Following the Yuan

🍼 China's birthrate crisis and the business of single women's fertility | Following the Yuan

On the missing piece in China's birthrate narrative

Jan 29 • Yaling Jiang

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Consumer news digest: you can help rename viral app "Are you dead", Apple Watch becomes Class II medical device in China, Alo Yoga to open…

China's closure rate of food and beverage venues is expected to more than double, reaching a record of 48.9% in 2025 from under 20% in 2019.

Jan 14 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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December 2025

Life in China: When economic indicators and lived experience diverge | Following the Yuan

After speaking with over 50 residents in more than 10 cities and towns she visited this year, Wanqing writes about the things that cannot be priced into…

Dec 30, 2025 • Wanqing Chen

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⛷️ Consumer news digest: Condom sales slump, skiing on budget, “90-year-old high energy girl” + 11 more updates

The brands we mentioned in this issue are: Jissbon, RedNote, RedPine, Pandora, Laopu Gold, Richemont, PopMart, Haidilao, Mannings, Jing (herbal…

Dec 16, 2025 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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November 2025

How fire tests China’s consciousness

From Urumqi fire to Hong Kong fire, how human tragedies test consciousness of the people, society, and systems behind them.

Nov 29, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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🔫 Pop Mart's slip-ups during rapid expansion, and 12 other consumer market updates | Following the Yuan

Brands mentioned: JD.com, Tmall, INS Land, Starbucks, Pop Mart, Mardi, ADERERROR, Anta, Rapha, Crispi, Li-Ning, Didi, Douyin

Nov 14, 2025 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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The Emotional Toll of China’s Housing Market Slide ⬇️ | Following the Yuan

As housing prices go down, many feel that their sacrifices and compromises made for work and mortgage during the high-growth era have been in vain.

Nov 10, 2025 • Rongrong Zhuge and Yaling Jiang

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October 2025

[OOO] How Beijing's Friendship Store preserves a piece of Chinese retail history by reinventing itself 🛍️ | Following the Yuan

As a historic mall that first sold Coca Cola in the 70s, Beijing’s Friendship Store hasn't been able to keep pace with the fast-moving Chinese market…

Oct 29, 2025 • Rachel

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🌐 First AI-driven Double 11, and 11 other consumer market updates | Following the Yuan

Brands mentioned in this issue: KFC, Meituan, Mixue, Apple, Haidilao, Yuan Programming, Arc’teryx, Pas Normal Studios.

Oct 22, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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Why anti-involution feels anti-Chinese? ⚙️ | Following the Yuan

China's overcapacity at the macro level and insecurity at the micro level are cultural, historical, and structural.

Oct 14, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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⚠️ Three deadly sins of the Chinese consumer market: big narratives, copycatting trends, state subsidies | Following the Yuan

Their perils stand out even more in a downturn market environment.

Oct 3, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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September 2025

A research proposal: Will the Cai Guo-Qiang fireworks controversy hurt Arc’teryx’s sales? 🎆 | Following the Yuan

Let's get to the point.

Sep 25, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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