retail therapy

How SARS gave us Alibaba

The outbreak of SARS coincided with the 2003 Canton Fair, a GIANT trade show that China chose not to cancel. Alibaba, tiny at the time, channeled the motivation to build Taobao and Alipay – two monster businesses. | learn more

fun facts

You don’t actually own Alibaba stock

You might expect that buying BABA in your brokerage account means you own stock of the Chinese e-commerce giant. But, alas, you don’t. China restricts foreign ownership of its companies. So, instead you own a synthetic security that depends entirely […]

retail therapy

Chinese shopping app falls for American bargains

Imagine a mobile QVC broadcast from foreign (US in this case) retail stores. “Live-stream shopping is captivating China, and one app lets viewers take part in the scramble for discounts in U.S. stores; ‘How is this possible? Why isn’t all […]

thoughts of food

Business of renting kitchen space heats up in China.

“In China’s biggest cities, restaurants are struggling to satisfy the appetites of customers ordering food delivery through apps on their phones. That’s leading to a booming market for renting kitchen space, without tables, chairs or waiters.” | learn more

retail therapy

Saving main street with in-store technology.

China is arguably in the lead here – Alibaba has outfitted about 1 million mom & pop shops with heat sensors, digital payments and inventory tracking. While the US has fallen behind due to cultural privacy concerns, progress persists. | learn more