#Consumer

China's perfume market is projected to grow to 440 billion yuan by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 14%, far exceeding the global average of 3.5%, according to Frost & Sullivan. International beauty groups are actively investing in the sector: Estee Lauder's fragrance sales hit $2.779 billion in fiscal 2026, up 12% year-on-year, while L'Oréal acquired Creed and invested in Chinese brands like 观夏 and melt season. 中国香水市场预计2028年增至440亿元，东方香趋势加速 据弗若斯特沙利文数据，中国香水市场规模预计2028年增至440亿元，复合年增长率约14%，远超全球3.5%的平均增速。雅诗兰黛2026财年香水业务销售额27.79亿美元，同比增长12%；欧莱雅收购Creed并投资观夏、melt season等本土香氛品牌。2026上半年国内香水及花露水出口额达25.02亿元，同比增长31.05%。

Shenzhen Huaqiangbei merchants reported memory module prices climbing more than 300% year-over-year as of October 2026, with DDR4 (16GB) rising from over 100 yuan to over 600 yuan and DDR5 (16GB) from over 200 yuan to over 1,400 yuan. AI servers consuming 8-10x more memory than standard servers have absorbed about 70% of advanced storage capacity, prompting Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron to shift production toward higher-margin HBM, cutting consumer-grade supply.

Anta Group completed a €1.5055 billion cash acquisition of 29.06% of Puma, becoming the German sports brand's largest shareholder. Anta will seek seats on Puma's supervisory board but has no plans to launch a tender offer. The deal differs from Anta's previous controlling acquisitions of FILA and Amer; here Anta lacks board control and must work through minority equity, supervisory board representation and shareholder agreements to export synergies.

International gold prices have pulled back significantly, with COMEX gold futures falling below $4,200 per ounce and domestic Shanghai gold breaking below 900 yuan per gram. Brand jewelry prices have dropped about 150 yuan per gram from their peak, while Shenzhen Shuibei wholesale gold fell to 1,061 yuan per gram. The price decline, coupled with National Day holiday promotions, has driven a surge in gold purchases by tourists from other cities at China's largest gold jewelry hub.

European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič met with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on Thursday. The PRC side released only a one-sentence statement confirming the meeting. Šefčovič is scheduled to meet with He Lifeng on Friday.

During August 2026, 18 China–Japan air routes canceled all scheduled flights, totaling 1,120 canceled flights—a 30% cancellation rate. Routes to Japan were already down 53% compared to the previous year, as Chinese tourists increasingly opt for domestic travel or more affordable Southeast Asian destinations like Vietnam and Malaysia due to cautious spending. The decline was evident in Tokyo, where Chinese visitors were notably absent at popular tourist spots.