Hi folks, we are back with our weekly edition of China’s Digital Digest, wherein we would bring you weekly updates on China’s digital space. The report takes a quick glance at China’s complex and rapidly evolving social media landscape by providing updates on the latest happenings across the social media industry. Here are the major highlights of the report.
1. Shein Joins Chinese Rival Temu With New Dublin Office Amid Political Scrutiny
Shein, the online fast-fashion retailer founded in China, has set up a regional headquarters in Dublin to run its operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), which comes just weeks after Chinese rival PDD Holdings made a similar move in the city known as a tax haven.
The Dublin office will also host Shein’s IT hub for the EMEA market, Leonard Lin, the e-commerce firm’s head of government relations, said in a LinkedIn post. The creation of the office will bring with it 30 new jobs by the end of the year, Ireland’s Ministry of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment said in a statement. The roles include positions in data analytics, security, finance, and law.
2. JD.Com Reshuffles Top Brass As Ceo Xu Lei Retires to Make Way for Xu Ran
E-commerce giant JD.com said its chief executive officer Xu Lei, who was handed the role by founder Richard Liu Qiangdong about a year ago, has retired from the company for “personal reasons”.
JD has named Xu Ran, the company’s chief financial officer, as its new CEO, reporting directly to Liu, according to a statement published by JD. Shan Su, the current chief financial officer of JD Logistics, will take over Xu Ran’s responsibilities as CFO for JD overall.
3. Alibaba No Longer Has A Chief Technology Officer
Alibaba Group Holding has eliminated its chief technology officer (CTO) position as part of a sweeping business restructure that would see the sprawling conglomerate being broken up into nimbler and relatively independent units, according to sources and several Chinese media reports.
The title of Wu Zeming, who was appointed Alibaba’s CTO six months ago, has been changed to CEO of Aicheng Technology, an Alibaba subsidiary and technology service provider established in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter. Wu continues to report directly to Daniel Zhang Yong, chairman and CEO of Alibaba, the people said.
4. H&M’s Collaboration With Mugler Creates Shopping Frenzy In China
Multinational clothing giant H&M recently unveiled its latest collaboration with renowned French independent designer brand Mugler, resulting in an extraordinary shopping frenzy throughout China.
The collection’s release was met with an overwhelming surge of eager customers attempting to snag the limited-edition garments, causing H&M’s official Chinese website to crash under the weight of the unprecedented traffic. The incident sparked a social media frenzy, with users on platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu sharing screenshots of their unsuccessful attempts to make a purchase. By the following day at 5pm, the entire collection had completely sold out online.
5. Douyin E-Commerce Kicks Off International Museum Day Campaign
Gearing up for International Museum Day on May 18, Douyin E-commerce has kicked off a campaign that puts art and culture in the spotlight. Joining hands with Wenbo Online, the platform has partnered with 62 museums from all corners of China, featuring an extensive array of cultural and artistic merchandise.
Running from May 4 to May 21, the event offers an immersive online experience where users can participate in cultural gift giveaways while learning about the historical stories of museums and cultural relics.
6. Chinese Watchmaker Ciga Design Teams Up With GQ
China’s only original watchmaker, CIGA Design, joined hands with American magazine GQ for its latest campaign promoting its Series U Blue Planet collection.
Taking Youth Day (May 4) as a jumping off point, the campaign focuses on the passage of time, weighing up the philosophical difference between your time and other people’s perception of it. Tapping into the pressure many people feel to reach achievements by certain ages, the campaign reminds the viewer that others cannot see all the time pored into each of your endeavours.
Wrapping Up
The vast and diverse nature of the Chinese Social Media space makes it incredibly challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments taking place. However, China’s Digital Digest brings you all the latest updates from there to keep you abreast of all the evolving trends.
To delve deeper into the findings of the May report, click here.