Laopu Gold is shaking up what it means to be a Chinese luxury brand. From heritage-inspired designs to fixed pricing that defies the traditional “by-weight” gold shop model, the brand has carved out a premium niche that’s turning heads.

In 2024, Laopu’s revenue jumped 167% year-on-year, six times higher than in 2021. But what’s behind this meteoric rise?

Tune in as Sabrina and Elody unpack:

• How Laopu reinvented itself from a traditional gold retailer into a modern luxury house;

• Why Xiaohongshu has been central to its popularity;

• The “national wave” of Chinese heritage brands, and how Laopu fits right in;

• What its overseas push, starting with Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, says about its global ambitions.

  
  

Will Laopu really become “the Cartier of China”? Let’s find out.

Timestamps:

00:00:54 – From gold trader to luxury brand: the founder’s story

00:01:36 – Why Laopu went viral on Xiaohongshu

00:02:14 – Breaking tradition: fixed pricing vs. by-weight gold

00:03:49 – Going global: Laopu’s Marina Bay Sands store

00:07:57 – The ‘national wave’ and rise of Chinese heritage brands

Featured materials: 

E103: Behind the Labubu craze: PopMart business explained

E124: Labubu makes no sense - and that’s why it sells

E127: Is POPMart engineering a soft landing for Labubu?

Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2025, Momentum Works

Luckin Coffee is rewriting the playbook for how coffee chains innovate. From minty coconut lattes to a Moutai latte that sold 5.4 million cups in a day, the brand keeps churning out new - and sometimes funky - flavours.

In 2024 alone, Luckin launched 119 new SKUs. But how

Tune in as Weihan and Sabrina explore: 

• Luckin’s data-driven R&D and “horse racing” approach to product development; 

• Why odd-sounding creations (grape fizz Americano, anyone?) actually sell?;

• • How Luckin is rolling out country-exclusive flavours as it expands globally. 

  
  

  And of course, we had to do a live taste test, because talking about funky flavors is one thing, but trying them is another.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Luckin launches way more drinks a year than Starbucks

03:10:00 – Data over creativity: Luckin’s product development

06:20:00 – How Luckin launches a new drink every 3 days 

08:30:00 – What Luckin might brew just for the U.S.

12:40:00 – MW taste test: Grape fizzy americano?

Featured materials: 

⁠Inside Luckin Coffee: Strategy, model, and international playbook, Momentum Works⁠

⁠How can Luckin Coffee launch 119 new drinks in a year, TheLowDown⁠

⁠E123: Luckin Coffee brings manufacturing back to the USA?, Impulso Podcast⁠

⁠Luckin Coffee copies Chagee’s best selling drink, TheLowDown⁠

Shopee’s parent, Sea Group, delivered an impressive set of Q2 2025 results - net income grew 5x YoY, exceptional growth from Monee’s billion-dollar loan books, and the rise of SPX Express in Southeast Asia’s logistics game.

Investors took notice, sending the stock up 19.07% by the end of the trading day.

But there was an unexpected twist. For the first time in recent quarters, no one asked about TikTok Shop during the earnings call. Instead, attention shifted to Brazil, where Shopee is battling it out with MercadoLivre, Temu, SHEIN, TikTok Shop, and possibly Keeta?

From billion-dollar credit plays to last-mile delivery innovations to Brazil’s intense ecommerce battleground, tune in as we break down Sea Group’s latest numbers and what this means for the future of ecommerce in the region.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Sea Group’s net income up 5x YoY in Q2

01:21:00 – Monee’s loan books hit US$ 1 Billion-dollar in 3 markets

05:09:00 – How community networks made SPX Express a logistics powerhouse

09:20:00 – Analysts Skip TikTok Shop; Eyes turn to Brazil instead

13:23 – Will Meituan’s Keeta join Brazil’s ecommerce battle?

Featured materials:

Shopee delivers a stellar quarter – but why no one asked about TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop in the U.S. H1 2025

Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2025

Who is Nubank?

Behind $0 Bubble tea in China: China's quick commerce war explained | Impulso E128

Why is EVERY Chinese company going to Brazil?| Impulso E119

Shopee’s in-house logistics: 4 billion parcels a year? | Impulso E98

Hyperlocal Deliveries Fuel 300% Stock Rise for Shopee Owner Sea

Why do most restaurants and hotels fail within a few years? It’s rarely because of bad food or poor service, but rather failure to manage demand, pricing, and customer mix effectively.

In this episode of the Impulso podcast, Professor Emeritus at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and hospitality revenue management expert Sherri Kimes unpacks how the industry has transformed over the last 20 years, and what it really takes to survive.

Tune in as we dive into:

• Why “good enough” food often beats culinary brilliance;

• The critical gap between having data and actionable information;

• How digital-first players like Luckin Coffee are outmaneuvering legacy giants.

• The future role of AI in hospitality, and where it’s just hype.

From hotel revenue management and AI in hospitality, these insights will change the way you see, and run, a hospitality business.

Timestamps:

00:01:10 – From phone calls to QR codes, 25 years of hospitality evolution

00:06:51 – The art of saying “yes” in revenue management

00:17:43 – Why simplicity always beats good food

00:27:50 – Luckin Coffee’s digital advantage

00:39:18 – AI in Hospitality & Restaurants: hype or game-changer?

Featured materials:

Inside Luckin Coffee: Strategy, model, and international playbook report, Momentum Works 

Chinese F&B in Southeast Asia report, Momentum Works 

Luckin Coffee brings manufacturing back to the USA? | Impulso E123

The quick commerce war happening in China right now has seen billions of dollars spent. There have been a record number of subsidies pumped into the war by the major players - over RMB20 billion and counting, and a record number of orders by consumers - 120M daily orders on a single platform. 

In this episode, Jianggan and Sabrina dive right into the centre of the battle of the giants - Taobao, JD.com, and Meituan. From billion-yuan subsidy pledges to PR wars, this quick commerce showdown is reshaping not just consumer habits, but also how these tech giants are positioning themselves for the future. 

Timestamps:

• 00:00:30 – Someone ordered 2,200 cups of bubble tea for free?
• 00:05:00 – What is happening in China right now and how did it start?
• 00:07:50 – Chinese government has something to say about all of this
• 00:10:45 – Meituan’s CEO says this subsidy war is pointless?!
• 00:15:30 – Who’s likely to win… and what happens next

Chinese customs have been busy catching fake Labubus - one airport even found to up 34,000++ fake labubus. Why are the chinese customs so zealous about fake Labubus? What is driving the rise in fake Labubus and what does this mean for Popmart? In this episode, Sabrina and Jianggan unpack what’s driving the wave of fake Labubus, how resale speculation is heating up, whether Pop Mart is quietly engineering a soft landing for its hottest IPTune in as we explore:- The customs raids and how officials discovered tens of thousands of fake Labubus;- Why Labubu’s resale value has skyrocketed — and the risks that come with it;- What a "soft landing" might look like for Pop Mart;- Why Pop Mart may be taking steps to cool things down — on purpose.Timestamps:00:00:45 – Chinese customs crack down on fake Labubus00:02:10 – 34,620 toys in one suitcase?!00:03:30 – Why is Labubu driving a resale frenzy?00:05:15 – Is Pop Mart engineering a soft landing?00:08:00 – What happens if the Labubu hype crashes?Featured materials: Labubu makes no sense - and that’s why it sells | Impulso E124https://youtu.be/XtdXOygiixoBehind the Labubu craze: PopMart business explained | Impulso E103https://youtu.be/PLIq2UkvgwA

Southeast Asia’s ecommerce GMV hit $128.4 billion in 2024 — but growth has slowed to 12%, down from 15% the year before. Why did it slow down? Should industry players still be optimistic? 

In this episode, Sabrina and Weihan, the author of our 3rd Ecommerce in Southeast Asia report break down the key findings.

Tune in as we explore:

• Why Thailand and Malaysia are now the region’s fastest-growing ecommerce markets;

• Thoughts on the industry by ecommerce and third party players

• 4 Key trends we see in Ecommerce

• How enablers are now evolving into brand builders themselves.

Timestamps

00:00:45 – SEA Ecommerce hits $128B, but growth slows to 12%

00:02:00 – Why Thailand & Malaysia are the region’s fastest-growing markets

00:07:30 – SPX overtakes J&T as logistics consolidates?

00:09:30 – Can chinese & local brands challenge global players?

00:12:00 – Will enablers start launching their own brands?

AI can unlock up to US$131 billion annual ecommerce GMV in Southeast Asia by 2030. With the increasing popularity of ecommerce,  we launched a report studying how AI is already transforming the way we shop, and how it will continue to do so in the future. 

In this episode, we talk about the average Southeast consumer’s journey with AI, how we use it, and why it can unlock US$131 billion in GMV by 2030. 
Are consumers okay with AI listening in on conversations? Is AI listening to our daily conversations, and are consumers okay with it? How are consumers reacting to AI?Tune in to hear our thoughts! 

Timestamps:

00:00:30 - Different ways AI is being used in ecommerce How platforms like TikTok recommend products you didn’t know you wanted

00:02:10 -  How we, as consumers, use AI 

00:03:45 -  Does AI enhance the shopping experience? 

00:07:30 - AI might not be as helpful as we think now? 

00:10:45 — Is AI listening to us? The eerie side of hyper-personalized shopping

Featured materials:

Ecommerce in Southeast Asia report, Momentum Works https://momentum.asia/product/ecommerce-in-southeast-asia-2025/Transforming ecommerce with AI: Sell smarter, shop betterhttps://momentum.asia/product/transforming-ecommerce-with-ai-sell-smarter-shop-better/

Labubu is everywhere - from TikTok edits to custom BBLs, to collectors spending hundreds to make theirs one of a kind. In our previous Labubu episode, we spoke about the business behind Popmart and why it is so popular. In this episode, we go further into the consumer’s psyche, over a toy that has no practical purpose. 

Tengian, Elody, and Phyllis discuss: 

• How customization, scarcity, and storytelling drive fan culture

• The emotional psychology behind spending on toys with zero utility

• How Pop Mart turned Labubu into its #1 revenue driver — surpassing Molly

• Why fights are breaking out in stores… and what that says about hype economics

  
  

Timestamps

00:01:00: Why people are customizing and giving BBLs to Labubu

00:03:30: The cost of a single collectible (and its emotional value)

00:06:00: Why useless things make better business

00:09:00: Labubu surpasses Molly: Pop Mart’s growth explained

00:11:30 – International hype, bans, and resale frenzy

Featured materials: 

E103: Behind Labubu Craze: Popmart Business explained 

https://youtu.be/PLIq2UkvgwA?si=zYwDVzisoavFZgjU

Luckin Coffee is finally entering the U.S. — starting with New York City. Will Luckin be able to challenge Starbucks in its own backyard?

Many mistake Luckin’s product as simply coffee. It is not - Luckin is more like an ecommerce company. 

Tune in as we explore: 

• Luckin’s platform-like model, and how it turns its coffee stores into mini fulfillment centers;

• Why Luckin launched in New York, unlike Chagee in Los Angeles;

• How Luckin’s digital DNA gives it a global edge;

• What challenges Luckin may face, particularly in terms of organisation and people

00:01:00 – Luckin launches in New York

00:04:30 – Food trucks and free coffee: how Luckin builds brand

00:07:30 – Luckin is more like an ecommerce platform than coffee chain

00:11:10 – This is not Luckin’s first international venture  

Featured materials: 

Luckin Coffee enters Malaysia with an unconventional partner, TheLowDown

https://thelowdown.momentum.asia/luckin-coffee-enters-malaysia-with-an-unconventional-partner/

Luckin Coffee lands in New York: Can it take on Starbucks at home?, TheLowDown

https://thelowdown.momentum.asia/luckin-coffee-lands-in-new-york-can-it-take-on-starbucks-at-home/

E86: Luckin Coffee opens 20,000th store, The Impulso Podcast 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRg4JqFMmwk

Coffee in Southeast Asia, Momentum Works

https://momentum.asia/product/coffee-in-southeast-asia/