It's lunchtime in Shanghai and there are plenty of cooks in one restaurant's kitchen. But when the food is ready, you won't see any waitstaff; instead, dishes are delivered by robot pods on a high-tech track that quickly guides them to their destination. "This is so classy and fun, and the food is delicious, too," one customer told correspondent Ben Tracy. The robot restaurant is inside a rapidly-growing Chinese grocery store chain called Hema (that's "hippo" in Mandarin), where almost everything is done digitally. It's owned by Alibaba, one of the largest e-commerce companies on the planet. It also owns Alipay, the most-used digital payment service in China. Its chairman, Jack Ma, is now trying to reinvent brick-and-mortar retail by fully merging it with e-commerce, designing physical stores around our smartphones. He calls it "new retail." That's because China says 98 percent of its internet traffic comes from cellphones, compared to just over 40 percent in the U.S. The entire … [Read more...] about From robot restaurants to automobile vending machines: The e-commerce revolution in China
China market research group
Dolce&Gabbana fiasco shows importance, risks of China market
Ken Moritsugu and Colleen Barry, Associated Press Published 9:34 am PST, Sunday, November 25, 2018 FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2018, file photo, a man walks past a Dolce&Gabbana store in Beijing, China. Dolce&Gabbana faced a boycott after Chinese netizens expressed outrage over what were seen as culturally insensitive videos promoting a major runway show in Shanghai and subsequent posts of insulting comments in a private Instagram chat. less FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2018, file photo, a man walks past a Dolce&Gabbana store in Beijing, China. Dolce&Gabbana faced a boycott after Chinese netizens expressed outrage over what were seen as culturally ... more Photo: Ng Han Guan, AP Photo: Ng Han Guan, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 FILE - In this Nov. 21, … [Read more...] about Dolce&Gabbana fiasco shows importance, risks of China market
Dolce&Gabbana goods pulled in China over alleged insults
Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Updated 3:58 am PST, Thursday, November 22, 2018 A computer screen shows the online impact on Dolce & Gabbana products displayed in Beijing, China, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. Dolce & Gabbana goods have disappeared from Chinese e-commerce sites after insulting remarks about China it allegedly made in exchanges on Instagram sparked outrage. less A computer screen shows the online impact on Dolce & Gabbana products displayed in Beijing, China, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. Dolce & Gabbana goods have disappeared from Chinese e-commerce sites after insulting ... more Photo: Ng Han Guan, AP Photo: Ng Han Guan, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 A computer screen shows the online impact on Dolce & Gabbana products displayed in … [Read more...] about Dolce&Gabbana goods pulled in China over alleged insults
China to overtake France as top travel destination by 2030
LONDON • China is set to overtake France as the world's number one tourist destination by 2030 as a growing middle class in Asia looks to spend more on travel, according to experts at market research group Euromonitor International.In a report published Tuesday at an industry conference in London, Euromonitor said it is predicting there will be 1.4 billion trips made in 2018, up 5 percent from last year. Stronger growth in many major economies mean industry receipts will rise by an estimated 11 percent.By 2030, international arrivals are expected to have risen by another billion, corresponding to around $2.6 trillion in receipts. China is expected to have overtaken France by then to become the world's number one destination.Much of the sustained boom in travel and tourism, which has outpaced growth in the global economy for eight years, is centered in the Asia-Pacific region, where trips are expected to grow by 10 percent this year. The region has benefited from rapidly growing … [Read more...] about China to overtake France as top travel destination by 2030
Starbucks partners with Alibaba, as It tries to keep its throne in China
By Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times Published 4:19 pm CDT, Friday, August 3, 2018 Photo: Ng Han Guan /Associated Press Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2018, foreigners walk past a man and woman outside a Starbucks outlet under construction in Beijing, China. Starbucks and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced a coffee delivery venture on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, that adds to growing competition in China's booming delivery industry. less In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2018, foreigners walk past a man and woman outside a Starbucks outlet under construction in Beijing, China. Starbucks and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced ... more Photo: Ng Han Guan /Associated Press Starbucks partners with Alibaba, as It tries to keep its throne in China 1 / 1 Back … [Read more...] about Starbucks partners with Alibaba, as It tries to keep its throne in China