Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 447
China’s “Snack Ambushers”: Mall Nut Shops Charge Premiums for Experience, Not Always Freshness
Popular mall-based nut chains in China have been selling ordinary snacks at premium prices by packaging them as high-end, freshly roasted products and leveraging mall footfall and influencer marketing. Rising customer complaints about high bills and questions about the authenticity of “same-day roasting” have slowed expansion and exposed risks to the brands’ pricing logic.
Mall‑based Nut Brands Turn Everyday Seeds into a Luxury Purchase — and a Consumer Flashpoint
Two mall‑focused Chinese nut chains have turned ordinary roasted seeds into high‑priced, boutique products, prompting social‑media backlash as consumers discover hefty price tags and uneven claims of same‑day roasting. The strategy — premium positioning through mall locations, sensory retailing and influencer seeding — has driven rapid expansion but now faces slowing store openings and scrutiny over whether the premium is justified.
‘Head-Swapping’ for Coal Trucks: How Henan’s Clean-transport Push Created a Rent-seeking Bottleneck
In Henan province, some factories have started to bar National VI diesel and gas tractors from entering their gates unless those trailers are towed by electric tractor heads, prompting a small rental market charging 200–400 yuan per swap. Provincial environmental authorities say the bans exceed official policy and have launched on-site investigations, highlighting a policy implementation gap between ambitious clean-transport targets and last-mile logistics realities.
Brokers See A‑share Cooldown Before Lunar New Year, but February Rotation Could Reignite Gains
Ten Chinese brokerages expect a near‑term cooling in A‑share sentiment ahead of the Lunar New Year, driven by holiday flows, ETF redemptions and firmer U.S. rate expectations after the Fed nomination. Most see corrections as limited and anticipate a post‑holiday rebound, with February characterized by faster sector rotation toward larger, quality and cyclical names.
A‑Shares Slide as Resource and Chip Stocks Lead a Midday Sell‑Off
China’s A‑share market slid more than 1% across major indices in mid‑day trade, with resource and semiconductor stocks leading declines while pockets of AI and consumer names rallied. Lower turnover and sectoral divergence point to profit‑taking and selective positioning after January gains, rather than a broad capitulation.
Warsh Nomination and Dollar Surge Trigger a Global Sell-Off — Crypto and Metals Bear the Brunt
Markets roiled after President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as his choice for Fed chair, sending the dollar higher and triggering a synchronized sell‑off across cryptocurrencies and precious metals. The move exposed thin liquidity and crowded positioning: bitcoin and ethereum fell sharply and metals suffered dramatic one‑day losses as traders repositioned for a potentially hawkish Fed.
Shuibei in Shock: China’s Retail Gold Market Reels as Metals Suffer Historic Single‑Day Falls
A violent repricing in precious metals on January 30 sent spot gold down more than 9% — the biggest daily drop since 1983 — and silver tumbling as much as 36% intraday. Shenzhen’s Shuibei bullion market became the frontline, with frantic selling, opportunistic buying and banks raising risk thresholds as retail investors coped with rapid losses. The shock highlights how speculative excess, thin physical liquidity and cross‑market contagion can quickly imperil even traditionally ‘safe’ assets.
Margin Calls, a Fed Nomination and an Epic Plunge: What Broke the Gold and Silver Rally
A sudden change in U.S. Fed leadership expectations triggered a dollar rally and mass liquidations that sent gold and silver tumbling from record highs in late January. Forced margin calls, tightened exchange risk controls and algorithmic selling amplified the shock, producing one of the most violent single-day declines in decades while raising questions about leverage and liquidity in commodity markets.
How Henan's Lab-Grown Diamond Boom Is Shattering Prices and Rewriting an Industry
A surge in lab-grown diamond production centred in Henan has driven global prices down more than 40% since 2022, forcing legacy players like De Beers and branded jewellers to cut prices, run down inventories and rethink strategies. The technological and scale advantages of HPHT production in China have made high-quality synthetic stones widely available and affordable, challenging the economic and symbolic value of natural diamonds.
China’s Cheap-Coffee Era Winds Down as Kudi Drops Its 9.9‑Yuan Anchor
Kudi has ended its near two‑year 9.9‑yuan unlimited drinks promotion, loosening the low‑price anchor that reshaped China’s coffee market. The move reflects a broader industry shift from aggressive price wars to brand, product and operational refinement amid global coffee supply pressures that make price rises more palatable.
Ex-Actor Li Yapeng Clears Pu'er Tea Inventory with a Single 6‑Hour Livestream — 160 Million Yuan in Sales and a Philanthropic Twist
Li Yapeng’s six‑hour Douyin livestream on January 30 generated 160 million yuan in GMV, set a record for a Pu'er tea special, and attracted more than 40 million total views. The event accelerated inventory clearance for the tea sector, boosted Li’s follower base past 10 million, and intersected with his pledge to donate livestream proceeds amid a hospital funding controversy.
Wall Street’s AI Bill: Microsoft’s $381bn Market Shock and the Hard Question for Tech Giants
A recent sharp sell‑off wiped about $381 billion off Microsoft’s market value after Azure growth showed signs of slowing and the company flagged more than $100 billion of capital spending for the year. The market reaction underscores a broader investor scepticism about whether massive AI‑related investments across big tech will be monetised, shifting the emphasis from spending to demonstrable returns.