Top 10 most valuable privately held Chinese brands

The Hurun Research Institute has released a list of China's most valuable brands in 2015. Published annually since 2006, it assesses the value of 200 home-grown mainland brands based on economic statistics and consumer surveys.

 

Among them, 101 are privately held and 99 State-owned, while 170 saw their value increase. The total brand value reached $696 billion, up 36 percent year-on-year.

 

Tencent, China's largest and most popular Internet service portal was named most valuable Chinese brand this year, worth $44.7 billion. Taobao, the leading e-commerce platform in China, came second, worth $42.9 billion, overtaking China Mobile, Baidu and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. China Mobile ranked third, worth $42.7 billion.

 

No 1 Tencent

Brand value: $44.7 billion

Increase: 33 percent

Industry: IT

Headquarters: Guangdong province

 

No 2 Taobao.com

Brand value: $42.9 billion

Increase: 44 percent

Industry: E-commerce

Headquarters: Zhejiang province

 

No 3 Baidu

Brand value: $40.3 billion

Increase: 32 percent

Industry: Internet search engine

Headquarters: Beijing

 

No 4 Tmall.com

Brand value: $15.32 billion

Increase: 98 percent

Industry: E-commerce

Headquarters: Zhejiang province

 

No 5 Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China

Brand value: $15.16 billion

Increase: 36 percent

Industry: Insurance

Headquarters: Guangdong province

 

No 6 JD.com

Brand value: $12.1 billion

Increase: 266 percent

Industry: E-commerce

Headquarters: Beijing

 

No 7 Wanda Group

Brand value: $8.87 billion

Increase: 67 percent

Industry: Real estate

Headquarters: Beijing

 

No 8 Xiaomi

Brand value: $7.26 billion

Increase: 525 percent

Industry: Mobile phones

Headquarters: Beijing

 

No 9 Alipay

Brand value: $5.32 billion

Increase: 27 percent

Industry: E-commerce

Headquarters: Zhejiang province

 

No 10 Midea

Brand value: $4.68 billion

Increase: 81 percent

Industry: Home appliances

Headquarters: Guangdong province

Top 10 overseas destinations of Chinese National Day holiday

More and more Chinese are traveling overseas and their enthusiasm has not been affected by the fluctuation of renminbi,the Chinese currency.

 

Ctrip, an online travel agency, has released a report on trips taken during the National Day holiday which started on Oct 1 and ended on Oct 7, 2015. Let us take a look at the top 10 destinations chosen by Chinese tourists.

 

No 1 Seoul, the Republic of Korea

No 2 Hong Kong, China

No 3 Bangkok, Thailand

No 4 Phuket Island, Thailand

No 5 Osaka, Japan

No 6 Taipei, China

No 7 Tokyo, Japan

No 8 Jeju Island, the Republic of Korea

No 9 Singapore

No 10 Bali, Indonesia

Top 10 most competitive economies

Switzerland has the most competitive economy, while the Chinese mainland ranks 28th, said the World Economic Forum in its latest report.

 

The Global Competitiveness Index 2015-2016 measures national competitiveness—defined as the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity. The recovery after the financial crisis has been less robust, more uncertain and taken longer than many expected, suggesting a "new normal" of subdued economic growth, lower productivity growth and high unemployment, noted the report.

 

"Competitiveness - understood as higher productivity – is a key driver of growth and resilience," said the WEF, calling for productivity enhancing reforms to break the slump. The Chinese mainland ranks 28th, same as last year, and trailing Israel and followed by Iceland.Here are the top 10 most competitive countries and regions compiled by the WEF.

 

1. Switzerland

Score: 5.8

Previous ranking: 1

 

2. Singapore

Score: 5.7

Previous ranking: 2

 

3. United States

Score: 5.6

Previous ranking: 3

 

4. Germany

Score: 5.5

Previous ranking: 5

 

5. Netherlands

Score: 5.5

Previous ranking: 8

 

6. Japan

Score: 5.5

Previous ranking: 6

 

7. Hong Kong SAR

Score: 5.5

Previous ranking: 7

 

8. Finland

Score: 5.5

Previous ranking: 4

 

9. Sweden

Score: 5.4

Previous ranking: 10

 

10. United Kingdom

Score: 5.4

Previous ranking: 9

Top 10 most popular online shopping sites in China

Global e-commerce sales are forecast to increase by more than 20 percent this year, surpassing $1.5 trillion. Even more significant is the growth predicted in the Asia-Pacific, which this year is set to topple the United States as the largest market in the world by sales revenue.Let's have a look at top 10 most popular shopping websites in China, according to a list released by 21cn.com.

 

No 1 TMall

A comprehensive e-commerce marketplace run by Alibaba, it hosts thousands of brands and sees more than 40 million daily visitors.

 

No 2 JD

The largest comprehensive online retailer sells products covering 12 main categories with tens of thousands of brands. Its main items include home electronic appliances, digital/communications, computer, household articles, clothing, maternal and baby care products, books, food and tourism products.

 

No 3 Amazon China

The China branch of Amazon, main products include books, audio & video and software.

 

No 4 Dangdang

Dangdang, which like Amazon began by selling books, has now become one of the leading comprehensive online retailers in China, with products ranging from books, audio & video, clothing maternal and baby care products to household articles and cosmetics.

 

No 5 51buy (Yixun)

Run and managed by Tencent, the owner of the hugely successful mobile text and voice messaging services WeChat and one of the largest Internet companies in China, 51buy is another leading comprehensive online retailer in China.

 

No 6 Yihaodian

An online grocery store selling food & beverage, cosmetic and skincare, kitchen cleaning, household articles, electronic appliances, maternal and baby care products and toys.

 

No 7 Vancl

Vancl, which had an incredibly successful run selling self-branded T-shirts before 2012, has now morphed into an e-commerce marketplace that hosts its own products as well as third-party brands.

 

No 8 Suning

Online version of a leading home electronic appliances retail chain store in China. It is also one of China's most influential online retailers for electrical, computer, peripherals, books and virtual goods.

 

No 9 Vipstore

A flash sale online store offering designer fashion brands and the only Chinese e-commerce startup successfully listed on NYSE

 

No 10 KMALL 

KMALL is a global online retail e-commerce provider that delivers products directly to consumers around the world. Founded in 2012, KMALL offers customers a convenient way to shop for a wide selection of lifestyle products at attractive prices through kmall360.com, and other websites, which are available in multiple languages. KMALL is owned by Info Tech Hong Kong.

Top 10 high-speed trains in the world

The Chinese mainland is considering building a high-speed railway across the Siberia and Bering Strait to Alaska, across Canada to the US. In not so distant future, people can take the train from the mainland to the US, according to Beijing Times citing Wang Mengshu, a railway expert and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. High-speed rail has improved the travel experience in a growing number of countries and regions. Now, let's take a look at the 10 fastest trains in the world.

 

No 1: Shanghai Maglev Train, Chinese mainland

Maximum Operating Speed: 268 mph

Record Speed: 311 mph

The Shanghai Maglev train connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport with the Shanghai metro system. It has been recorded at a top speed of 311 mph and its top operating speed is 268 mph, making it the world's fastest commercial train.

 

No 2: Harmony CRH380A, Chinese mainland

Maximum Operating Speed: 236 mph

Record Speed: 302 mph

Running on a more traditional track, the CRH380A has topped out at 302 mph, maxes out commercially at 236 mph and routinely runs at 217 mph. There are currently four models of the train serving different railroad lines in China.

 

No 3: ICE 3, Germany

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 229 mph

Launch Date: 2000

 

No 4: Shinkansen Train E5, Japan

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 223 mph

Launch Date: 2011

 

No 5: TGV Train POS, France

Operating Speed: 199 mph

Record Speed: 357 mph

Launch Date: 2008

 

No 6: AVE Series 103, Spain

Operating Speed: 193 mph

Record Speed: 250 mph

Launch Date: 2006

 

No 7: KTX Sancheon, South Korea

Operating Speed: 190 mph

Record Speed: 217 mph

Launch Date: 2010

 

No 8: ETR 500 Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) and ETR 575 AGV, Italy

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 211 mph (Red Arrow), 224 mph (AGV)

Launch Date: 2008 (Red Arrow), 2012 (AGV)

Italy offers two competing high-speed rail services - the public Red Arrow and the private Automotrice à Grande Vitesse (AGV) - on the same tracks.

 

No 9: Eurostar Class 373, Britain, France and Belgium

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 208 mph

Launch Date: 1993

 

No 10: THSR 700T, Taiwan

Operating Speed: 186 mph

Record Speed: 196 mph

Launch Date: 2007

Top 10 foreign-funded chain stores in China

The Chinese mainland has been a battleground for foreign chain stores for years as the country boasts one of the largest markets in the world. Its total retail sales increased 13.1 percent year on year in 2013 to 23.44 trillion yuan ($3.75 trillion), the National Bureau of Statistics said. Let's look at the largest foreign-funded chain stores in the mainland measured by revenues, according to a list released by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association.

 

No 1 RT-Mart International Ltd

Chinese mainland revenue of the Taiwan-based hypermarket reached 80.12 billion yuan in 2013, an increase of 10 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 264 stores here.

 

No 2 Wal-Mart Stores

Wal-Mart Stores is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department and warehouse stores. The company is the world's largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2014, the biggest private employer in the world with more than two million employees, and the largest retailer in the world. Last year revenue totaled 72.21 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, an increase of 24.5 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 407 stores here.

 

No 3 Yum!

Yum! is a United States-based Fortune 500 corporation. Yum! operates four licenses: Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and WingStreet restaurants worldwide. In 2013, the company's Chinese mainland revenue totaled 50.2 billion yuan, a decrease of 3.8 percent year on year. By the end of 2013 the company had 6,000 stores here.

 

No 4 Carrefour

Carrefour is a French multinational retailer. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world and the fourth largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue (after Wal-Mart, Tesco and Costco).In 2013, the company's Chinese mainland revenue totaled 46.71 billion yuan, an increase of 3.2 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 236 stores here.

 

No 5 Five Star Appliance

Five Star Appliance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co, an American multinational consumer electronics corporation. In 2013, the company's revenue totaled 26.6 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, with an increase of 10 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 189 stores here.

 

No 6 Tesco

Tesco PLC is a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer and the second-largest retailer in the world, measured by revenues.In 2013, the company's estimated revenue totaled 20.5 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, an increase of 2.5 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 144 mainland stores.

 

No 7 Parkson

Parkson is an Asian-based department store operator with stores across cities in Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In 2013, the company's estimated revenue totaled 20.45 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, an increase of 4.3 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 58 stores here.

 

No 8 Golden Eagle International Shopping Centers

Hong Kong-funded Golden Eagle International Shopping Centers earned revenue of 18.79 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland in 2013, an increase of 0.7 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 27 mainland stores.

 

No 9 Metro Group

Metro Group is a German diversified retail and wholesale group. It is the fifth-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues. In 2013, the company's revenue totaled 17.5 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, an increase of 14.4 percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 75 stores in the mainland.

 

No 10 Lotte Mart

Lotte Mart is an East Asian hypermarket that sells a variety of groceries, clothing, toys, electronics and other goods, with headquarters in Japan and South Korea. In 2013, the company's estimated revenue totaled 15.5 billion yuan in the Chinese mainland, down five percent year on year. By the end of 2013, the company had 110 stores here.

Top 10 Chinese Internet firms eyeing IPOs in US

Fever of listing companies in the United States has spread to China's Internet sector this year as more e-commerce firms, online travel agencies, mobile game companies, and social media firms have joined the game to launch initial public offering on US bourses.

 

Although some of them have not confirmed plans to list in the US, rumors are swirling all over China's online media.

 

This is not the first time that Chinese companies are planning to go public. The early pioneers, China.com, Sina.com, NetEase Inc and Sohu.com, all launched their IPO filing around new millennium. Around 2005, another wave came when Baidu, Tencent, Ctrip.com, KongZhong and SNDA all took part in the race. The latest IPO boom started at the end of last year with online firms such as Qunar.com, 58.com and autohome.com.

 

Let's take a look 10 most-anticipated IPOs. The list is ranked in random order.

 

Weibo

Weibo Corp, China's version of Twitter Inc, raises $286 million in an initial public offering in New York on Thursday, falling short of expectations because of a reduced offering size, in a big test of demand for Chinese Internet stocks ahead of a hotly anticipated Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Listing.

 

At the IPO price, Weibo, which is growing fast but posted a net loss last year, is valued at about $3.4 billion. The $17-a-share price, which was at the bottom of the projected range of $17 to $19. The company sold 16.8 million shares, fewer than the 20 million expected.

 

JD

JD.com Inc, China's second-largest e-commerce company, will be split into four different business units: two groups, a subsidiary and a business division as it prepares to launch an initial public offering in the US.

 

Tuniu.com

To compete with its listed rivals, such as Ctrip, Qunar and eLong, Tuniu.com handed out its registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission of the US at the beginning of April as it seeks to raise $120 million through its IPO

 

Alibaba

According to online media reports, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd is expected to file the prospectus for its IPO next week, although there has been no official comment by Alibaba itself. The IPO could be worth more than $16 billion, surpassing the previous record for a technology listing set by Facebook Inc in 2012, according to media reports.

 

Jumei

Jumei.com, an e-commerce company that sells cosmetics, is planning an initial public offering in the US and will seek to raise about $500 million. The China-based company will join JD.com, in seeking capital in the US.

 

Xunlei

Wang Ying, vice president of xunlei.com, reportedly claimed at a forum held in Shenzhen that the story about xunlei's imminent IPO is not a fabricated rumor, and the company is prepared for listing, according to the website of Securities Times.

 

Zhaopin.com

Zhaopin.com, a Chinese online job-market operator controlled by Australia's Seek Ltd, has selected Credit Suisse Group AG and UBS AG to work on an IPO as early as the first half, according to a Bloomberg report in January. The IPO may raise more than $200 million, the source said.

 

Vancl

According to techinasia.com, Vancl, the Chinese clothing e-tailor, has wrapped up its seventh round of venture capital funding. The newest tranche is worth $100 million. Some in media have questioned the possibility that the company will launch an IPO in 2014 since the latest funding didn't match their expectation.

 

Meituan

Online media revealed that Chinese group-buying site Meituan is nearing completion on a new round of funding of more than $100 million led by Sequoia Capital. Rumors said Meituan will seek an IPO in the half year of 2014.

 

CHUKONG Technology

Beijing CHUKONG Technology Co Ltd, a China-based mobile-gaming company, will deliver its prospectus to the Securities and Exchange Commission of the US in the second quarter of 2014, according to China Business News. Another source told the newspaper that Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and China Renaissance Partners will be its underwriter