Xianyu has evolved from a second-hand marketplace into a hub for youth culture, side hustles, and digital innovation, offering valuable insights for foreign brands in China

A softening ad spend market in China reveals some changes in priorities across online platforms and shifts in spending from major categories

China's seniors are one of the most anticipated demographics, yet one of the least tapped by foreign brands. Preferences, behaviour and influences are all changing, helping to make them more accessible for foreign brands

Too many brands define their target audience using only traditional demographics, often overlooking their tribes - the community that influences their decisions. Brands supporting these communities can deliver much more sustainable and advocacy-based marketing outputs

Despite fatigue around the Subject Three dance craze, Yili has created another online dance sensation with dadadada

Glance across any Chinese park, restaurant or subway and it becomes quite clear that online video is one of the most popular channels in China. It is also one of the most dynamic. This is reflected by user numbers which has seen former market leader Youku-Tudou’s 325 million active monthly mobile users fall far behind market leaders Tencent Video and iQiyi with 457 million and 442 million respectively.

Chinese cuisine has a rich and diverse heritage with some notable differences across regions. Alibaba’s 2017 China Household Table Consumption Trends Report highlights some of these variances and how purchases can change with gender and by special holidays.

“Fresh Food” has become the main theme on Chinese tables as consumers are increasingly attracted to a healthy lifestyle.

O2O is one of the most cost effective and engaging marketing strategies brands can adopt in China. Most aspirational brands selling in China have a strong O2O component in their marketing mix, yet many foreign brands have been falling behind in implementing O2O initiatives in China.

Education is a major concern for Chinese parents who are eager to see their child excel in multiple disciplines. From an early age on, kids in China are attending English classes, practice calligraphy and learn instruments in order to be able to compete with millions of others. It is a rigid system that focuses on theories and teacher-centred learning with the primary goal being the big exams for the next higher school level such as the university admission exam gaokao. The pressure on the 9 million attendees is enormous with schools installing anti-suicide barriers to prevent students from taking their lives ahead of the exam.

It is indisputable that Baidu is the dominant search engine in China. Although there are other search engines such as 360 and Sogou, their market share remains small compared to Baidu’s.

The Alibaba shopping-mania continued with this year’s Singles’ Day reaching a stunning $14.3 billion sales. It not only showcases the enormous reach of China’s biggest internet retailer, but also the pace Chinese spending power is increasing. Growing by 60% compared to last year, Singles’ Day has evolved to a global shopping festival. Below is the digest on Singles’ Day 2015 in China Skinny’s newest infograph.

Last week's four-day Fifth Plenary Session in Beijing saw China's leaders meet to determine the blueprint for China's policies over the next five years. Although the full details won't be released in March next year, below are 13 highlights from the communique published following the session:

It is upon us! Anyone travelling in China over the next seven days, and at many tourist spots abroad, will know that this is no ordinary week.

While all of us have enjoyed the results of Chinese inventions from paper, printing, tea and porcelain, to the less-cited toilet paper, pasta, ice cream and football, it’s likely we’re going to benefit from many more in our lifetimes, particularly in the technology category.

Your brand has locked in favourable deals with the top-10 retailers in China, including the best in-store placement and positioning of your merchandise and regular point of sale promotions. You’re well placed to reach China’s 1.36 billion consumers, or at least a couple of hundred million middle class customers, right? Unfortunately not.

A Chinese consumer’s purchase journey is like no other. It begins online for most, with 85% using search engines, brand websites, or social media as their first step for researching a new product or purchase, according to a PWC survey.

520 – a special day in China and a special day for China Skinny. Attending the Global Conference on Women and Entrepreneurship hosted by Alibaba in Hangzhou, our team is part of the 800 participants. With 640 million female consumers in China, bringing female entrepreneurs together shows the importance of women’s power for China’s economy.