Talking Business

Marks & Spencer dishes up a varied course for local success

[2016-01-21 13:35]

The staff at Marks and Spencer's new Beijing store were all smiles and helpfulness on Sunday afternoon-as they should be, only weeks after the flag-carrier of British retailing opened what is likely to become a crucial litmus test for its future here.

Lines becoming blurred between marketing and social media

[2016-01-15 10:56]

Last summer, Shanghai was constantly blighted by pouring rain, blocking some parts of the city. A taxi-hailing company came up with advertisements on social media applications which claimed that consumers could book boats from them. There were even pictures showing the locations of the available boats. However, this was nothing more than a practical joke.

More to Wanda's Hollywood foray than meets the eye?

[2016-01-14 10:44]

There must be more to Dalian Wanda Group's $3.5 billion deal for control of Hollywood film studio Legendary Entertainment than meets the eye.

Road pricing vs car ban to control air pollution

[2016-01-13 08:03]

If you have to drive to work or get your child to school in your car, think about traffic restrictions that will kick your car off the road at least one day every week.

Yellow metal set to regain its glitter in topsy-turvy market

[2016-01-12 10:02]

My infatuation with gold can be traced back to a long time ago.

More families hit the road in homes on wheels

[2016-01-07 11:10]

A visit to a recreational vehicle expo during a recent tour of Hainan, the tourist resort island in southern China, impressed me with huge numbers of cheerful participating families flocking to experience the personal feel of a "home on wheels".

Just how far will technology take us in 2016?

[2016-01-05 10:14]

From ovens to smartphones, tech firms have been trying to boost their bottom line by changing the way we live. And we let them win every time.

Try to keep your head, when all around are losing theirs

[2015-12-31 07:55]

A decade ago, when I made an average of 50,000 yuan ($7,700) a year as a journalist, my attitude toward stock market investment was one of indifference. Even if I doubled that figure through buying and selling stocks, I would still be a poor man. Why bother?

It's time to clean up our act on recycling rubbish

[2015-12-30 08:12]

The faltering waste collection business is a victim of lower commodity prices due to overcapacity amid weak market demand.

Time to put the brakes on this motorized menace

[2015-12-29 10:33]

Taking advantage of the central government's latest policy to encourage the development of clean-energy vehicles, Chinese e-bike producers have grown rapidly in recent years. Brands such as AIMA, Luyuan and Yadea have become popular products in the market.

Fight against fakes needs more than superheroes

[2015-12-24 07:45]

To make things really work, it is high time for every party to work together to create synergy in the crackdown on fake goods online, rather than point fingers at each other.

You've got mail, but probably safer to keep it hush-hush

[2015-12-23 09:45]

The other day I was startled to see an ad by an e-retailer on the wall in the elevator at my apartment block: "Place an order while at work, and take deliveries when you go home."

Wasteful spending can weaken strong GDP foundations

[2015-12-15 10:50]

In a 15-second bang, Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, set a record in China on Nov 15－with a controlled explosion which reduced a 118-meter-tall building to rubble.

Snowsports industry faces challenging race ahead

[2015-12-11 08:03]

There's been a ton written this year about the very rosy future of golf in China, with its numbers of players growing like never before.

The hype may be fading, but 'big data' is here to stay

[2015-12-10 07:59]

Big data has become a catchword in business circles. One often hears of companies, enterprises or even governments going gaga over the technology and the innumerable economic benefits it brings in its train.

New generations can learn from 'old soldiers'

[2015-12-09 08:06]

The overall experience of online shoppers on China's Singles Day, the online shopping festival on Nov 11, wasn't as exciting as the record sales, mainly due to the poor delivery services.

Senior homes falling short on price and number

[2015-12-08 08:01]

Qian Liqun, 76, a famous scholar of literature at Peking University, shocked many of his contemporaries after he sold his apartment in Beijing and moved to a private home for the elderly in the suburbs so he could live quietely and spend more time writing.