Brands mentioned in this issue: Niu Lai, Authentic Brands Group, Lee, Icicle, Gucci, ICCF, Starbucks, TWOI, HeyTea, Huawei, Xiaomi, Apple, Jack Wolfskin, Anta, Puma, Unmuted, Fédération Cynologique Internationale
📊 BIG STAT
The pork indicator turns upward, kind of // China’s CPI swung from −0.1% to +0.4% month-on-month in August, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on September 9, with the year-on-year gain reaching 0.8% and core CPI at 1.0%. Most of the move came from petrol, up 7.2%.
Pork rose 1.3% month-on-month, the first uptick after wholesale prices hit a 16-year low in June — and it came from reduced hog slaughter rather than anyone eating more.
Hermès executive chairman Axel Dumas told analysts in July he was watching exactly this number: “Pork is particularly consumed during banquets and restaurants, and it’s a good indicator for celebrations.”
🎭 CONSUMER CULTURE
Emerging consumer advocacy for better worker’s rights // A WeChat mini-program launched in July let users log, rate and search whether companies give employees a two-day weekend, with links to buy from the ones that do. It was taken down on September 12 by Tencent, and relevant terms have become unsearchable on Chinese social media.
China officially implemented a 40-hour workweek starting May 1, 1995, however, it has been the employers’ prerogative to implement the rule.
