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We update key performance metrics of a variety of companies we cover every month through our proprietary data at BigOne Lab. You can access a free sample from previous months here to get a sense of what we offer.
Before today’s post — a quick note. Applications are still open for the 2026 Autumn Baiguan China Tour:
Robotics & AI Executive Tour in Beijing from Oct 19-23
Advanced manufacturing in Foshan and Shenzhen from Oct 26-30 (4.5 days)
You can check out the pricing and RSVP here:
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In Today’s Data Update
August’s data left us cautious about calling a bottom in Chinese consumption.
China’s two-speed economy tilted further in August. Retail sales grew just 0.4% year-on-year, the slowest pace since May and a second straight monthly slowdown, while industrial output accelerated to 5.2%.
With July’s typhoons out of the picture, August is a cleaner read on the household wallet and brands’ performance. Several of last month’s calls have now been tested. The Lululemon China miss, which we flagged in our data update series, was confirmed in early September; LV’s slide after the Molly Tea verdict deepened rather than faded.
With BigOne Lab’s proprietary offline payment data as of August 2026, we cover:
Luxury goods: Qixi festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day) falls in September. We check whether LV’s reputational hit is fading two months after the Molly Tea lawsuit, and how other luxury brands performed during the holiday season. We also track how high-net-worth spending shifts as Chinese equity has slumped since July, and whether resilient brands like Hermès are starting to feel the impact.
Gold & jewelry: Laopu laps an unusually high base from last August, when shoppers rushed to buy ahead of a price hike. With gold prices rebounding, we revisit the performance of gold and high-end jewelry, and look at what secondhand prices say about Laopu’s brand premium.
Tea & coffee: delivery platforms kept pulling back subsidies in August. We check whether the shift from delivery apps to the storefront held, and how brands funding their own in-store discounts (Luckin, Guming) compare with those that aren’t.
Pop Mart: August is the high-base month we flagged last time. We look at whether the collab-heavy 2026 slate is delivering lasting lift, how long flagship IP series now stay hot, and what the new Twinkle Twinkle release tells us heading into September.
Sportswear & footwear: ahead of Nike’s fiscal Q1 results on October 1, we look at the final month of its quarter and whether its inventory clearance is spilling over to peers’ pricing, online versus in stores. We also check Lululemon’s first month of fiscal Q3 after its China miss, and which brands are still finding growth.
At BigOne Lab, we curate data highlights, analyze them, and deliver insights trusted by 100+ top institutional and corporate clients worldwide.
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