Business

$1.80 dinners and budget clothes? The spread of frugality is hurting China's economy

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

.80 dinners and budget clothes? The spread of frugality is hurting China's economy

TAIPEI, Taiwan —

China’s 1.4 billion consumers once spent with enough abandon to help drive the global economy. Now one of the hottest topics on Chinese social media is how to save money.

“The main thing is just not to starve to death,” one video blogger advised in a post detailing how she subsisted on snack samples and free meals from temples and student canteens.

Another has gained a following in reviewing children’s meals that adults in Shanghai can eat on the cheap. “This is so economical,” she marveled over a $1.80 dinner. “They also included fried chicken.”

Other accounts tout $8 gym memberships and the merits of waiting for sales at fast-fashion clothing stores.

The tips appear to be working, as household savings have hit record highs. But experts say that’s bad news for the economy, because widespread scrimping is contributing to a dramatic slowdown in growth this year.

While the bigger factor is a worsening real estate downturn, which has eroded demand for commodities and diminished a crucial vehicle for household wealth and investment, economists say China’s economy is unlikely to recover without a rise in domestic spending.

Real estate agents wait for potential customers outside their Beijing offices in June 2014. China’s real estate downturn has eroded demand for commodities and diminished a crucial vehicle for household wealth and investment.

(Andy Wong / Associated Press)

Hou Muhan, a 28-year-old modeling agent living in Shanghai, used to borrow money from her parents every month to cover her bills.

But this year, after they started asking her to pay them back, she began tracking her expenses and became much stricter about spending at bars or trendy restaurants.

“I noticed every time I exceed my budget it’s usually because I go for drinks,” she said. “Socializing usually costs money. This is something hard to avoid in Shanghai.”

A man walks by as women rest on a bench in front of a cafe near a public park in

Now she mainly cooks at home. On the rare occasions when she orders in, she divides the rice into three portions, freezing two to eat with other meals at home.

Chinese consumers are going through a “consumption downgrade,” according to an analysis of mobile payment data by Shanghai Pulse Data Technology Co.

At the beginning of last year, a typical Chinese lunch customer spent between $1.40 and $1.70 on a meal. By the end of July, that range dropped to $1 to $1.30 as many diners stopped ordering their noodles with pork in favor of egg or vegetables.

A split-screen image of a meal of rice and meat with vegetables in a bowl, left, and packaged food items from a market.

As housing and stock prices have fallen, consumers in 25 out of 32 Chinese cities spent less than average in the first half of the year, according to the report.

Over the last few years, the housing downturn, record youth unemployment and layoffs in tech and other industries have compounded economic pessimism. A highly anticipated rebound in consumer spending after the pandemic never materialized.

Luxury brands are also falling out of favor in China, as shoppers have pulled back on big-ticket purchases. French conglomerate LVMH, an industry bellwether and the owner of the Louis Vuitton and Dior brands, reported a 16% slide in quarterly revenue in Asia excluding Japan last week, as its chief financial officer noted consumer confidence in China had slumped to an all-time low.

Invited guests take souvenir photos after attending the Louis Vuitton Wom

Without faith in their economic futures, consumers are unlikely to let go of the frugality they have adopted in recent years.

“Whenever there is uncertainty about the economy, households save more,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, a French investment bank. “Disposable income is not growing. People are losing purchasing power.”

China has relied heavily on infrastructure, manufacturing and exports to drive its economic growth over the last decade. But economists said that as those sectors have matured they have lost some of their power to fuel the economy.

In an interview with the state-run China Daily, Chen Wenling, chief economist for Beijing-based think tank China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said consumption probably would become an engine for faster economic growth in the long run than industrial investment or exports.

Pedestrians pass an electronic board displaying prices at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

She called on the government to find ways to create more jobs and bolster household income.

It’s unclear what such efforts might entail. Over the last month, officials have announced a raft of incremental measures to lift the economy, including cutting interest rates and financial support for the property and stock markets.

But Ernan Cui, a consumer analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, wrote in a September report that Chinese leaders are unlikely to roll out actions to directly stimulate consumer spending, such as distributing cash to households.

Cui said that disinclination is partly because high existing household savings would necessitate a cash infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars to have a notable effect. Chinese leaders are also reluctant to exacerbate income inequality or discourage people from looking for work, she said.

Amora Liu said she worked hard to save at least $225 of the $1,000 she earned each month from her job as a legal consultant at a courier company.

“If I spend it all, then I really have no sense of security,” said Liu, 25, who posts video diaries of her budgeting on social media.

Amora Liu sits at a table playing mah-jongg

In May, she moved from the city center to the suburbs more than an hour away, cutting her rent in half. She also started cooking for herself every day instead of going to restaurants.

She managed to save up about $4,200 before she took an even more extreme step: quitting her job and moving back in with her parents in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

She has used her savings to travel a little, but living at home has cut her consumption and spending dramatically.

Her video blog details a new budget that would make the economists cringe.

Rent? Free.

Lunch and dinner? Free.

Times special correspondent Xin-yun Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.

Business

What soaring gas prices mean for California’s EV market

Published

9 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

What soaring gas prices mean for California’s EV market

It has been a bumpy road for the electric vehicle market as declining federal support and plateauing public interest have eaten away at sales.

But EV sellers could soon receive a boost from an unexpected source: The war in Iran is pushing up gas prices.

As Americans look to save money at the pump, more will consider switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle. Average gas prices in the U.S. have risen nearly 17% since Feb. 28 to reach $3.48 per gallon. In California, the average is $5.20 per gallon.

Electric vehicles are pricier than gasoline-powered cars and charging them isn’t cheap with current electricity prices, but sky-high gas prices can tip the scales for consumers deciding which kind of vehicle to buy next.

“We probably will see an uptick in EV adoption and particularly hybrid adoption” if gas prices stay high, said Sam Abuelsamid, an auto analyst at Telemetry Agency. “The last time we had oil prices top $100 per barrel was early 2022 and that’s when we saw EV sales really start to pick up in the U.S.”

In a 2022 AAA survey, 77% of respondents said saving money on gas was their primary motivator for purchasing an electric vehicle. That year, 25% of survey respondents said they were likely or very likely to purchase an EV.

As oil prices cooled, the number fell to16% in 2025.

In California, annual sales of new light-duty zero-emission vehicles jumped 43% in 2022, according to the state’s Energy Commission. The market share of zero-emission vehicles among all light-duty vehicles sold rose from 12% in 2021 to 19% in 2022.

“Prior to 2022, we didn’t really have EVs available when we had oil price shocks,” Abuelsamid said. “But every time we did, it coincided with a move toward more fuel-efficient vehicles.”

Dealers are anticipating a windfall.

Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Assn., predicted enthusiasm for EVs will rebound across California if oil prices don’t come down.

“If prior gasoline price spikes are any indication, you tend to see interest in more fuel-efficient vehicles,” he said.

Rising gas prices could be a lifeline for EV makers at a time when federal support for green cars has been declining.

Under President Trump, a federal $7,500 tax incentive for new electric vehicles was eliminated in September, along with a $4,000 incentive for used electric vehicles.

In California, the zero-emission vehicle share of the total new-vehicle market was 22% through the first 10 months of 2025, then dropped sharply to 12% in the last two months of the year, according to the California Auto Outlook.

Meanwhile Tesla, the most popular EV brand in the country, has grappled with an implosion of its reputation with some consumers after its chief executive, Elon Musk, became one of Trump’s most vocal supporters and helped run the controversial Department of Government Efficiency.

Over the last several months, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis have pared back EV ambitions.

Other automakers, including Nissan, announced plans to stop producing their more affordable electric models.

The Trump administration has moved to roll back federal fuel economy standards and revoked California’s permission to implement a ban on new gas-powered car sales by 2035.

David Reichmuth, a researcher with the Clean Transportation program in the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the shift in production plans will affect EV availability, even if demand surges.

That could keep people from switching to cleaner vehicles regardless of higher gas prices.

“This is a transition that we need to make for both public health and to try to slow the damage from global warming, whether or not the price of gasoline is $3 or $5 or $6 a gallon,” he said.

According to Cox Automotive, new EV sales nationally were down 41% in November from a year earlier. Used EV sales were down 14% year over year that month.

To be sure, oil prices can fluctuate wildly in times of uncertainty. It will take time for consumers to decide on new purchases.

Brian Kim, who manages used car sales at Ford of Downtown LA, said he has yet to see a jump in the number of people interested in EVs, hybrids or more fuel-efficient gas-powered engines.

Still, if the price at the pump stays stuck above its current level, it could happen soon.

“Once the gas prices hit six [dollars per gallon] or more and people feel it in their pocket, maybe things will start to change,” he said.

Business

Nearly 60 gigawatts of U.S. clean power stalled, trade group finds

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Nearly 60 gigawatts of U.S. clean power stalled, trade group finds

A total of 59 gigawatts of U.S. clean energy projects are facing delays at a time when demand for power from AI data centers is surging, according to a trade group study.

Developers are seeing an average delay of 19 months over issues such as long interconnection times, supply constraints and regulatory barriers, the American Clean Power Assn. said in a quarterly market report.

The backlog is happening despite the growing need for power on grids that are being taxed by energy-hungry data centers and increased manufacturing. The Trump administration has implemented a slew of policies to slow the build-out of solar and wind projects, including delaying approvals on federal lands.

The potential energy generation facing delays is the equivalent of 59 traditional nuclear reactors, enough to power more than 44 million homes simultaneously.

“Current policy instability is beginning to impact investor confidence and negatively impact project timelines at a time when demand is surging,” American Clean Power Chief Policy Officer JC Sandberg said in a statement.

Despite the hurdles, developers were able to bring more than 50 gigawatts of wind, solar and batteries online in 2025, accounting for more than 90% of all new power capacity in the U.S., the report found. Clean power purchase agreements declined 36% in 2025 compared with 2024, signaling that the build-out of clean power in the U.S. could be lower in the 2028 to 2030 time period, according to the report.

Chediak writes for Bloomberg.

Business

Feud between Vegas gambler and Paramount exec sparks $150-million fraud lawsuit

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Feud between Vegas gambler and Paramount exec sparks 0-million fraud lawsuit

The high-stakes feud between Paramount Skydance President Jeff Shell and Las Vegas gambler and self-professed “fixer” Robert James “R.J.” Cipriani spilled into court on Monday.

Cipriani filed a lawsuit against Shell on claims of fraud and eight other counts, alleging that he reneged on an oral agreement to develop an English-language version of a Spanish music show that streams on Roku TV.

He is seeking $150 million in damages.

In the 67-page lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Cipriani claims that in exchange for providing “sophisticated, high-value crisis communications services, entirely without compensation” over 18 months, Shell had agreed to develop the show “Serenata De Las Estrellas,” (Star Serenade), but failed to do so. Cipriani and his wife were to be named as co-executive producers.

“This case arises from the oldest form of fraud: a powerful man took everything a less powerful man had to offer, promised to repay him, lied to him when he asked about it, and then refused to compensate him at all,” states the complaint.

Cipriani — who has producer credits on a 2020 documentary about Vegas, “Money Machine: Behind the Lies,” and the 2015 movie “Wild Card” — intended to make “Serenata” as a “lasting legacy for his mother,” Regina, saying the effort “has been the driving force and the most important thing consuming [Cipriani’s] entire life of almost sixty-five years,” according to the suit.

The show was inspired by a song that the Philadelphia-born Cipriani used to sing to his late mother when he was growing up.

The litigation is the latest twist in a simmering behind-the-scenes scandal that has left much of Hollywood slack-jawed.

For weeks, Cipriani had threatened to file a lawsuit against Shell, with the potential to derail his comeback at Paramount, three years after he lost his job as NBCUniversal’s chief executive over an inappropriate relationship with an underling.

Cipriani’s suit alleges Shell wasdesperate for help in quelling negative stories about him.

It also portrays him as someone who was indiscreet, allegedly sharing sensitive information during the period when the Ellison family, through Skydance Media, was preparing to close its deal to acquire Paramount and then was actively pursuing Warner Bros. Discovery to add to its growing entertainment and media empire.

The eventual rift between the unlikely pair began in August 2024. Patty Glaser, the high-powered entertainment litigator, convened a meeting between the two men.

During the meeting with Shell, the executive expressed to Cipriani his concern that emails and texts between him and Hadley Gamble, the CNBC anchor Shell had been involved with, would come out, saying “that would absolutely destroy me,” according to the suit.

Cipriani claims in his lawsuit Shell was facing “catastrophic personal exposure arising from his conduct toward yet another woman in the media industry,” similar to what had prompted his ouster from NBCUniversal and that he “solicited” his “crisis communications services.”

According to the suit, Cipriani was in a position to help him, having engaged in a “longstanding practice of exposing misconduct in the entertainment and media industries.”

Robert James “R.J.” Cipriani in Amazon Prime Video’s 2025 series “Cocaine Quarterback.”

(Courtesy of Prime)

A high-rolling blackjack player, Cipriani’s colorful résumé includes aiding the FBI in the arrest and conviction of USC athlete-turned global drug kingpin Owen Hanson, who was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, and filing a RICO suit against Resorts World Las Vegas.

Leveraging his “unique media relationships and industry influence,” Cipriani said in his complaint that he provided Shell with “ongoing threat-monitoring and intelligence services,” and “took proactive steps to suppress, redirect, or neutralize” negative coverage against Shell before publication.

Cipriani said Shell expressed “effusive gratitude” to him after he planted a story about another entertainment industry figure “in order to divert media attention” away from Shell. “Thank you thank you thank you,” Shell wrote in a text to Cipriani, according to the lawsuit, which included a copy of the text.

During tense negotiations over Paramount’s streaming rights for the highly successful “South Park” franchise last summer, Shell allegedly asked to talk to Cipriani about the matter. Cipriani then “orchestrat[ed] the placement of a highly favorable news article,” that was “devastating to Shell’s and Paramount’s adversaries in the dispute,” the suit states.

After a story published in a Hollywood trade, Cipriani wrote to Shell on WhatsApp, “I’m the one that put the article out for you!!!” and “I didn’t want to tell you till it hit so you have plausible deniability.”

According to a message cited in the lawsuit, Shell responded, “I love you!!!! …Thank you Rj,” adding “I owe you dinner at least!”

Despite those boasts, Paramount ultimately paid “South Park” creators millions more than Skydance had intended. To remove obstacles from Skydance’s path to buy Paramount, the media company agreed to two blockbuster deals that include paying the “South Park” production company more than $1.25 billion to continue the cartoon — making it one of the richest deals in television history.

During the course of their relationship, Cipriani further alleges that Shell alerted him to a then-pending $7.7-billion Paramount deal for the rights to UFC fights, while Netflix “believed” it had a “handshake deal” for the same rights, according to the suit.

Cipriani disclosed in his lawsuit that he filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the disclosure of material information, claiming that Shell told him that not even UFC President Dana White knew of the transaction. In a WhatsApp message cited in the lawsuit, Shell told Cipriani that the deal was “very hush, hush until we sign.”

While the gambler continued to provide his services to Shell gratis, their relationship began to sour.

Cipriani became enraged that Shell did not uphold his end of the alleged deal to help him with the TV show, viewing it as a slap to him and his mother.

In February, the pair met to resolve their growing dispute. According to the lawsuit, also in attendance was an unidentified entertainment attorney who had represented both men in separate matters.

Patty Glaser has been widely reported as having represented Shell and Cipriani. She introduced them in summer 2024, as The Times reported Saturday.

“We were presented with a draft complaint riddled with clear errors of fact and law,” Glaser said in a statement last week. “We will strongly respond.”

The February meeting did not go well.

Shell not only “refused to compensate” Cipriani, but also told him that he could not “assist” him “in obtaining a television show or other entertainment industry opportunity.”

Cipriani further alleged in his lawsuit that during their “failed summit,” Shell revealed his “disdain” for David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, and disclosed that Paramount intended to “sweeten” its pending hostile offer for the studio to fend off Netflix prior to announcing its intention to do so publicly.

After the meeting, Cipriani stated in his complaint that Shell’s attorney privately offered Cipriani a “$150,000 personal loan” to resolve the dispute.