Article at a glance:

The new Chinese consumer

• China's impact as a nation of consumers could be greater than anything witnessed so far under the country's two-decade-old economic reform. Yet many companies underestimate the size of the potential market and how quickly it will grow.
• Instead of slowly becoming Westernized, these consumers will take on a character of their own, mixing traditional values with modern appetites. Their influence will be felt well beyond the country’s borders.