October 12, 2023 by MMR
China, consumers, Inflation, National Retail Federation, tariffs
Leading Headlines, Retail News, Topics
WASHINGTON – American consumers could lose $31 billion in spending power if U.S. tariffs are raised on common household products like microwaves and T-shirts imported from China, according to a new report released Thursday by the National Retail Federation. The study, “Estimated Impacts of Changes to China’s Tariff Status,” examines how ending the country’s permanent
September 11, 2020 by Alice Wang, Ed Rowland and Alf Luo
Alf Luo, Alice Wang, China, COVID, COVID-19, dogs, Ed Rowland, pet, petcare
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s note: In the ninth installment of their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland, joined by longtime colleague and advisor Alf Luo, examine the impact of COVID on the Chinese pet care world accelerating trends already in place before the Pandemic. Part one is available here. Part two is available here. Part three is
July 21, 2020 by Alice Wang, Ed Rowland and Alf Luo
Alf Luo, Alice Wang, China, COVID-19, Ed Rowland
Leading Headlines, Opinion, Retail News
Editor’s note: In the eighth installment of their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland, now joined by longtime colleague and advisor Alf Luo, will examine the central cultural role of the mouth and how that continues to impact COVID-19 consumer healthcare purchasing patterns in sometimes surprising ways. Part one is available here. Part two
June 28, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
Alice Wang, China, COVID-19, Ed Rowland
Leading Headlines, Opinion, Topics
Editor’s note: In the seventh installment of their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland examine the strategic use of digital coupons and how that system is enabling China to recover from the COVID-19 economic challenges. Did China use lessons from the past to solve a modern problem? China has been using a unique and
April 23, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
Alibaba, Alice Wang, China, COVID-19, Ed Rowland
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s note: In the sixth part of their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland look at the the carefully orchestrated process Alibaba Health used in returning to the workplace. It included numerous protocols and a lottery deciding the first returnees. Strict rules are in place and a new “normal” now exists. Part one is
April 9, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
Alice Wang, China, coronavirus, COVID-19, Ed Rowland
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s Note: In the fifth part of their series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland look at the way surprising rumors can lead to hoarding. As in the United States, eggs seem to be one of the products involved. Part one is available here. Part two is available here. Part three is available here. Part four
March 25, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
Alice Wang, China, COVID-19, Ed Rowland, QR code, quarantine
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s Note: In the fourth and final part of their series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland examine how China has identified healthy people and allowed some mobility. What could have been an administrative nightmare has been solved with digital simplicity: the QR code backed by large data analysis. Part one is available here. Part two
March 23, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
Alice Wang, China, coronavirus, COVID-19, Ed Rowland, education
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s note: In the third part in their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland examine the coronavirus’ impact on China’s educational system and the 100 million Chinese students from pre-school through university now exclusively attending online classes. They examine how all the stakeholders– teachers, students, teaching Apps (DingTalk, the government-chosen teaching App provided by Alibaba) have adjusted. Part one
March 20, 2020 by Alice Wang and Ed Rowland
China, coronavirus, COVID-19, manufacturing
Leading Headlines, Opinion
Editor’s note: In the second part in their continuing series, Alice Wang and Ed Rowland examine the coronavirus impact on China’s Manufacturing sector. Much of China has come to a standstill but there are some inspirational stories as well. (Part one is available here.) There’s a new gold in China: face masks. There’s also
March 17, 2020 by Ed Rowland
China, COVID-19, Ed Rowland, online working
Issue 3-23-2020, Issues, Leading Headlines, Opinion, Topics
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles about how the COVID-19 epidemic is impacting people’s lives and business operations in China, the world’s second-largest economy. Future articles, which will be coauthored by Ed Rowland and Alice Wang, will bring to life the challenges of coping with this epidemic. It’s one thing
February 24, 2020 by Jeffrey Woldt
China, Jeffrey Woldt
2020, Issue 2-24-2020, Issues, Opinion
Retailers and suppliers accustomed to thinking of the United States or Western Europe as the epicenter of innovation should take a moment to consider China, a nation of more than a billion increasingly affluent people who are reshaping the way consumer products are bought and sold. A look at new developments in the dynamic Chinese
August 19, 2019 by MMR
China, rump administration
2019, Issue 08-19-2019, Issues
NEW YORK — The Trump administration has escalated its trade war with China by threatening new tariffs that will be levied on almost all products the United States imports from that country. The retail industry, as represented by major trade organizations, has once again voiced dismay with the administration’s trade policy. In May the U.S.