blue bottle is opening its first beijing store in china world mall, in a unit previously occupied by tasaki. it's only one store. but it's an interesting swap. a coffee brand taking over a luxury jeweller's space says something about how people are using malls differently, and what landlords now want from prime locations. maybe the shift isn't simply away from luxury. maybe some of the space once reserved for big-ticket purchases is moving toward things people can enjoy more often. sometimes you can see a change in consumer behaviour just by looking at who moved in.
china strategy ·angelito tan ·3 october 2026
apparently, the dog gets a mooncake now too. living in china, pets are suddenly part of almost everything: malls, cafés, hotels, travel, birthdays, wellness. now even mid-autumn festival. this year, while traditional mooncake sales seemed a little softer, pet mooncakes were reportedly selling out at sam's club. from overseas, it can look like another funny china consumer trend. but the more interesting part is how quickly human rituals are becoming pet rituals. and that may be where china's pet economy gets more interesting too: not just more products for pets, but more human occasions being redesigned around them. if there's an occasion for us, sooner or later it'll probably become one for pets too. including, apparently, mid-autumn festival.
china strategy ·marc-olivier arnold ·3 october 2026
china hasn't lost its appetite for luxury, but it may be getting bored with the way luxury keeps repeating itself. i joined the BoF × McKinsey webinar today around their latest luxury client report. good data. but the china part kept bringing me back to this. another bag. another drop. another private event. another "if you know, you know". many still work. but more and more are starting to look alike. and china makes this especially visible. the report still finds the physical store is the leading source of inspiration, while bespoke service remains central to exclusivity. but when every brand has the flagship, the clienteling, the special event... what still feels special? which made me wonder where desire goes next. maybe towards things that don't look much like luxury today: better health, more time, more space, perhaps entirely new categories we don't yet put under "luxury". desire has a habit of moving on.
china strategy ·marc-olivier arnold ·25 september 2026
