Markets

Pop Mart’s Labubu plush toys are experiencing soaring demand, but also facing a surge in counterfeits, particularly in Shenzhen. The collectible’s popularity has propelled Pop Mart’s app to the top of US shopping charts, with consumers eagerly awaiting restocks. Industry analysts attribute Labubu’s success to a shift in Chinese manufacturing towards cultural creation and strategic marketing, transforming a niche art form into a global phenomenon, highlighting the importance of strong product identity.

South Korea anticipates a summer cabbage shortage, potentially mirroring last year’s “golden cabbage crisis.” Production is expected to drop significantly due to crop damage, pests, and unfavorable weather, predicting a 24.5% decrease from average. The government is taking proactive measures, including record cabbage reserves and increased seedling supplies, to counter price increases and supply chain issues, particularly during the peak period of July-October. The cost of a single cabbage could significantly impact household budgets.

Verint’s “State of Customer Experience 2025” report reveals AI adoption is crucial for businesses. Key findings include consumer preference for AI-driven solutions and digital channels and demand for quick issue resolution. Speed of service now outweighs empathy. A negative experience can greatly impact brand loyalty. Excellent CX drives repeat purchases and recommendations.

Xiaomi’s founder, Lei Jun, lauded Beijing’s role in the success of their EV venture. He credited the city’s business environment, industrial foundation, and supportive ecosystem. The upcoming Xiaomi YU7, scheduled for a July launch, is generating significant pre-order interest, surpassing even the SU7’s initial demand.

An e-commerce giant is launching its “618 Super Delivery Day” campaign to stimulate spending. The promotion features discounts, including up to 61.8 yuan off delivery orders on June 18th, released at specific times. Customers can also earn vouchers by sharing the promotion. Flash sales on popular items like coffee and tea, plus free delivery, are offered. This builds on the company’s recent milestone of exceeding 25 million daily delivery orders.

Heineken Holding N.V. announced share buyback transactions for the week of June 9-13, 2025. In this first tranche of a €750 million program, 70,010 shares were repurchased at an average price of €69.01. As of June 13, 2025, a total of 1,133,263 shares have been repurchased for €77,340,867. Weekly updates are available on the company website.

YMTC, a major Chinese memory manufacturer, warns job seekers about recruitment scams. The company clarifies that all legitimate job postings are through official channels and that it will never request fees from applicants. YMTC urges vigilance and encourages reporting any fraudulent activity to authorities, promising legal action against those misusing its name.

Cainiao’s Hong Kong eHub has fully integrated RFID technology, becoming the first smart logistics hub in Hong Kong to do so. This allows for automated, touchless receiving, completing item location in just one minute and increasing package processing efficiency by 30%. Cargo owners gain real-time shipment tracking with 99.5% accuracy. The hub facilitates “72-hour delivery” across the Asia-Pacific region, supporting Cainiao’s global cross-border parcel network.

DataCanvas launched Alaya NeW Cloud 2.0, a next-gen intelligent computing platform featuring serverless architecture and reinforcement learning. It offers on-demand AI infrastructure, targeting compute-intensive applications with a user-friendly toolchain. By offering a “pay-as-you-go” model and streamlining AI development, the platform aims to reduce costs, provide efficient performance, and make AI computing accessible to developers worldwide. The platform also introduces the world’s first reinforcement learning intelligent computing service, AgentiCTRL, for improved efficiency.

Zeus North America Mining Corp. announced promising rock grab sample results from its Selway Property in Idaho. The property, located east of Kamiah, Idaho, targets an intrusive-related Au-Ag vein deposit. Historical samples yielded significant silver and gold. Zeus plans follow-up sampling and ground geophysical programs in 2025. Dean Besserer, President & CEO, a Qualified Person, reviewed and approved the informational release.