5 most-read ‘Jing Daily’ stories of 2024

This year was marked by brand blunders, luxury downtrends, internet buzzwords, Gen Alpha’s rise to prominence, and the emergence of East Asian luxury hubs beyond China. While we covered a broader range of topics — including a nuanced deep dive into travel trends, luxury horology, Saudi Arabia, and emerging tech — some resonated more than others. Stories about brand and KOL mishaps were the most popular, along with updates on the burgeoning sports-meets-luxury sector and trends gripping China’s chronically online Gen Z. We will continue to deliver more of this content next year as part of our new Jing Daily Pro membership, alongside new diverse subjects. Until then, we take a look at the five most-read stories on Jing Daily in 2024, offering an in-depth understanding of Chinese spending habits, trends, and interests today. Mongolia’s Olympics uniforms praised, China’s ‘gendered’ designs panned This year, the Paris Olympics dominated the conversation — from the rise of its breakout stars to athletes signing on luxury brands’ dotted line for partnerships. But one topic overshadowed the rest: the uniforms. Unveiled in July, the Paris Summer 2024 Olympics teams’ uniforms received significant attention on Chinese social media, with the Mongolian uniform being particularly praised for its blend of traditional and contemporary elements. Meanwhile, China's team uniforms elicited huge criticism for their gendered approach, with netizens calling for more inclusive options. While the Games made for great marketing, they were also a lesson in brand hurdles. More here. What is China’s ‘mixed-race’ beauty trend? When it comes to internet-driven buzzwords, China’s Gen Z netizens are masters. One trend that emerged as a force this year was the controversial “mixed-race” beauty trend; a movement that reflected the country’s complex cultural influences and changing standards of beauty in post-colonial Asia. From the boom in color-changing contact lenses to blending “Eurasian” makeup with traditional Chinese fashion, does the trend celebrate diversity, or diversion? More here. Thailand’s $5B luxury market to overshadow Singapore’s Thailand is emerging as Southeast Asia’s next luxury hotspot. While Singapore has long held the crown as the region’s luxury capital, Thailand is rapidly gaining ground, thanks to its cutting-edge malls, high-profile celebrity endorsements, and a digitally savvy consumer base. With these factors aligning, the nation is carving out its place as a formidable player in the global luxury market. More here. China’s Gen Z wants ‘lazy health,’ budget lifestyle trends in 2024 Low-cost, low-efforts: these were the principles China’s Gen Z prioritized the most this year when it came to their beauty and wellness routines. As the demographic faces a loneliness crisis and mounting economic tensions, approaches to beauty and self-care are changing. To understand the impact these pressures are having on the cohort, Just So Soul, the research arm of Soul App, researched the top trends that defined China’s wellness sphere in 2024, including self-love (自恋浪漫主义), stress-relief worship (释压崇拜), and rebuilding neighborhoods (重构“多维”附近). More here. The price of duty-free: Hainan grapples with ‘daigou’ dilemma China’s ‘daigou’ dilemma reached a fever pitch this year, with major government crackdowns keeping the topic in the headlines. The daigou market, aka buying goods overseas and selling them at home to circumvent taxes, faced intense scrutiny this year, prompting duty-free operators, which used to offer big daigou players better prices and product availability, to sever ties with gray market operators. Brands followed suit: For instance, L’Oréal formed a committee to manage Hainan duty-free operations amid market challenges. More here.

2024: 5 most-read ‘Jing Daily’ stories

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2024: 5 most-read ‘Jing Daily’ stories