1 . In recent years, labels have increasingly been used by the food industry. Whether “non-GMO” or “zero trans fat”, “no added hormones” or “sugar-free”, consumers are demanding more information about what’s in their food.

A report by Nielsen found that 39 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they currently buy to others that provide clearer, more accurate product information. Food manufacturers are using the new labels to meet consumers’ demand, with an eye towards giving their products a leg up over the competition, and their bottom lines a boost as well.

On its face, the new marketing strategy makes sense. But these so-called “absence claims” labels are harmful both to the consumers who purchase the products and the industry that supplies them. For example, Hunt’s put a “non-GMO” label on its tomatoes a few years ago — despite the fact that, at the time, there was no such thing as a GMO tomato on the market. Over the long term, this strategy will have the opposite effect: by creating fear, we run the risk of damaging consumers’ trust.

Eventually, it becomes a question in consumers’ minds: Should I have ever been eating these foods in the first place? By purchasing and consuming these types of products, have I already done some kind of harm to me?

For food manufacturers, it will damage consumers’ trust, which in turn would lower sales for the whole food industry. And this isn’t just supposition. A recent study by a group of academics at the University of Delaware found that “absence claims” labels can stigmatize(污名化) food produced with conventional processes even when there is no scientific evidence that they cause harm.

In addition to the likely negative long-term impact on sales, it sends a message that innovations in farming and food processing are unwelcome, eventually leading to less efficiency, fewer choices for consumers, and, ultimately, more costly food products. Therefore, it’s clear that food manufacturers must be careful when using “absence claims” as a marketing strategy. If we allow this kind of label fear-mongering to continue, the losers will be all of us.

5 . Men aren’t typically known for their shopping power. As the “She economy” became a buzz phrase in business magazines, the ever-expanding Chinese female middle class has been eagerly pursued by consumer brands from cosmetics to electronics. For some companies, that means there is a huge missed opportunity in the male market, especially given the fast-rising living standards across the most populous country on the earth and a male population that’s increasingly longing for a better quality of life.

Those instincts appear to be largely on point, according to the latest report on male consumption trends conducted by Suning Institute of Finance. The author of the report, the institute’s Senior Researcher Fu Yifu, concluded the male-oriented (男性导向的) market in China has great potential after observing three specific shopping habits of Chinese men in recent years: widened category, improved awareness and increased online consumption.

These trends are particularly noticeable in the country’s tech-adapted Millennial and Gen-Z populations, who have warmly embraced some special-interest consumer culture in other parts of the world through the Internet, such as the sneakerhead subculture, as a way to express their individuality. More importantly, many are willing to spend a fortune on it.

Also, nowadays, many Chinese men are definitely looking to lead more refined lives. The desire for “refined lives” has been channeled strongly through the pursuance of a more polished look-lighter skin, longer eyelashes and bigger eyes. These features are widely considered to be desirable traits for modern Chinese men.

JACB, which stands for “just a cool brand”, is one of the Chinese start-ups looking to capitalize on men’s increasing desire for a finer appearance. While most male cosmetic products today still focus on fixing skin problems such as acne (粉刺), JACB is pioneering the “men makeup” category with products such as BB cream for men. And the company mainly targets men in their 20s and early 30s, as they are more accepting of the new trends.

“The individual’s awakening in consumption has helped drive the men-oriented market to new heights that we are seeing today,” Fu said. “Chinese men have learned to buy skincare products, expensive suits, watches and luxury cars as a way to show their personal abilities.”

6 . With coffee beans in short supply worldwide and Chinese consumers expanding their coffee habit, Yunnan province beans have increasingly appeared in major coffee chains in China.

Yunnan, the largest coffee planting area in China, is blessed with high altitudes and suitable climate for planting high-quality coffee beans. The province is the source of more than 99% of domestically (国内地) produced coffee.

Last year, Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producing country, experienced extreme weather, including drought and frost, which caused a decrease in output of nearly 20%. The epidemic (疫情) is another reason for the price increase. The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the timely transportation of coffee beans to overseas markets.

With coffee from international markets in short supply, Yunnan has drawn attention of coffee chains in China.

Ye Peng, a coffee farmer in Pu’er, Yunnan, for more than a decade, said she has seen the prices of orders double from last year. With advanced planting technologies and higher quality local coffee beans, her company ships its product to famous coffee chains such as Starbucks and Manner Coffee.

Baoshan Chunzheng Coffee Company is a major coffee provider in Yunnan. It provides coffee beans to Yum China, which operates fast food chains KFC and Pizza Hut (必胜客) in the country.

With promising markets at home and abroad, there are more and more coffee farmers and coffee factories in Yunnan.

Advertisements play a(n)     1    (replaceable) role in enriching people’s daily life by promoting and selling products to customers. Over the past decades, the types and styles     2    (change) constantly to upgrade the advertising game.

The most common advertisements are commercial     3    , which simply give basic information of the products. Take “Tsing Tao Brewery” for example. It is easy to get the name of the products as well as the location of the company. Gradually, advertisers find it necessary     4    (combine) attractive pictures or words of the experts     5     the original advertisements. With the advertising booming, those     6    (consist) of outstanding designs and creative ideas are likely to be distinguished in the growing     7    (compete) advertising market. At present, being     8    (visual) attractive and repeating old ideas are out of date as the customers have been bored with the familiar strategies to promote products.     9    , advertisers have to adopt creative ideas trying to make the customers forget that they     10    (talk) into buying goods by someone. Apart from the commercial advertisements, public advertisements are gaining much attention. For instance, some are educating people on fighting AIDS, while some are calling for saving water.

Luckin Coffee has joined forces with Kweichow Moutai,     1     (represent) of Chinese sauce-flavor liquor, for an unusual offering: alcoholic lattes.

The latte, packaged with an iconic Moutai label and     2     (contain) less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume of 53 degrees Moutai, soon became one of the most     3    (discuss) topics on Chinese social media.

An employee with Luckin Coffee said the special latte made up most of the orders at her shop. "It seems that people prefer iced latte, so we quickly used     4     the ice at the branch. The number of orders was scary, nearly all of them being the Moutai-flavored latte.”

Though the drink has become a hit, many users wondered if it was safe to consume. “     5     (basic) underage people, pregnant women, drivers and those who are allergic to alcohol are advised not to order the drink, despite Luckin’s     6     (commit) to adding less than 0.5 percent alcohol.” Zhu Danpeng, a food industry analyst, said.

He also pointed out, “the launch comes as Kweichow Moutai,     7     alcohol sells at an average market guide price of 1,499 yuan,     8     (seek) ways to be more accessible and pull in a new generation of users for years”.   Apart from Moutai ice cream, the new drink is the latest effort by Moutai     9     (diversify) its offerings.

By working with Luckin Coffee, which surpasses Starbucks as the largest coffee house operator in China, Moutai has also made its brand younger and has generated more opportunities to develop its    10     (extend) product portfolio (产品组合) for younger consumers in the future．

10 . Hotels are introducing programs aimed at healing the body and mind to appeal to health-conscious guests and those looking to boost their energy levels.

Typically a lifestyle observed by middle-aged or older people, yangsheng has gained popularity among younger Chinese in recent years. Yangsheng, or nurturing life, is a core component of traditional Chinese medicine that places essential emphasis on the prevention of illness and fostering health and well-being.

Growing stress from life and work is one of the reasons why people are seeking more ways to rejuvenate themselves. In an online survey polling 1,000 participants conducted by Shanghai-based consultancy CBNData in June 2021, 59 percent said they had experienced work-induced pressure and anxiety in the past year. Fifty percent of 962 respondents said they would participate in healing activities, such as massage and yoga, to relieve stress.

The increased interest in wellness is driving changes in the hotel industry. “Changes in society and the COVID-19 pandemic have greatly changed people’s attitudes toward health,” Tang Min, general manager of the Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain hotel in Sichuan Province, told Jing Daily, a digital publication that focuses on luxury culture and lifestyles in China. “People are more eager to establish contact with themselves, others and nature. Generally, they hope that when their trip is over, they can live better than before,” she said.

For the hotel industry as a whole, she said the era of hotels only providing beds and meals is becoming a thing of the past. “Hotels today are more focused on the guest experience,” she said, adding that staying in a wellness hotel is a healthy experience that allows people to relax physically and mentally, change themselves and become a positive influence to people around them.

Looking into the future, Tang Min told Jing Daily that the concept of sustainable development will be a major trend in the wellness hotel industry. Sustainability(可持续性) in personal health and that in the natural world are expected to complement and exert a positive influence on each other, she noted.