Founder Tang Dafeng says Liebo, which started on Taobao, will become China's Zara
In this report we want to look not at aesthetics but at fast fashion as a way of making things.
QDaily in English
2310 completed translations from the archive. Articles retain their original publication dates.
[Independent Agencies' China Problem, Part 1] Without a Soul Figure, Creativity Is Just Talk
The more glorious these "creative hot shops" once were, the more forlorn they look in the Chinese market today.
"Top 15: McDonald's": Its China CMO Says McDonald's Is Cool in China. Its Results Say Otherwise
Something must have gone wrong
Want to Break Into New York Fashion? Study This Precedent First
This is the well-worn story of an Asian girl who started with nothing and broke into New York fashion on her own. The story is familiar, but many of its details are worth borrowing.
The Business of Fashion Magazines: They Do Far More Than Photograph Dresses and Suits
Inside a fashion magazine you meet celebrities, models, designers, photographers and brands without end, all scheming against one another and all depending on one another. Fashion is a business, and so are fashion magazines.
From China to America: What Are Brother Orange and Matt Up To?
A lost phone and a shared "photo stream" started a cross-border friendship that made Matt and Brother Orange internet celebrities, and their story isn't over yet.
Founder Zhang Yiming Says Toutiao Is Not a Media Company but a Technology Company
More than 20,000 content producers have joined Toutiao and opened Toutiao accounts; about 5,000 of them are media outlets, government bodies and institutions.
[Shanghai Auto Show] China's Car Market Now Buys on Looks
During the Shanghai Auto Show, we talked with several veteran car designers.
"Chinese Design" Is a Hot Topic. What Do the Designers at the Milan Furniture Fair Make of It?
At the world's most important design fair, the attention they drew was both predictable and surprising. As talk of Chinese design grows, how do the designers see their new reputation, and what will they do with it?
YouTube Turns Ten: What Have Video Sites Changed in a Decade?
You may not have watched it in years, but YouTube, and the video sites that followed it, really did change the world.
The Chinese Players Living Inside Google's Game World
Almost without anyone noticing, Google has built a game that 10 million people play.
How Did a Geek Build a US$1 Billion Fashion E-Commerce Company?
He doesn't care much for fashion, yet he built an online store for (almost) every boutique in the world. How did he do it?
Haier at 30 Says It Is Embracing the Internet. What Is It Actually Doing? (Part 2)
In two or three years, will Haier still be an appliance company?
Without Showrooms, Most Fashion Designers Would Remain Unknown
In just a few years, fashion designers, buyer stores and the showrooms that connect them have all reached an all-time high. How did it happen?
Metersbonwe Fell for *U Can U BB*. How Did the Two Sides Strike a Deal?
*U Can U BB* nearly went on air "naked," without a single sponsor, yet it won over Metersbonwe. Here is how the partnership came together.
Shanghai Fashion Week: Everything You Need to Know
What actually happened at this season's Shanghai Fashion Week, what changed, who came, and what they had to say.
Why Is the Intel of the "Dum, Dum-Dum-Dum" Chime Drifting Away From Us?
How did it miss its chance?
Founder Yang Bo Says Douban Is Going to Become a Simple Place
Regular article
Foie Gras, Cheese, Caviar: Would You Still Buy Them If They Were Made in China?
These surprising Chinese-made products are quietly changing the restaurant business in China and across Asia.
[Shanghai Fashion Week] Wang Haizhen: Is a Designer Who Wants to Be a Star Immature?
"You'd better play to your strengths. Commercial success is hard enough to come by."
At 30, the .com Domain May Matter Less — But It Still Tells the Internet's Story Best | QDaily Business History
.com, from the first to the 100 millionth.
The Most Imaginative Tech Products All Launched Today
The World's Biggest Fashion Store That Never Closes Is Born. Just How Good Is Net-A-Porter, the Company Behind It?
Since everyone claims to be going upscale, let's look at how the world's most popular high-end e-commerce company was built.
Top 15: Google — Its Search Doesn't Even Work in China. So Where Does Its 6-Billion-Yuan Business There Come From?
Google, Twitter, Facebook: you can't reach them from China, and they have no users here. But they do have customers.
How Will Design Change Our Lives in the Next 5 Years?
The creative director of one of the world's best design companies and several other designers lay out 25 design trends for the years ahead.
Adidas Is Losing a Lot of Money, and Ugly Products Are Only Part of the Reason
After 2015 Adidas may turn bolder and more open, but first it must fix the problems that are dragging down its numbers: conservatism, slow reactions and ugly products.
What You Might Want to Know About *I Am a Singer* Before Tonight's Finale
Never watched *I Am a Singer*? No problem. Read this and you can still join the griping on Moments tonight without missing a beat.
Nintendo's Mobile Games Arrive in a Few Months, but They May Not Be What You Expect
Has Nintendo worked out what it actually wants to do?
Alibaba Has Spent 20 Billion Yuan on Entertainment and Still Lacks a Real Say in the Industry
Over the past few years, Alibaba has put more than 20 billion yuan directly into the entertainment industry.
How Beijing's Trendiest Street Became What It Is Today
Old-city renewal is a perennial topic. Yangmeizhu Xiejie avoided the wrong turns taken by Qianmen Street and Nanluoguxiang mainly because no one was in a hurry to tear everything down.
Apple Wants Into Fashion. What Has It Got Right, and What Has It Got Wrong?
Regular article
How I Spent a Night in an Old Shanghai Villa on Airbnb for Under 500 Yuan
The house looked lovely, but the experience was a little alarming.
Baymax, the Man Who Invented Him, and Other Stories From the World of Robotics
The humor and wisdom of a scholar.
What Did Lippi Build in His Three Years at Evergrande?
Over the past three years, Lippi brought Evergrande enormous commercial value, on the pitch and off it.
What Did Under Armour Do to Make Nike See It as a Rival?
Under Armour has overtaken Adidas to become the second-largest sportswear brand in the United States
The Failure of Google+ Is Just One Example of Google's Last Five Years of Internet Products
Can you name a successful new Google product from the past five years?
What Has the NBA Got Wrong in China All These Years?
Regular article
Could This Burger Chain One Day Beat McDonald's?
The American burger chain Shake Shack is valued at US$560 million, and each of its stores is worth far more than a McDonald's. How did it pull that off?
What Did 1994 Actually Change in Hollywood? | QDaily Business History
Using what happened around 1994, we want to explain why people feel good stories are getting scarcer, and why popcorn movies fill the theaters.
Which of the Ads Squeezed Into the Minutes Before the Spring Festival Gala Is Your Favorite?
At last, we get to see who the real big spenders are!
"Hack Your Life": What to Install on the Phone You Give Your Parents
Apps, from QDaily's "Beat Boredom With Curiosity" series. The whole QDaily smart-devices team wishes moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas a fine time with their new toys!
Tesla Has a Thousand Problems, and China Isn't the Big One
For a Tesla that plans to sell 500,000 cars in 2020, China is not the thing it most needs to worry about.
Li Hejun Pushed Jack Ma Aside to Become China's Richest Man. What Business Is He Actually In?
Mainland China has a new richest man. On last September's Hurun Rich List, Jack Ma was still No. 1. On the new list this February, Li Hejun took his place. How reliable is the ranking? And who is Li Hejun?
How Virtual Does Reality Need to Be?
Regular article
The Novelty Has Worn Off. Have You Thought About How to Advertise Well in WeChat Moments?
Mainstream marketing agencies give the same verdict: this worked as event marketing more than as brand marketing. Whether it turns out to be a passing fad depends on what brands and WeChat do next.
The Super Bowl Is America's "Spring Festival Gala." What Stands Out This Year?
In America it draws the same festive crowds as China's Spring Festival Gala. The difference is that some viewers tune in just for the ads.
A 26-Year-Old Chinese Documentary Director's Road to the Oscars
In the end, he never made it to the stage.
Windows 10 Is Here, but Microsoft Needs a Miracle to Reclaim Its Throne
Friendlier and a free upgrade, but six years late
Leaving Hong Kong Is Beside the Point: For Li Ka-shing, It's Still About Doing Business
Set aside the arguments over patriotism and capital flight, and the restructuring of the Cheung Kong–Hutchison group is, for Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, simply a more profitable deal.
[2014] Uniqlo: Is Simplicity a Passing Trend or Here to Stay?
Regular article
From Star to Punchline in Three Years: The Short Life of Google Glass
In its fourth year, Google Glass has reached the end of the road as a consumer product.
[2014] IKEA: The Archetypal Lifestyle Company, and How Much Energy It Holds
Regular article
[2014] Last Year's Hits: Handle With Care in 2015
We have rounded up six marketing fads to be wary of and four marketing trends worth watching. We hope you find them useful.
[2014] Baidu: A Year of Tech Slogans, So What Happened to the “Wolf Spirit”?
Regular article
Apple Made a Splash in Cars in 2014. It Is No Longer the Star of the Smart Car
Judging by what we saw at CES, self-driving cars will reach you this year
2014: Wanda Expands While It Tries to Transform. Can Wang Jianlin Win Another Golden Decade?
Top 15 Year in Review: Wanda
For These Companies, Making Trouble for Regulators Is Part of Innovation
Users first, or the law first? For startups that want to rewrite the rules of the game through action and word of mouth, the answer is obvious.
[2014] 10 Things From the Past Year That Will Shape What You Watch on Friday Nights
Regular article
[2014] Vanke, the Industry Leader, Is a Little Rattled This Year
Regular article
Tencent in 2014: Pony Ma's Belated Fright and the Anxiety Ahead
Regular article
The 10 Most Remarkable Design Firms of 2014
Of all the design firms we covered in 2014, these 10 stood out.
[2014] Nike: Possibly Its Best Year Since 1965
Regular article
[2014] 50 Great Designs
Regular article
[2014] Alibaba Shows the World What China's Middle Class Is Worth to Investors
Regular article
"Disrupted in 2014": Seven Companies and Products Were Upended Last Year. We Start With the Hardest Hit, Samsung
Regular article
Don't Blame Budget Airlines for the AirAsia Crash: They Are Cheap Because of How They Operate, Not Because They Cut Corners on Safety
The AirAsia crash is a good moment for a primer: "budget" describes how an airline runs its business, and it has nothing to do with safety.
[2014] Apple Is Still the Most Profitable Tech Company, but It Has Grown Slow to React
Regular article
[2014] Starbucks: Investors or Consumers?
Top 15 Year in Review: Starbucks
Thirty Years of Selling T-Shirts: How Big Can This Business Get?
Thirty years ago, Tadashi Yanai, now Japan's richest man, opened his first T-shirt shop. Here is how it became the Uniqlo of today.
[2014] Which Trends Changed Your Wardrobe?
QDaily has rounded up 20 fashion trends from 2014. How many did you follow?
Why So Many Luxury Brands Have Crowded Beneath a Giant Panda's Backside in Chengdu
For brands, Chengdu may be a better bet than Shanghai or Beijing, where land is scarce and costs are high.
2014 in Review: Is Disney Ready for the World's Largest Market?
Regular article
2014: The New Forces in Chinese Film
Which companies got you to see more and more movies this year?
2014: Google Gathered the World's Smartest Minds — Really Just to Sell Ads
Regular article
Japanese Words: 16 Words That Tell the Story of Japan's 2014
How the 117-Year-Old Commercial Press Is Facing Amazon and the E-Book Era
Behind 639 e-book editions of the Chinese Translations of World Academic Classics lie twelve years of digital publishing at the Commercial Press.
How Sparkling Water Caught On in China | Market Inventors
A QDaily series on things that suddenly become popular: we trace how each one spread and what set off the buying.
Must Old Beijing Die?
In the heart of Beijing, next to Tiananmen, a district of old hutongs has sat in limbo for 10 years. Its only decent public facility is a crude public toilet. Now a group of star architects is trying to offer a way out.
Momo Goes Public, Putting a US$3.2 Billion Price on Chinese Loneliness
By easing the loneliness of 60 million active users, Momo has reached a market value close to Weibo's.
Robert McKee, Screenwriting's Revered Guru, Says *Interstellar* Isn't a Good Story
Robert McKee, the celebrated "father of screenwriting," told QDaily some things that may surprise you: the future of movie theaters, the future of stories, and which films are well made and which are dreadful.
Why Every E-Commerce Company Will End Up Making Hardware
They have no other choice
Wanda Is Finally Going Public. What Makes This Developer Different?
All in all, Wanda is a fairly smart company. Here is what sets it apart.
Xiaomi, Apple, Baidu... How Did Companies With No Smart-Home Pedigree Get Into Smart Homes?
Smart hardware is so hot that every tech company wants a piece of it.
The Disney You Knew Was Never Quite the $150 Billion Giant. Now It Is
Disney has struck a deal with SMG, its latest move to "enter China." But "Disney is coming" isn't quite fair: the company has been in China all along, and policy and other limits have only let it in "a little at a time." This year marks the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, and Chinese audiences are about to see the most complete Disney they have ever seen
The Inventions That Shaped the Year
*Time* magazine has picked the 25 best inventions of the year. They touch how we dress, eat, live and travel, and range from 3D printing to the selfie stick. However odd they sound, they share one thing: they make the world a better place to live.
Look! Beyond Gone with the Bullets, the 2014 Year-End Season Has 8 More Films, 3 Defining Traits and 3 Open Questions
The year-end season is the most important window in the film calendar, and it is usually where we see the year's best domestic films. Here are the films and trends worth watching this year.
To Shop Black Friday Alongside Americans, Amazon First Had to Go All Out
The time difference has its perks: while shoppers across the ocean stay up all night, you can place your orders over afternoon tea. Here is what Amazon did to make that possible.
Goodbye, Incandescent Bulb! | QDaily Business History
The little glass bulb that made Edison famous is finally on its way out. LED lights — brighter, safer, cheaper to run — will soon replace it entirely, and manufacturers and retailers are both pushing the change along.
Everyone Says Shenzhen Is the Place to Start a Hardware Company. So Why Are Most of the Billion-Dollar Ones American?
Once hardware got "smart," it took on a geeky, fashionable air, and startups making wearables, smartwatches and 3D printers drew intense attention. Yet only 11 hardware startups worldwide are valued above US$1 billion, and Xiaomi is the only Chinese company among them.
The Man Who Designed the Apple Store on Apple and the Future of Retail
Thirteen years ago, Tim Kobe designed the Apple Store, which became a central part of Apple's brand identity. Now traditional retail faces new challenges, and Kobe thinks Apple needs to answer them too.
Beyond *Interstellar*: A Field Guide to Sci-Fi Lingo
Why is a towel the most useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry?
A Year After Its IPO, Twitter Is Still Struggling to Stem Its Losses. What Went Wrong with the Microblogging Model?
The company that once changed how information moves around the world, and stood for "the pulse of the planet," is now fighting for its own survival.
After Midnight on Double 11
Buyers, sellers, programmers, bank IT staff, couriers, marketers, analysts … Alibaba, Xiaomi, JD.com … How did they spend the night?
After Its Break With Taobao, Mogujie Stands Tall: “I’m an E-Commerce Company Now”
Regular article
World of Warcraft Turns 10: How the Most Popular Game in History Changed the World | QDaily Business History
Regular article
25 Years After the Berlin Wall Fell, a City of Freedom and Creativity Rises From Its Rubble
“Berlin is now Europe’s Silicon Valley.” Twenty-five years after the Berlin Wall fell, creative industries growing along its former route are changing this “poor but sexy” city. “Congratulations, the Berlin Wall has fallen”—a remark heard on the Paris Métro, addressed to all humanity.
Amusing Ourselves to Death, Even in First Grade
“The problem is not that television presents us with entertaining subject matter but that all subject matter is presented as entertaining. … In the classroom, entertainment is a means to an end; on television, entertainment is an end in itself.” — Neil Postman
What Do We Share When We Read Ebooks?
Amazon has revealed the passages readers highlight most on Kindle. Lifted from their books, these lines are like secret passwords: readers who mark the same sentence share a curious encounter in a sea of bits.
Web Star Wang Dachui and the Ambitions of *Unexpected*
As *Unexpected* grew from a hit web series into a video property young people kept watching and talking about, the ambitions of its producer, Wanhe Tianyi, grew with it.
The Most Powerful Man in Film Has Arrived, With Two Aces: Disney Animation and Pixar
Who is John Lasseter? When we say Steve Jobs redefined entertainment too, Lasseter helped him do it. He co-founded Pixar, directed *Toy Story*, and became chief creative officer of Disney’s animation studio. Above all, he brought Disney animation back to life.