Brands mentioned in this issue: Legoland, Tiffany & Co., Starbucks, SKIMS, Nike, NikeSKIMS, IN&OUT, Dicos, Tastien, DL Supermarket, INMO, Alo, Trip.com
📊 BIG STAT
Golden Week: 826 million trips, box office hits a 12-year-low // Chinese travelers took 826 million domestic trips over the seven days, spending 738.4 billion RMB — trips up 6.3% and spending up 4.3% on a daily-average basis, with spending of about 894 RMB per trip, down roughly 2%.
The pattern of people traveling but each spending less still rings true, as we wrote about in April.
Meanwhile, the Golden Week box office took in 1.165 billion RMB, a 12-year low and about a quarter of the 2019 peak.
🎭 CONSUMER CULTURE
“Children’s Legoland, parents’ paid gym?” // Some Chinese parents have been complaining that Legoland Shanghai’s signature rides run on human power — a fire truck you pump by hand, a drop tower you haul up by rope, a flying machine that stays airborne only as long as you keep pedaling.
“A cunning gym disguised as an amusement park,” as one post put it.
Some young childless adults are now jokingly asking where to buy the annual pass to work out. The math works: a silver annual card starts at 699 RMB with more than 200 bookable days, cheaper than certain gym chains.
The disposable holiday wardrobe business // Single-wear clothing has become a travel habit for some in China — bright, photogenic pieces bought for 20 to 50 RMB, worn once for photos before throwing away or reselling.
