The store as a campfire
How shops become places of connection, and why convenience alone is no longer enough.
Explore this pieceCULTURE · SOCIETY · CONSUMPTION
Understanding China.
Understanding people.
Writing, interviews and perspectives on a society in transition. Exploring what moves people, and how culture, media and consumption connect.
Selected reading
01 / 18Writing, media & speaking
18 entriesNewest first
Online fraud and the changing way we shop
Quoted on the value of real-world shopping experiences in an increasingly digital retail landscape.
What German retailers can learn from Asia
Quoted in a feature on shopping experiences, emotions and community.
How shopping in Asia becomes an experience
Expert perspective on new retail concepts and the desire for distinctive shopping experiences.
China’s furniture offensive: the year of a new dawn
Quoted as an expert on changes in Chinese and Asian retail.
Why waiting is becoming part of shopping again
Quoted on the return of shared, sensory experiences in physical retail.
The store as a campfire
How shops become places of connection, and why convenience alone is no longer enough.
Three perspectives on Chinese soft power
Invited to speak at a seminar on German–Chinese relations in Hofgeismar.
“Queer content is being made invisible”
An interview on censorship, digital spaces and queer visibility in China.
The future of physical retail: perspectives from China
Speaker at the dLv retail design conference in Hamburg on 7–8 May 2026.
Why adults are turning to plush toys again
A psychological perspective on a consumer trend shaped by comfort, uncertainty and nostalgia.
When collectibles become global cultural icons
An interview on Labubu, emotional attachment and the cultural meaning of collecting.
Labubu and the grammar of the TikTok economy
How a collectible becomes a cultural phenomenon, and what its popularity reveals about comfort, belonging and consumption.
The Labubu phenomenon
Expert comment from Wutao Wen.
“Made in China”: online debates on Zhihu
China’s industrial modernization through the eyes of online participants: innovation, state intervention and everyday working life.
Robots versus humans in sport
Quoted on how Chinese society views robotics and technological development.
Finding community around the street-food table
Young people in China are looking for connection, both online and in the everyday life of their cities.
Three questions on China’s 996 online revolt
A conversation about pressure to perform, work and the expectations of a younger generation in China.
The collective shapes the superstars
What the talent show Produce 101 reveals about community, development and the role of brands in China.
No publications found. Try another search or change the filters.
About
Wutao Wen
China · Kultur · Culture
Wutao Wen brings together qualitative market research, China studies and cultural psychology. As Head of Market Research Asia at rheingold and a research associate at the University of Trier, he explores Chinese youth and media culture, social change and consumption.
This personal archive brings together publications, interviews, expert commentary in the media and speaking contributions from my professional and academic work.
Contact
Continue the conversation.
For professional exchange, press enquiries and speaking requests, please use my work contact at rheingold or connect on LinkedIn.
About this archive
This selection will grow over time. Article and interview dates refer to the linked edition; speaking and invitation entries show the event date. Invitations are labelled separately. Rights to original texts remain with their respective rights holders.