Carrefour Launches Online Store In Beijing

French retailer Carrefour launched its O2O online store in Beijing, China. Integrating store delivery and multiple payment methods, the online store will offer dual-language services, and will allow product returns and exchange at all of the retailer’s locations. Carrefour launched its O2O business in Shanghai in June 2015.

"Carrefour Unveils O2O E-commerce Services In Beijing", China Retail News, May 11, 2016

Unilever China Partners With Local Business Incubator

Unilever China through its Foundry initiative partnered with the Zhangjiang High-Tech Park to help speed up the growth of local startups with innovative technology. Unilever China Foundry expects to launch six business incubator projects in the country in 2016. Unilever was the only FMCG company selected to join the partnership due to its capabilities in consumer insights and marketing.

"Startups boosted by Unilever-local strategic incubator platform tie-up", Shanghai Daily, May 24, 2016

Sam's Club Gives Wal-Mart Something To Smile About In China

Sam's Club, Wal-Mart's membership-only retail warehouse club business, is doing well in China. Wal-Mart owns and operates 800 Sam's Club stores worldwide, and four of the top 10 locations are in China. Sam's Club in Shenzhen has been the company's number 1 location since 2008. Wal-Mart plans to add seven or more Sam's Club stores to the existing 13 in China by 2017. Its focus on attracting affluent consumers has helped the warehouse club business grow its sales and revenue in the country. Also, the company has seen growing sales after adopting Western-style packaging of seafoods and other fresh food products.

"Wal-Mart's Sam's Club: A Bright Spot in China", ABC News, May 31, 2016

Wal-Mart China Posts Strong Sales Growth In 1Q 2016

Wal-Mart said total sales in China rose 5.1 percent in the first quarter of 2016, compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Driven significantly by the strong performance of Chinese stores during the Chinese New Year, Wal-Mart China also said comparable sales grew 1.4 percent and comparable per-customer transaction jumped 5.2 percent. Data from market research firm Nielsen revealed Wal-Mart China's fast moving consumer goods share in hypermarkets grew for 13 consecutive quarters.

"Wal-Mart China Sales Up 5.1% In Q1 2016", ChinaRetailNews.com, May 31, 2016

Demand Grows For Anti-Pollution Haircare Products In China

Haircare brands are launching products with claims of anti-pollution features in China. Growing consumer demand for anti-pollution haircare products is a global trend, with data from Mintel GNPD showing an increase of 6 percent in new haircare products that include an anti-pollution claim from 2012 to first quarter of 2016. Schwarzkopf, for example, launched its Purify & Protect range of haircare products aimed at Chinese consumers concerned with air pollution’s impact on their hair. To promote the product range, Schwarzkopf partnered with MOJI, China’s most popular weather forecast app.

"Haircare brands tackle pollution in China", Mintel, May 17, 2016

Affluent Middle-Class Consumers In China Think Loyalty Programs Make Them Spend More

In China, 72 percent of affluent middle-class consumers view themselves as engaged members of loyalty programs, according to a report by Collinson Group. Results of the study conducted in January 2016 by SSI Research revealed 89 percent of mainland Chinese and 87 percent of Hong Kong residents said a loyalty program makes them want to spend more. Only 45 percent of Hong Kong respondents, however, said they feel engaged in loyalty programs. Worldwide membership to loyalty programs dropped 20 percent from 2014 to 2015, data revealed.

"Study: 89% of Chinese Consumers Say Loyalty Programs Increase Their Spending", JINGDAILY, May 18, 2016

Anticounterfeiting Group Kicks Out Alibaba For Perceived Failure To Act Against Fake Products

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding's membership in the AntiCounterfeiting Coalition has been revoked by the anti-counterfeiting organization. According to a letter sent by the group to its 250 members, the coalition’s board of directors said it decided to suspend a recently created membership category under which Alibaba was admitted in April 2016. Also, the group cited concern from global brands about the Chinese e-commerce company's commitment to fighting fake products.

"Alibaba Suspended From Anticounterfeiting Group", The Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2016

Korean Cosmetics Brands Outperform Western Rivals In China Market

Exports of Korean cosmetics to China jumped 250 percent in 2015, accounting for almost 25 percent of all of the country's imported cosmetics. Driven by Chinese consumers' obsession with K-pop and love for traveling to South Korea, growing demand for Korean cosmetics has caused a drop in Western brands' market shares, by 4.8 percent for skincare and 3.8 percent for color cosmetics, of foreign beauty products. Data from L2 revealed Korean brands also have an advantage over their Western counterparts, with Innissfree the most-searched beauty brand on Baidu.

"Why Korean Brands Are Gaining A Growing Edge Over European Competition In China", Jing Daily, May 29, 2016