China's large population, rapid economic growth, and emerging middle class make it an important market for virtually every consumer goods and retail company in the world. Top companies from around the globe have invested heavily in reaching Chinese consumers.
In addition, local Chinese enterprises are also growing rapidly; they are effectively serving their home populations while, at the same time, pursuing additional opportunities abroad. Many local and multinational companies have successfully made China a critical component of their global strategies—and a significant source of profits.
Even though China offers a wealth of opportunities, it presents daunting challenges as well—complex regulatory and trade environments, an overwhelming array of highly aggressive competitors, and sales and distribution networks that remain largely underdeveloped. BCG Greater China has been helping companies overcome these obstacles since its inception.
Today our Greater China Consumer practice is one of the strongest and most successful practice areas in the firm. All of the partners, project managers, and consultants who comprise our local team have extensive consumer goods and retail experience, as well as in-depth local knowledge.
We have helped a wide range of local and multinational clients succeed in China, both as they evaluate and enter this complex marketplace, and as they defend and deepen leading positions. We support our case work with extensive cutting-edge research on the behaviors and attitudes of Chinese consumers.
BCG Greater China's consumer team has worked on a broad array of topics over the years. Some of our areas of focus include:
- Capturing and analyzing deep consumer insights
- Optimizing sales and distribution systems
- Developing government-relations strategies
- Refining and improving business-model economics
- Monitoring the complex array of distribution channels
- Analyzing and understanding competitive landscapes
- Anticipating and planning for change
- Creating effective sourcing, manufacturing, and supply-chain strategies
- Assessing acquisition targets
- Managing postmerger integrations and joint venture relationships
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Hubert Hsu Senior Partner & Managing Director Hong Kong +852 2506 2111 |
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Waldemar Jap Partner & Managing Director Hong Kong +852 2506 2111 |
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Carol Liao Partner & Managing Director Hong Kong +852 2506 2111 |
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Vincent Lui Partner & Managing Director Hong Kong +852 2506 2111 |
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Publications
November, 2011
[PDF]The World’s Next E-Commerce Superpower: Navigating China’s Unique Online-Shopping Ecosystem
China, already known to have the largest Internet population in the world, can now also claim the distinction of having the second-largest population of online shoppers—145 million people. By 2015, this number will jump to 329 million, with spending that could exceed RMB 2 trillion, making the e-commerce market in China the world's most valuable. Research conducted by The Boston Consulting Group offers an in-depth look at the underlying dynamics behind this exciting time of growth. Drawing from surveys of more than 4,000 online shoppers across tier 1 through tier 5 cities, this report illuminates the conditions that make China's e-commerce environment unique compared with other markets and points out the crucial trends companies must be aware of to achieve success. Organizations must adjust to behaviors and conditions vastly different from other large e-commerce markets—and take control of their presence online.
July, 2011[PDF]Dressing Up: Capturing the Dynamic Growth of China’s Fashion Market
China's fashion market, which tripled over the past ten years, is expected to increase threefold over the coming decade. The fashion landscape in China is unlike any other in the world. Chinese consumers' needs and behaviors are shifting, across city tiers, age groups and genders. The next ten years will be a tremendously exciting and definitive time for China’s fashion market, and the opportunity for established and aspiring players is huge. To win a share of the new wave of growth, companies need to adapt their strategies in response to new demands from consumers. Specifically, companies need to expand their footprints, target emerging key consumer segments, and build competitive advantage through multi-channel experiences and format innovations. Anticipating the dramatic changes and developing the right offerings early on will be the key for companies with the ambition to win in China's fashion market.
Press Releases
November 22, 2011
Companies Without Online Offerings Are Slow to Enter China’s E-Commerce Market, World’s Second Largest and Set for More Explosive Growth, Says Report by The Boston Consulting Group China has more Internet users than the United States and Japan combined, and it already has 145 million online shoppers (second only to 170 million in the U.S.), with exponential growth expected that could bring the number to 329 million by 2015 and make the e-commerce market in China the world’s most valuable. View more
July 15, 2011
The Fashion Market in China, Which Grew Threefold Over the Past Decade, Is Expected to Triple Again Over the Next Ten Years, Says Report by The Boston Consulting Group The next ten years will be a tremendously exciting and definitive time for China's fashion market, and the opportunity for established and aspiring players is huge—within that time frame, China is expected to become one of the world's largest fashion retail markets, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled Dressing Up: Capturing the Dynamic Growth of China's Fashion Market, is being released today. View more
BCG in the News
October 14, 2010
21st Century Business Herald
China's RMB 100 Billion Baby Care Market Impossible to Ignore The baby care market in China grew by double digit figures last year, stimulated by strong and sustainable drivers. To better explore this, BCG's Center of Consumer Insight (CCI) conducted large scale quantitative consumer research in China during the first half of 2010, comprised of thousands of samples from 28 cities, ranging from tier-1 to tier-6, and covering the nine main categories for the 0-3 year old baby market.
June 29, 2010
WSJ-China Realtime Report
Chinese Upbeat on Spending Chinese consumers are ready to shop but remain cautious in their spending, according to a recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group.
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Wealth Markets in China: Seeking the Opportunity to LeadMore -
The World’s Next E-Commerce Superpower: Navigating China’s Unique Online-Shopping EcosystemMore -
The Dragon Wants to Spend: Turning the Corner on Consumer Lending in ChinaMore -
Dressing Up: Capturing the Dynamic Growth of China’s Fashion MarketMore -
Navigating the New Consumer Realities: Consumer Sentiment 2011More