Nearly 3 months after announcing its first major overhaul since entering China in the 1980s, fast-food giant KFC (NYSE: YUM) is saying it plans to move upscale as part of a drive to reignite its sputtering growth in the market. This kind of repositioning looks quite shrewd, and plays to a more upscale image that overseas brands naturally receive due to their foreign status. KFC actually enjoyed such upscale status when it first came to China in 1987, when its clean restaurants, friendly service and and quality food were considered superior to the fare at many local eateries at that time. But as China’s economy has boomed and income levels have risen, KFC’s image has moved considerably downscale, and the chain is now considered quite average. Read Full Post…
Fast food leaders McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) and KFC (NYSE: YUM) have unveiled major China overhauls in the last few weeks, as each tries to reignite stalling growth in one of their biggest and most profitable markets. Such retrenchments are long overdue, more than 2 decades after each company first came to China and achieved huge success by opening stores that offered not only good food at affordable prices but also friendly service and a comfortable eating environment. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on April 19-21. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) To Double Franchised Restaurant Ratio In China By 2015 (Chinese article)
In a move that was long overdue, Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) is taking the bold step of relaunching its KFC brand in China in a bid to reverse sinking sales as bird flu season heats up. Yum might like to blame its recent woes for KFC in China on a bird flu scare last year, or on a minor food safety scandal that briefly tarnished its image. But the reality is that the brand is showing signs of age, and really is in need of this kind of a major overhaul. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on February 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) Eases Permissioning Process For Shanghai, Other Big Cities (Chinese article)
Wangfujing Department Store, Tencent (HKEx: 700) Partner on WeChat Payment (English article)
Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) Prices Offerings of 2.78 Mln Shares, $130 Mln Convertible Notes (PRNewswire)
Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Reports Unaudited Q4, Full Year 2013 Results (PRNewswire)
Danone (Paris: DANO) To Raise Stake In Mengniu (HKEx: 2319) For $665 Mln (English article)
It’s quiet outside as markets reopen on this first work day after the New Year, so I thought I’d start off 2014 with some predictions for the year ahead in the sectors that I cover. Generally speaking, I do think the first half of the year will see a continuation of strong momentum that began in late 2013 for many sectors. But that momentum will slow as we near the mid-year mark, and 2014 could end with a whimper as the Chinese economy continues to slow and Beijing pushes for higher quality growth. Read Full Post…
Chinese media are finally discovering something that I’ve know all along, namely that Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) coffee here is ridiculously overpriced. Some might say a new investigative report from national broadcaster CCTV could be cause for alarm for Starbucks, as previous similar reports have spelled headaches for other big foreign names like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), KFC (NYSE: YUM) and McDonalds (NYSE: MCD). But in this case, I’m actually quite encouraged to see the story is actually sparking some healthy and relatively well-informed debate about free markets and the premiums that “luxury” brands should be able to charge for their products. Read Full Post…
Beijing regulators are making an example out of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) （London: GSK) by accusing the British drug giant of massive bribery related to its aggressive sales tactics, spotlighting one of the major risks that foreign firms face when doing business in China.
While many of the allegations against GSK may well be true, the timing and high-profile nature of the probe against such a well-known and trusted western name look like a warning to all drug companies to stop this kind of behavior as China overhauls its healthcare system. Unfortunately for GSK, the company’s reputation and business in China will be severely damaged by the scandal. Many employees have already been fired since the scandal began, and some could even end up in jail for practices that are quite common not only in China but also in many western countries. Read Full Post…
As if its China troubles weren’t bad enough following a weak earnings report, global tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is now coming under political fire from central bureaucrats in Beijing for failing to deliver promised donations after an earthquake earlier this year. Frankly speaking, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for Apple or any of the other firms that get this kind of criticism, since I find their quickness to announce donations after any major disaster somewhat insincere and largely a publicity ploy. But the fact that yet another foreign firm is coming under attack from central government sources this month certainly adds to my previous assertions that Beijing has recently embarked on a drive to discredit foreign firms and divert attention from other domestic problems. Read Full Post…
It’s a new day, and that means time for the latest new scandal surrounding a foreign company doing business in China. This time McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) and Yum’s (NYSE: YUM) KFC are in the spotlight for serving water that contains excess levels of bacteria. This scandal is just the latest in a nonstop stream for foreign companies this month, providing plenty of food for domestic media during the summertime that is usually considered a slow period for news. Read Full Post…
Mengniu’s (HKEx: 2319) new announcement of its third major tie-up in the last month marks the latest step in an important and necessary consolidation for a battered Chinese dairy sector that has been in turmoil for the last 5 years. This kind of retrenchment, which includes a healthy dose of participation by foreign firms, is exactly the kind of medicine that China needs to restore consumer confidence to its fragmented and often unruly food sectors. Read Full Post…
