These observations are drawn from Insync’s senior analyst walking Shanghai’s, Beijing’s and Shenzen’s malls and street retail, visiting stores, and speaking directly with founders, operators and industry experts. What they point to is not a cyclical slowdown in luxury, but a structural reset in how Chinese consumers think, behave and spend.
For years, the debate around autonomous vehicles has been framed incorrectly. The question has been: when will AI fully replace the human driver? But the real story is far more profound and far more investable.
For years, the debate around autonomous vehicles has been framed incorrectly. The question has been: when will AI fully replace the human driver? But the real story is far more profound and far more investable.
We often talk about “experiences over things” as if it’s a generational slogan. But for Gen Z, and increasingly for the cohorts just behind them, experiences are the portfolio. Overnight, travel, meals, and cultural immersion are no longer optional indulgences: they are existential expressions.
Gen Z isn’t “addicted” to their phones they’re embedded in a system where digital is the default environment. They’ve never known a world where waiting, uncertainty, or physical friction was a requirement to act.
China's fossil fuel demand nears its peak, signaling a global energy shift driven by electrification, integration, and structural demand change.
Gen Alpha will number nearly 2 billion people worldwide by 2025 and they are shaping brands and markets, how will this first 21st-century generation influence consumer behaviour?
Gaming has become a gateway to fandom. Over 50% of Gen Z fans say sports video games and fantasy leagues increase their real-world engagement—almost double that of older generations.
The era of waiting even for a day for your purchases to arrive is ending. In China, consumers can now order anything from an iPhone to a toothbrush and receive it in just 9 minutes. The rise of on-demand retail, or “quick commerce,” marks a new chapter in the evolution of e-commerce: one driven by immediacy, convenience, and changing consumer expectations.
Investing is more than data; it requires anticipating future trends. This is why relying on past performance is often risky. Generational shifts, rising geopolitical tensions, and evolving consumer behaviours demand excellence in trend spottng. Luxury goods, where China’s rising affluent class is undergoing significant changes in spending preferences is a case in point. Whilst luxury has historically been a secular growth story, we believe that more nuanced factors are at play, making active stock picking essential.
