For many companies, business in China has changed for the long term as a fragile economy and sluggish consumer demand are forcing executives to rethink their brand strategy and compete with rising home-grown rivals.
A Laopu Gold jewellery store – Bloomberg
From Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing to furniture giant IKEA, global companies have soured on China’s outlook, with some withdrawing earnings guidance and others resigned to a new “normalisation.”
Their gloomy guidance illustrates how China’s market, overshadowed by a trade war, fierce price competition, rising nationalism and cost-conscious consumers, is becoming a major drag for many businesses already pressured by higher US tariffs.
“We need to find smarter ways of producing so the prices become even more competitive, and we need to learn to be even more relevant for the Chinese market,” said Jon Abrahamsson Ring, CEO of IKEA franchisor Inter IKEA, adding that consumer confidence in China remained a challenge.
A shift in spending patterns is also hurting global retailers, with frugal consumers flocking to online platforms such as Alibaba‘s Taobao for discounted prices.
At Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing, sales and profit fell in China, its largest market with 900 stores, even as its North America revenue rose 24%.
Nike reported a sales drop for the fifth quarter in the Greater China market, amid stiff competition from domestic brands including Anta and Li Ning. It recently sent US basketball stars LeBron James and Ja Morant to China to lure consumers.
Some firms appear to be holding up, most notably in luxury in China, which accounts for roughly a third of global sales. LVMH reported better-than-expected third-quarter sales underpinned by improved Chinese demand, saying shoppers responded well to new store experiences, like the ship-shaped Louis Vuitton boutique in Shanghai.
“What we see is whenever we are bringing an initiative or an innovation or a new retail disruption initiative, it creates immediately… interest and excitement and consumers respond very quickly,” LVMH CFO Cecile Cabanis said.
China’s persistent deflationary pressures support the case for more policy measures as weak demand and trade tensions drag on the $19 trillion economy. Chinese GDP growth and retail sales data on Monday plus a string of earnings from global companies will provide investors with more insight into the health of the world’s second-largest economy.
Adding to the mounting challenges for global brands is the fast rise of cheaper home-grown alternatives for almost everything from cars to coffee and fashion.
The market share of Chinese cosmetics brands is expected to exceed that of foreign brands for the first time in 2025, reaching 50.4%, according to Frost & Sullivan. Urban Revivo, known as China’s Zara rival, is among a growing cohort of domestic firms looking to expand overseas.
Another star is jewellery retailer Laopu Gold, often called the “Hermes of gold”, whose shares have soared 214% this year. It draws deeply from Chinese cultural heritage and has proven a hit with consumers. Frost & Sullivan says 77.3% of Laopu’s customers also shop at Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Cartier, Bulgari and Tiffany & Co.
Lululemon Athletica said that CEO Calvin McDonald was leaving the company without a replacement and raised its annual profit forecast, sending shares up about 10% in extended trade on Thursday.
Calvin McDonald – Reuters
McDonald will step down from Lululemon in January after about seven years at the helm.
However, sales in the U.S. have suffered in recent times, with its stock falling 61% over the last two years. Lululemon, known for its pricey leggings and athleisure clothing, has lost ground to upstart brands such as Alo Yoga as well as private-label replicas, with executives noting that they were disappointed with its product execution.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the company’s founder Chip Wilson was frustrated with marketing and had been considering a proxy fight.
The company named its finance chief Meghan Frank and chief commercial officer André Maestrini as co-interim CEOs while it searches for a new boss.
The shakeup at the top also is the latest in a string of big changes in C-suites for retailers as they look to capture a younger, more cautious audience and wade through supply chain and operational issues. Lululemon also approved a $1 billion increase to its stock buyback program.
“With the stock down so much, I think investors are satisfied that Lululemon’s board is taking aggressive action,” said Morningstar Research analyst David Swartz, who nevertheless said McDonald has been a very effective CEO.
While the holiday shopping season was off to a strong start with the Thanksgiving period, demand has slowed since, as consumers continued to trade down in the apparel space, McDonald said on a post-earnings call.
Discounts are also expected to be higher as it works to clean out aged product lines. The company said it would plan inventory units below sales in 2026.
Interim co-CEO Frank said on the call that Lululemon would invest in marketing in the fourth quarter to help drive traffic and build brand awareness.
Lululemon now expects annual profit between $12.92 and $13.02 per share, compared with previous expectations of $12.77 to $12.97 apiece, while it also raised its annual sales target.
It now sees a $210 million hit to its income from operations in 2025 due to tariffs, and reiterated its expectation for annual operating margin to decrease by about 390 basis points.
“(Lululemon) lost share in a increasingly competitive athleisure market and specifically has not been able to successfully address its weakening share of the core women’s pants despite multiple attempts to address that. So that will be a challenge for the new permanent CEO,” said Matt Jacob, analyst at M Science.
In 2013, then-board chairman Dennis “Chip” Wilson said that some women’s body shapes “just actually don’t work” with Lululemon yoga pants. Wilson returned to a more active role in the company in 2013 as Lululemon dealt with a high-profile recall of its signature yoga pants after complaints mounted that they were overly see-through.
Wilson stepped down as chairman a month after the remarks.
Lululemon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment about the proxy fight report.
For the quarter ended November 2, the company reported net revenue of $2.57 billion, beating estimates of $2.48 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Louis Vuitton announced on Thursday the appointment of American actress, Chase Infiniti, as its newest house ambassador.
Chase Infiniti – Courtesy
Born in Indianapolis, Infiniti has shot to recent fame for her roles across film and television. The 25-year-old has caught attention for her performance in David E. Kelley’s series “Presumed Innocent” (2024) and in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, “One Battle After Another ” released this year.
The star has already accrued a 2025 Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Performer, nomination for Best Performance for Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy for the 2026 Golden Globes and a nomination for the Best Actress for the 2026 Critic’s Choice Award.
Looking ahead, Infiniti will feature in “The Handmaid’s Tale” sequel, “The Testaments”, released in April next year.
“Chase Infiniti perfectly embodies Louis Vuitton’s powerful and timeless femininity, reflecting the shared values that unite her with the house,” said the Parisian maison, in a press release.
“Through her artistry, she brings to the house a rare balance of youthful dynamism and forward-looking vision.”
It’s not the first time Infiniti and the LVMH-owned brand have collided.
The actor attended the last two women’s runway shows — the Fall-Winter 2025 and Spring-Summer 2026 collections by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections, the latter presented at the Musée du Louvre, last September.
She also wore a custom Louis Vuitton champagne satin hand-embroidered gown inspired by an archive from 1860 at the world premiere of “One Battle After Another” movie in September.
“I have watched Chase’s debut with genuine delight, I find her totally captivating in the roles she plays. Beyond her remarkable talent, she radiates an authenticity that is truly unforgettable” said Ghesquière.
In addition to Infiniti, Louis Vuitton’s current roster of brand ambassadors includes a mix of global stars from fashion, music and sports — for example Zendaya has fronted campaigns for the house, and Pusha T has been announced as a brand ambassador under Pharrell Williams’s creative direction for men’s.
Other ambassadors include J-Hope from BTS, K-pop stars Lisa and Felix, Jackson Wang and BamBam, and top athletes like Victor Wembanyama and Carlos Alcaraz.
Asian beauty retailer Sukoshi announced on Thursday plans to accelerate its U.S. expansion with a series of major openings at high-traffic shopping centres across the country.
Sukoshi ramps up U.S. growth with major 2025 mall openings. – Sukoshi
The company plans to debut new stores in 2025 at King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania, Lenox Square in Atlanta, Aventura Mall in Miami, Bellevue Square in Washington, and Garden State Plaza in New Jersey, marking its largest U.S. rollout to date. By the end of 2026, Sukoshi expects to operate more than 40 locations.
“As Asian beauty continues to shape global standards, we’re proud to be leading its expansion across North America,” said Linda Dang, CEO of Sukoshi. “Scaling is not just about opening stores. It is about setting a new standard for Asian beauty and giving customers a place where education and discovery feel natural.”
Most recently, in September, Sukoshi opened its largest New York City location on the Upper East Side, which marked its 15th store. It also became the exclusive retailer for global cult-favorite brands Red Chamber and Girlcult.
Founded in 2018, Sukoshi has built a strong presence in the growing Asian beauty category, offering a curated selection of more than 200 brands from Korea, Japan, and across Asia.
The retailer is also positioning itself as a brand accelerator, offering partners access to retail space, influencer collaborations, pop-up activations, and North American distribution.
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