Related News
Retail embraces change amid mixed performance
Print Edition
China’s retail and fashion sector in 2025 ends the year with mixed results. Money flowed toward brands and formats that demonstrated pricing power, operational efficiency and clear consumer value, while discretionary, lower-margin segments continued to lag.
One of the year’s standouts was Laopu Gold, which delivered strong revenue, profit and network expansion as consumers shifted toward jewelry with heritage symbolism. However, historically high gold prices may limit future demand.
E-commerce giant JD.com’s brand value rose 5.4 percent to US$18.8 billion, ranking eighth globally, while Pinduoduo entered the global top 20 for the first time.
Pop Mart, creator of the Labubu doll shopping frenzy, retained its leadership in the collectibles category, with the market expected to hit up to 877 billion yuan.
Retail rooted in consumer experience was a winner. Louis Vuitton’s new downtown Shanghai flagship store, shaped like the prow of a ship, extended average customers’ stays to more than two hours with its stunning displays and curated merchandising.
Online retail deepened its footprint. “Instant delivery” services promising food and other goods on the doorstep within an hour of ordering fueled a massive competition between Meituan, JD.com and Alibaba, with deep discounting and marketing costs eating into profits. Still, instant retail and livestream commerce maintained double-digit growth through October as e-tailers accelerated automation with high-tech navigation systems, service robots and other tools.
China’s nationwide trade-in subsidies program unlocked more than 2.4 trillion yuan in consumer replacement spending. The program covered a wide array of products, including electronics, home appliances and electric vehicles.
Looking ahead, investors in 2026 are likely to favor companies adept at combining brand clarity, efficient marketing and multichannel sales over those that simply rely on traffic volume.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
