去年12月,中國宣布重新開放,當時分析師和經濟學家們都預測中國消費者會瘋狂消費和購物,中國經濟將大幅反彈。但開放后的復蘇步伐并未如人所愿。
周二,百勝中國(Yum China)CEO屈翠容在阿布扎比召開的《財富》全球論壇上表示,人們可能依舊低估了疫情時期對普通消費者產生的巨大影響。
屈翠容領導的百勝中國管理著肯德基(KFC)、必勝客(Pizza Hut)和塔可鐘(Taco Bell)等品牌的中國業務,獲得Yum Brands的授權使用這些品牌名稱。該公司在全球第二大經濟體擁有龐大的業務:其在中國有超過14,100家門店,其中包括9,900家肯德基和3,200家必勝客。2016年,百勝中國從Yum Brands分拆出來,屈翠容在2018年開始擔任公司CEO。她表示,“我們能理解為什么人們的消費變得更謹慎、更理性。”
重新開放
屈翠容說:“[2022年]11月14日對于中國人而言意義重大:這是中國重新開放的第一天。”
2022年11月,中國官方宣布放松新冠疫情管制措施,包括縮短境外來華人員的隔離時間和取消每日核酸檢測等。
雖然中國取消了疫情防控政策,但國內的消費恢復速度卻顯得有些疲軟。包括房地產危機等在內的不利因素,影響了國人旅游、奢侈品消費和其他大宗商品消費的意愿。
企業也感受到了壓力。今年的“雙11”購物節,電商巨頭阿里巴巴(Alibaba)和京東(JD.com)均沒有披露具體的銷售數據。“雙11”被認為是評估中國消費市場的一個重要晴雨表。雅詩蘭黛(Estee Lauder)和路易威登(LVMH)等西方品牌,也將收益低迷歸咎于在中國市場的銷量下滑。
但無論國內公司還是外資品牌,并非所有公司都陷入困境。沃倫·巴菲特投資的電動汽車公司比亞迪(BYD)公布的利潤再創新高,而特斯拉(Tesla)等競爭對手卻難以維持銷售數據。上個季度,運動休閑品牌露露樂蒙(Lululemon)在中國市場的銷售額增長了61%,因此公司也提高了利潤預期。
30萬億美元未使用的資本
在周二的會議上,嘉賓們認為,中國將為全球公司帶來商機。香港交易及結算所(Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing)主席史美倫表示,中國人有近30萬億美元沒有被利用的資本,可以為公司提供資金。香港交易及結算所經營香港交易所。史美倫表示:“這些資本希望到海外投資優秀的公司。”
百勝中國最近一季度公布的收益低于預期。該公司凈利潤2.44億美元,低于分析師預期的2.78億美元。業績公布的次日,百勝中國的股價下跌了超過15%。百勝中國同時在紐約和香港上市。迄今為止,其股價已經下跌了超過20%。
當時,百勝中國首席財務官楊家威表示,中國在后疫情時代的經濟復蘇趨勢將是“波浪式的”,而不是“線性的”。
在與《財富》雜志的對話中,屈翠容并沒有理會投資者對百勝中國財務狀況的擔憂。她說道:“上一季度,按照報告貨幣[美元]計算,我們的銷售額增長了9%,但按人民幣計算,我們的銷售額實際上增長了15%。人們只會去看媒體頭條,卻不去深入探究具體情況。”
她表示,與中國有關的媒體報道也是如此。她指出,如果中國經濟繼續維持5%的增長速度,中國每年的GDP將增加8,000億至9,000億美元。
她說道:“這相當于越南全年GDP的兩倍。”(財富中文網)
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
去年12月,中國宣布重新開放,當時分析師和經濟學家們都預測中國消費者會瘋狂消費和購物,中國經濟將大幅反彈。但開放后的復蘇步伐并未如人所愿。
周二,百勝中國(Yum China)CEO屈翠容在阿布扎比召開的《財富》全球論壇上表示,人們可能依舊低估了疫情時期對普通消費者產生的巨大影響。
屈翠容領導的百勝中國管理著肯德基(KFC)、必勝客(Pizza Hut)和塔可鐘(Taco Bell)等品牌的中國業務,獲得Yum Brands的授權使用這些品牌名稱。該公司在全球第二大經濟體擁有龐大的業務:其在中國有超過14,100家門店,其中包括9,900家肯德基和3,200家必勝客。2016年,百勝中國從Yum Brands分拆出來,屈翠容在2018年開始擔任公司CEO。她表示,“我們能理解為什么人們的消費變得更謹慎、更理性。”
重新開放
屈翠容說:“[2022年]11月14日對于中國人而言意義重大:這是中國重新開放的第一天。”
2022年11月,中國官方宣布放松新冠疫情管制措施,包括縮短境外來華人員的隔離時間和取消每日核酸檢測等。
雖然中國取消了疫情防控政策,但國內的消費恢復速度卻顯得有些疲軟。包括房地產危機等在內的不利因素,影響了國人旅游、奢侈品消費和其他大宗商品消費的意愿。
企業也感受到了壓力。今年的“雙11”購物節,電商巨頭阿里巴巴(Alibaba)和京東(JD.com)均沒有披露具體的銷售數據。“雙11”被認為是評估中國消費市場的一個重要晴雨表。雅詩蘭黛(Estee Lauder)和路易威登(LVMH)等西方品牌,也將收益低迷歸咎于在中國市場的銷量下滑。
但無論國內公司還是外資品牌,并非所有公司都陷入困境。沃倫·巴菲特投資的電動汽車公司比亞迪(BYD)公布的利潤再創新高,而特斯拉(Tesla)等競爭對手卻難以維持銷售數據。上個季度,運動休閑品牌露露樂蒙(Lululemon)在中國市場的銷售額增長了61%,因此公司也提高了利潤預期。
30萬億美元未使用的資本
在周二的會議上,嘉賓們認為,中國將為全球公司帶來商機。香港交易及結算所(Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing)主席史美倫表示,中國人有近30萬億美元沒有被利用的資本,可以為公司提供資金。香港交易及結算所經營香港交易所。史美倫表示:“這些資本希望到海外投資優秀的公司。”
百勝中國最近一季度公布的收益低于預期。該公司凈利潤2.44億美元,低于分析師預期的2.78億美元。業績公布的次日,百勝中國的股價下跌了超過15%。百勝中國同時在紐約和香港上市。迄今為止,其股價已經下跌了超過20%。
當時,百勝中國首席財務官楊家威表示,中國在后疫情時代的經濟復蘇趨勢將是“波浪式的”,而不是“線性的”。
在與《財富》雜志的對話中,屈翠容并沒有理會投資者對百勝中國財務狀況的擔憂。她說道:“上一季度,按照報告貨幣[美元]計算,我們的銷售額增長了9%,但按人民幣計算,我們的銷售額實際上增長了15%。人們只會去看媒體頭條,卻不去深入探究具體情況。”
她表示,與中國有關的媒體報道也是如此。她指出,如果中國經濟繼續維持5%的增長速度,中國每年的GDP將增加8,000億至9,000億美元。
她說道:“這相當于越南全年GDP的兩倍。”(財富中文網)
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
After China’s abrupt reopening last December, analysts and economists expected a huge rebound as Chinese consumers rushed back to spend and shop. Yet the post-opening rally quickly fizzled out–and now China’s economy is, in some respects, doing worse than last year, when officials confined millions of people in their homes.
People are still underestimating just how large an effect China’s COVID experience had on the ordinary consumer, Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China, suggested Tuesday at Fortune’s Global Forum in Abu Dhabi.
Joey Wat’s firm manages outlets including KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in China, licensing the names from the U.S.-based Yum Brands. The company’s presence in the world’s second-largest economy is massive: Yum China operates 14,100 stores in China, including 9,900 KFC outlets and 3,200 Pizza Huts. Wat, who has served as the company’s CEO since it was spun off from Yum Brands in 2016, “We can understand why people became rather cautious and rational with their spending.”
The meaning of Nov. 14 to China
Wat cautioned that China’s consumers were still in a post-COVID recovery phase, even as the rest of the world has moved on. “Nov. 14 [2022] means nothing to most people, it means the world to people in China: That’s the first day China opened up.”
In November 2022, Chinese officials announced an easing of COVID controls, including shortening quarantine for international arrivals and ending daily testing.
Despite the end of China’s COVID policy, the country’s consumption has been slow to recover. Headwinds including China’s real-estate crisis are suppressing the willingness to spend on travel, luxuries and other big ticket items.
And companies are feeling the pressure. E-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com declined to give firm sales figures for this year’s Singles Day shopping festival, traditionally a major barometer for Chinese consumption. Western brands too, like Estee Lauder and LVMH, are also blaming falling China sales for their poor earnings.
Not every company—domestic or foreign—is struggling. BYD, the EV maker backed by Warren Buffett, is reporting record profits even as competitors such as Tesla struggle to keep sales numbers up. Athleisure brand Lululemon also increased its profit guidance following a 61% jump in China sales last quarter.
$30 trillion of untapped capital
Panelists on Tuesday argued that China still presented opportunities for global companies. China’s population offers about $30 trillion of untapped capital for companies looking for funding, claimed Laura Cha, chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, which operated the Chinese city’s stock exchange. “They are looking for a way to go out, to invest in good companies,” she said.
Yum China reported below-expectations earnings for the latest quarter. The company earned $244 million in net income, below the $278 million expected by analysts. Disappointed investors then drove Yum China’s stock—traded in both New York and Hong Kong—down over 15% the following day. Shares are now down over 20% for the year thus far.
At the time, CFO Andy Yeung shared that the company was observing “softening consumer demand,” and said the country’s post-pandemic recovery would be “wave-like” and “non-linear” in nature.
In conversation with Fortune, Wat dismissed investor jumpiness on Yum China’s financials. “Last quarter, our sales grew by 9% in reporting currency [U.S. dollars], but in reality, we grew our sales by 15% in renminbi,” she said. “People just look at the headlines without going into detail.”
The same may be happening with headlines about China, she suggested. She noted that if China’s economy continued to grow at 5%–an optimistic projection, but still far below the heady growth recorded a decade ago–the country would still be adding $800 billion to $900 billion to its GDP annually.
“That’s two Vietnams a year,” she said.