Big China shift from luxury to consumer goods

San Francisco

LOOK out Gucci and Prada. China's zest for Western products, which has made it the leading market for luxury goods since 2012, is moving downstream. Michael DeSimone realised it when he and colleagues toured a warehouse loaded with items destined for China.

"We expected the Michael Kors designer handbags," said Mr DeSimone, chief executive officer of e-commerce logistics handler Borderfree Inc. "What we didn't expect were the Costco car seats."

These days it's the prosaic - pink Barbie backpacks, California almonds, Oral-B electric toothbrushes - that Chinese click on more …