Archive of Category: CPG Life

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Opening Your Own Sourcing Office: What does it take?

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It goes without saying – when you buy direct from China, you must have an excellent support system. Many companies secure this support by hiring a China sourcing agent or a China sourcing company. But for some companies, opening their own sourcing office makes the most sense. This requires an...

Reflections on 40 Years of China Sourcing

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1978-2018 As our 40th anniversary year comes to an end, I look back at our business, how it came about, why we did it, and what it means today. People often ask me how CPG got started, and more specifically, why I learned Chinese way back when China was not...

First Impressions: Using the Beijing Subway to Navigate Through the City

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Anyone who has dared venture outside their apartment door is immediately greeted by the diverse sights and smells that a cultural hub like Beijing has to offer. One particularly poignant sight is the 8am rush on the Beijing subway. On the streets above, pedestrians constantly bump into each other, cars...

First Impressions: The Rise of Commercial Western Influence in China

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The beauty, cuisine, and the sheer size of the homogenous population in Beijing have left many tourists blown away by its dissimilarity to the Western world. Prior to my arrival in Beijing, I had heard so many examples of these differences and perhaps it was the ultra-alertness and expectations I...

First Impressions: Chinese Social Media and Their Western Counterparts

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There is a burgeoning Internet population here in China. Despite Facebook and Twitter not being available within the country, their replacements are widely used by locals who seem to be more and more addicted to these forms of Chinese social media. Types of Chinese Social Media Here in China, the...

First Impressions: A German Tsingtao Beer

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Tsingtao is the brand name of one of the most popular beers that China can offer. Tsingtao beer is currently produced in Qingdao and is exported to more than 50 countries, including Germany. As you may know, Germany holds the reputation of being one of the premier beer countries in...

First Impressions: Non-verbal Beijing Communication

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There is no denying that communication is a two-way street. Most of the time, it involves two people physically talking back and forth. However, communication can also be utilized through non-verbal language, a skill-set I have become increasingly familiar with and one that I would consider as my personal non-verbal...

First Impressions: Beijing Culture Shock

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Although traveling to China is not a new occurrence for me, each subsequent visit has welcomed me with interesting and different forms of Beijing culture shock. The first time I visited Beijing, I came on a whim. It all began three summers ago. An e-flyer for a study abroad program...

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