Consumer culture

Americans of all incomes head to dollar stores to stay frugal

Dollar General reported its fifth straight quarterly rise in store traffic, which was up 2 per cent.

News analysis

Death of the consumer conglomerate? Unilever bets less is more

Unilever, the maker of Dove soap, trades at 11.5 times enterprise value to core earnings.

Beyblade craze sweeps HK, Taiwan as ‘kidults’ fuel toy sales surge

The sudden uptick in demand was in part thanks to “kidult” culture, in which adults indulge in children’s interests and hobbies.

Field Notes from Tokyo

How innovation is saving Japan’s vending machine empire

An employee stocks an empty vending machine in Tokyo on July 22.

Forum: Society may need more kaypoh Karens to keep it safe

Commentary

In defence of the kaypoh Karen

Supermarket etiquette is about more than queuing at the checkout. It extends to how shoppers treat produce and respect pre-packed items.

No more Marmite chicken? Iconic umami spread vanishes from Singapore supermarket shelves

In Singapore, Marmite is not only enjoyed as a traditional British-style toast spread, but has also been uniquely integrated into local cuisine.

China bets on local consumers to power its AI ambitions

Beijing is casting AI as a new engine of consumer spending.

How Prism+ is building Singapore’s answer to Xiaomi and Samsung

Prism+ has a 16-person product development team that spends up to a year developing and testing prototypes for new products.

RTS Link to spur S’poreans to spend $1 billion more in JB a year: Study

The Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link station and Johor Bahru Town on July 13.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.