An “eco-friendly” concept is being introduced by fashion brand Me&City (a brand launched by Metersbonwe to target Chinese consumers at a higher end). The line claims to be made from recyclable material – right down to the label!

We spotted some fun new vending machines for magazines in Shanghai metro stations – an easy and fun way to grab a read before a commute.

The machines are well lit and include titles such as Marie Claire, Elle and Elle Men. We’re interested to see if this kicks in elsewhere. For previous reports on vending machines: crab, fresh fruit and subway souvenirs, and fresh fruit juice.

Once upon a time, 80s youth used to pay 19 RMB to play at Be For Time tea houses with an all-you-can-drink menu. Recently, we checked out one of the popular spots in the Zhongshan Park area of Shanghai to see how game bars have changed. Located in a normal apartment on the opposite side of Cloud Nine shopping mall, the bar was full of young people playing Killer of Three Kingdoms (aka KTK or 三国杀 in Chinese). Entrance and drinks is now 35 RMB but – as you can see – cups are also printed with characters from KTK.

Beijing recently hosted Red Pagoda’s Startup Weekend, where new business ideas that have not yet launched were presented and discussed. One of the ideas presented was Hupeng, alternatively called an online dating organizer. The idea has roots in group dating, AKA gokon, but integrates with group buying and coupons. Similar to the function of the websites GrubWithUs and IgNighter, Hupeng offers deals and discounts for groups of people who don’t know each other to arrange online to go out together offline. Unlike similar already-established websites, Hupeng is targeted directly to the Chinese market.
Read the rest of this entry »