On Shanghai's trendiest shopping street a glittering pink monument to the west's faith in the Chinese consumer has just opened.
Inside the six-story Barbie flagship store an escalator carries curious Shanghainese up a long, pink illuminated tunnel echoing with recordings of giggling children and disgorges them into a plastic wonderland of frills and accessories. “100 per cent plastic beauty” reads a sign on the wall of the Barbie spa and beauty salon on the second floor.
With much of the world expected to remain in recession this year, big consumer brands are pinning their hopes on China's billion customers to prop up sales amid the global downturn.
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