There are three things to know: digitalization, consolidation, and Alibaba.
Alibaba’s annual Singles Day brings in billions of revenue every year. Its mascot matches the literal meaning of TMall’s old name, “sky cat,” and can also be spotted in the company’s logo. Credit: Alibaba Group
Retail in China has been defined by two trends: the rapid growth of e-commerce and market consolidation. The share of the market controlled by the country's ten biggest retailers has nearly doubled since 2008, and the three largest retailers all run operations that are primarily online.
Though the United States remains the world's biggest market for retail sales, China is the largest e-commerce market, accounting for nearly half the world's retail e-commerce sales, according to McKinsey
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Can Donald Trump’s corollary to James Monroe and Teddy Roosevelt’s Latin American policies counter China’s more patient and better-funded approach across the region?
The turmoil in the Middle East has already put Beijing’s forecasts for 2026 in doubt, while the latest Five Year Plan offers no fresh thinking on the country’s top challenges.
Now on podcast platforms everywhere, The Wire China hits the airwaves to take you behind the scenes of the stories we cover each week. We are dedicated to understanding and explaining one of the biggest stories of our time: China’s economic rise and its influence on the world.
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