🌐 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.
Hi, I recently took a trip up to Uni of Edinburgh. It was for a talk at the China Futures Society to discuss China’s social progress through a commercial lens.
In particular, how luxury marketing campaigns and RedNote posts, especially those urging female consumers to prioritize their needs and be the trailblazers of their fields, are evoking a collective awakening around civil rights. The awakening is driving them to make a difference in their lives.
Before my train back to London, a columnist/editor friend sighed at my theory that it’s in financial analysts blindspot because they focus on China through numbers and company earnings. I think the connection is also dismissed by political leaders, because they think of marketing as a tool to drive sales and consumption.
But business activities can be empowering, and that’s something I’d like to see more of and talk more about.
The roundup includes noteworthy updates from the last few weeks that encompass consumer culture, food & beverage, fashion & beauty, retail, tech, sports, travel & tourism. The brands we touch upon include KFC, Meituan, Mixue, Apple, Haidilao, Yuan Programming, Arc’teryx, Pas Normal Studios, etc.
🎭 CONSUMER CULTURE
2025’s Double 11 = longer, pricer (than expected) and smarter // From just 1 day to 1-2 months, Double 11 shopping festival has come a long way. This year, more consumers claim that they want to quit Double 11 because of disappointing discounts and promotion fatigue.
Borrowing a popular Chinese reference, the shopping festival is longer yet again and again and again and again and again. Douyin combined its Double 11 with the mid-autumn festival promotions, starting in September; JD.com kicked off Double 11 on Oct 9; Tmall starts on Oct 20.
Despite the group yawn, one spotlight is the rise of AI adoption across these e-commerce platforms:
Tmall rolled out six AI-powered shopping tools including AI Universal Search, AI Summary, Pailitao 拍立淘 (image-based search), AI Help Me Choose, AI Virtual Try-On, and AI Shopping List. For example, after a user asks a question, it recommends products and auto-generates a report.
JD product pages now feature “AI model display” (via Yanxi 言犀), auto-switching skin tone and body type. It also provides AIGC platform Jin Diandian 京点点 and AI customer service Jin Xiaozhi 京小智 to merchants for free.
Karaoke is now young people’s emotional outlet // Karaoke in China isn’t just for singing and hanging out anymore. With cheap deals during off-peak hours, private rooms, and plenty of space, KTVs are becoming a place for young people, where they scream their lungs out and shake off weekday gloom.
Meituan lets delivery riders rate and block customers // Around mid-October, Meituan rolled out a pilot in seven cities, including Jinjiang in Fujian and Shaoxing in Zhejiang, allowing delivery riders to refuse service to the customers who evidently abuse, threat, or harass them for a year. Protecting gig workers’ rights has a long way to go — and bilateral selection is a small, albeit necessary, step.
🍽️ FOOD & BEVERAGE
Mixue turns receipts into serial novels // The beverage brand Mixue is getting creative with serialized stories printed on receipts. The tale, “Snow King Sells Coffee in Ancient Times,” stars the brand mascot Snow King in a time-travel adventure. Customers started sharing their receipts online to piece together a complete story — it’s bootstrap marketing at its best.
KFC spins off street-style chicken shops // KFC recently launched two small, street-level stores in Shanghai named Fried Chicken Brothers (“Zhaji Xiongdi”) — one serving Chinese-style fried chicken, the other Korean-style. With just 15–20 sqm and 3–4 staff members, the stores focus on delivery and takeaway, similar to the domestic brands that Chinese people are used to like Zheng Xin (正新) and Taiwanese-style J&G Fried Chicken (继光香香鸡).
Haidilao zeros in on the kids market // Haidilao is opening up its first parent-and-child themed hotpot restaurant in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, according to users who saw its construction barriers on RedNote.
The brand is actively experimenting in niche segments. In August, it launched an innovative concept store in Beijing in partnership with children’s coding education brand Yuan Programming (猿编程). Not sure if this will be a real appeal to the little ones, but battle for young diners is officially heating.
🧠 TECH
Tim Cook gets Labubu and livestreams in Shanghai // Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off his China trip with a surprise visit to The Monsters’ 10th anniversary exhibition in Shanghai. He met Pop Mart founder Wang Ning and Labubu’s creator Kasing Lung, and even received a custom Labubu modeled after himself. Later that night, Cook appeared in the official Apple Store livestream on Douyin.
From trendy toy collabs to livestreams, Apple clearly knows how to play by China’s Gen Z rulebook.
Cooking robots stir up the kitchen // With high chef turnover, rising labor costs, and recent controversies around pre-prepped meals, some restaurants in China are turning to cooking robots. Among them is Lanzhou’s Xingfu Canteen, a community project serving senior local residents,. Restaurant owners rarely admit publicly to the replacement, and it is expected to be more widespread among cost-effective chains than in premium restaurants.
🏃♂️ SPORTS
Anta’s Amer Sports ousts decision maker behind Arc’teryx disaster // She Yifeng (佘移峰), General Manager of Arc’teryx Greater China, was one of three executives thanked by Cai Guo-Qiang during his speech after the now-notorious “Rising Dragon” fireworks show last month. Anta’s Amer Sports internally announced his departure from the role on Oct. 17.
Pas Normal Studios pedals into Shanghai // At the end of September 2025, Copenhagen-based high-end cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios opened its first flagship in China — the brand’s eighth store globally. Located in a renovated factory in Jing’an District’s creative hub Xiansuo, it doesn’t just offer a retail space but also a place for cyclists to hang.
Tennis tourism serves an ace this season // Aligning with the global sports tourism trend, tennis retreats are booming in China. Some tennis players are happily paying US$800-1,500 on average per trip to experience the court and the scenery at the same time. This tennis fever has been fueled by Zheng Qinwen’s gold-winning performance at the Paris Olympics, which has also resulted in a record-breaking number of 250,000 spectators at the recent Shanghai Rolex Masters.
China to tighten up marathon rules? // After several low-level marathon races in Jiangsu and Shanxi provinces are canceled this month, rumors are swirling about the General Administration of Sport intending to tighten up regulations on the organizers. This could be good news for the industry’s sustainability, as many local governments rushed to host trendy sports competition without enough know-how or safety guardrails.
Here are last few previous issues: Sep., Aug., July
🗓️ UPCOMING – PICK & CHOOSE YOUR CHINA ITINERARY IN NOV/DEC 2025
Nov 5-10 China International Import Expo, Shanghai
Nov 7-9 China Cross-Border E-Commerce and New E-Commerce Trade Expo, Fuzhou
Nov 12-14 Food Hospitality Expo, Shanghai
Nov 14-16 China Hi-Tech Fair, Shenzhen
Nov 23-25 China International Semiconductor Expo, Beijing
With editorial help from ChatGPT.