Renowned for an insatiable appetite for luxury, within ten years China will account for 50% of global luxury purchases. But as discretion becomes the mark of distinction, who are these luxury consumers, how are their tastes evolving and what compels them to part with their cash?

Black Friday – a day of flash sales after Thanksgiving designed to kick-start Christmas shopping – is a shopping phenomenon in the US. And despite being intrinsically linked with an American holiday, it’s gaining traction across Europe. But can the Black Friday madness extend to China?

Do physical stores matter any more in China? When Topshop launched in China in 2014 it didn’t bother with bricks and mortar. Instead, taking cues from its Gen Y customers (who spend up to 30% of their day online), it partnered with an established fashion website. Is this non-traditional route proving a hit?

With analysts predicting China's e-commerce market to double to $420 billion by 2020, up from $210 billion in 2012, the country has become the world's second-largest online shopping market. And it's bridging the gap between more and less developed cities in China.