Luxury Retail, E-Commerce, Tiny Times, Kate Spade, Alibaba

"For Luxury Retailers, Chinese Women Take Fashion Recess" (Forbes)
"Luxury retailers are "struggling" in China and Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protests have dampened the shopping spirit of rich mainland Chinese women who often head to the city in search of the latest hand bag. Richemont, Burberry and Gucci all reported sales declines throughout China, including Hong Kong, in the first half of 2014."

"E-Commerce Sales in China Will Reach $1 Trillion By 2019 Thanks To Mobile" (TechCrunch)
"Online spending in China will reach one trillion dollars by 2019. The growth will be fueled by mobile apps and improving logistics networks, which have helped e-commerce companies reach new customers in smaller cities."

"Why Luxury Brands Love China's Sex and the City" (Bloomberg)
"Luxury brands, including Michael Kors and L'Oréal's Lancome, are also looking to profit on the buzz generated by the critically panned but wildly popular Tiny Times series of books and films, which follows four women from Shanghai as they live opulent lives dressed in fur coats, sipping Champagne, and surrounded by male models."

"Kate Spade to Shut Brand Stores While Forming China Venture" (Bloomberg)
"Kate Spade & Co., the handbag maker working to become a global lifestyle brand, will close stores devoted to its lower-priced and men's lines while starting a new joint venture to speed its growth in China."

"China's Growing Online Shopping Markets Threaten Country's Brick-And-Mortar Markets" (International Business Times)
"The changing shopping habits of Americans have led to mass closures of brick-and-mortar retailers over the past decade, a trend largely blamed on the rise of online shopping. In China, as online shopping grows exponentially, the country's mall and physical shopping centers now face the same threat."

"Alibaba Begins Drone Delivery Trials in China" (BBC News)
"China's biggest internet retailer says it has begun testing drone-based deliveries to hundreds of customers. It says the trial will last three days and be limited to areas within a one-hour flight of its distribution centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou."