Deglobalization & AI: The calm before the storm
While reviewing websites for the 2025 Web Globalization Report Card I was struck by two things: Combined, I believe we are in the midst of the calm before the storm. …
China
For global brands, Russian is no longer a “top 10” language
Russian was once considered a “top 10” language — one that any company serious about global growth would support. But Putin’s horrific actions have put an end to that. Over …
The Year of the Dragon
As we say farewell to the Year of the Rabbit we greet the Year of the Dragon. And, with it, my whirlwind tour of global and local websites taking advantage …
This year, Singles Day is looking like just another day
It’s not secret that China is going through an economic rough patch. So it’s probably not surprise that might brief tour of Singles Day website promotions came up lighter than …
The Year of the Rabbit
Lunar New Year is here and, with it, my whirlwind tour of global and local websites taking full advantage of this holiday. Here was my tour last year of the …
The Year of the Tiger: Websites celebrate Lunar New Year
If you were to visit the US home page of BMW you’d see the obligatory photograph of the latest models: But if you were to visit the China home page …
Singles Day: The world’s largest shopping day
As I mentioned a few days ago, Singles Day arrived well before the official start: 11/11. But now that it has officially arrived, a thought a few screen shots would …
Singles day is coming! On many websites it’s already here
As I write this on November 5th, Singles Day (November 11th “11.11”) is nearly a week away. Singles Day is the world’s biggest shopping day, a virtual event that originated …
Could China’s greatest threat be slackers?
Fascinating article in the New York Times about an emerging generation of Chinese who are pushing back against the 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week) work …
The global evolution of Apple.com
After posting my Web Globalization Report Card video I was asked to comment on the global evolution of a few websites. So I thought I’d put together a brief presentation …
Singles Day: Not just for China anymore
I’ve written quite a bit about the world’s most lucrative shopping holiday. No, it’s not Black Friday, but Singles Day, which takes place every November 11th (11.11) in China, and …
In China, email addresses are irrelevant
Great article by the BBC about email vs. mobile apps in China — and why email is losing out to the most popular apps. It’s important for Westerners such as …
Why deglobalization will not dampen web globalization
In February, when I published the 2020 Web Globalization Report Card, the coronavirus was itself going global. Since then, there has been much talk about how the coronavirus will turn …
From AZMKIMI to MZOO: Chinese brands take over Amazon.com
Very interesting article by John Herrman in the New York Times about the rise of Chinese sellers on Amazon and their very interesting choices of brand names. From the article… …
Forget it Jeff, it’s China
Another one bites the dust in China (Amazon.cn), expanding upon my previous post on the challenges of succeeding in China. Wall Street Journal: Amazon’s E-Commerce Adventure in China Proved Too …