturing attention: factory tours. Increasingly, manufacturing companies are opening their production lines to the public, charging admission fees, and transforming their industrial sites into tourism destinations.

In China's consumer market, paying for  brand merchandise (品牌周边)  is no longer a niche hobby, but fast becoming mainstream. Shoppers are...

In China's market, where the traffic is the king, brands looking to gain widespread attention often consider seeking endorsements from...