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