Premium bicycles win new fans among China’s city folk

Premium bicycles win new fans among China’s city folk

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterBEIJING, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Zhou Changchang likes to spend his spare time cruising along the streets of China’s capital with his cycling club friends, on his Tiffany Blue bicycle made by the British company Brompton.The 42-year-old teacher is part of a growing army of cycling enthusiasts in China, who are splashing out on premium bicycles made by the likes of Brompton, Giant and Specialized, fuelling a market that consultancy Research & Markets estimates could be worth $16.5 billion by 2026.Social media and e-commerce platforms say there has been a surge of interest in cycling over the past year and sales of bicycles and gear are booming.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterTypically, Chinese cyclists will pay more than 13,000 yuan ($1,870) for an inner-city, high-end foldable bike made by the likes of Brompton. High-performance road bikes, made for longer journeys, start at around 10,000 yuan ($1,450) and can go many times higher.Last month, media reported that a bicycle made by luxury brand Hermes sold for 165,000 yuan ($24,500).”The majority of riding hobbyists are willing to splurge,” e-commerce platform JD.com said last month.It said road bike sales on its platform had more than doubled from June to August compared with the same time last year, while riding apparel sales had jumped 160%.China has had a long love affair with bicycles and was once known as the “kingdom of bicycles”.For decades, bikes made by the likes of the Flying Pigeon company filled the streets.Cycling fell out of fashion when a growing middle class turned to cars but bike manufacturers saw a revival in 2014 as bike-sharing companies like Mobike and Ofo sprang up to flood cities with their fleets, offering rides as cheap as 1 yuan.Zhou, like many cyclists, said he got into biking to get fit. COVID-19 and its lockdowns also created a urge for the open road.”I really longed for the outdoors and fresh air,” said Shanghai office worker Lily Lu who went out and ordered a Brompton bike for 13,600 yuan ($1,965) the day after she was released from a three-month lockdown.As the craze gathers pace, manufacturers are struggling to meet demand. Lu said she had to wait two months to get her bicycle. Brompton did not respond to a request for comment.China’s Pardus, which makes racing bikes that can cost more than 30,000 yuan ($4,335), said sales doubled from last year and its factory was operating around the clock.”Everything is out of stock,” said Pardus branding director Li Weihai.
($1=6.96 yuan)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterReporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. .

EXCLUSIVE World Cup stadium stands will be alcohol free under Qatari curbs – source

EXCLUSIVE World Cup stadium stands will be alcohol free under Qatari curbs – source

DOHA, July 7 (Reuters) – Qatar’s World Cup stadium stands are set to be alcohol-free, with beer sales outside arenas only allowed before and after some matches, a source with knowledge of plans for the soccer tournament said.This year’s World Cup is the first to be held in a Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, presenting unique challenges for organisers of an event often associated with beer drinking fans and sponsored by global brewing brands.”At stadiums, the plans are still being finalised, but the current discussion is to allow fans to have beer upon arrival and when leaving stadium, but beer won’t be served during the match or inside the stadium bowl,” the source told Reuters.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterA document dated June 2 and seen by Reuters gives the first insight into how organisers plan to handle the demands of an estimated 1.2 million soccer fans, many of whom are used to drinking beer without limits on match days.Soccer’s relationship with booze has long been a tricky one and in the lead up to the 2014 World Cup, Brazil lifted a ban on alcohol at stadiums, after pressure from governing body FIFA.There has been a question mark over alcohol at this year’s tournament since the Gulf Arab state won hosting rights in 2010. While not a “dry” state like neighbouring Saudi Arabia, consuming alcohol in public places is illegal in Qatar.However, fans at November’s World Cup will also be able to buy beer during restricted times in certain parts of the main FIFA fan zone in the Al Bidda park in Doha, the Qatari capital.”Unlike previous World Cup fan zones, beer won’t be served all day long, but at restricted times,” the source added.Alcohol will also be available for 15,000 to 20,000 fans on a disused corner of the Doha Golf Club, some kilometres away from stadiums and the main fan zone, the document shows.In addition, a sandy plot surrounded by a 3 metre wall and located between the delivery entrance of a hotel and a district cooling plant will be transformed into a 10,000 capacity venue promising Techno music and alcohol, the document shows.A spokesperson for the organisers, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said that together with FIFA they will announce plans on the availability of alcohol at the 28-day tournament “in due course”.”Alcohol is already available in designated areas in Qatar, such as hotels and bars, and this will not change in 2022. With the aim of catering to visiting fans in 2022, alcohol will be available in additional designated areas during the tournament,” the spokesperson said.’FAMILY FRIENDLY’Although FIFA’s website advertises free flowing “beers, Champagne, sommelier-selected wines, and premium spirits” in stadium VIP hospitality suites, alcohol was not sold in stadiums in December during a test event for the World Cup.Visitors are prohibited from carrying alcohol into Qatar, even from airport duty free, and they cannot shop at the country’s only liquor store, on the outskirts of Doha, where foreign residents with permits can buy for home consumption.Alcohol can be bought by visitors to Qatar at a handful of licensed hotels and clubs, where a pint of beer can cost $18.The price of beer inside the fan zones and close to the stadium has not yet been agreed, the source said.Earlier this year, another source close to the discussions told Reuters that alcohol prices will be capped in the fan zones, pointing out that at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019 a pint of beer cost around five pounds ($6.55). read more Although the document anticipates “strong demand for international beverages”, it says the main party zone adjacent to FIFA’s fan festival will be alcohol-free, offering up to 70,000 fans a six kilometre “family friendly” street carnival.Rules about alcohol sales in soccer stadiums vary around the world. In England, alcohol is sold at stadium concourses, but fans cannot drink it in sight of the pitch while in France none is permitted on stadium grounds.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterReporting by Andrew Mills; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. .

DAZN introduces premium accounts, tightens device rules in Italy

DAZN introduces premium accounts, tightens device rules in Italy

Internet streaming service DAZN’s logo is pictured in its office in Tokyo, Japan March 21, 2017. Picture taken on March 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterMILAN, June 9 (Reuters) – Sport streaming app DAZN will introduce a premium subscription service and tighten rules on access to its services as it strives to boost revenue after a multi-billion euro deal to show top soccer games in the country.Backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, DAZN last year won the right to screen Serie A live matches in Italy for three seasons with a 2.5 billion euro ($2.7 billion) bid, in one of the largest deals for the video-streaming service in Europe.But the contract has proved challenging for DAZN, with the service experiencing technical outages at the start of last season while the company itself also complained about abuses of its password sharing policy and piracy.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterDAZN said under its new standard subscription, entailing a 29.99 euro monthly fee, access to its video app will be limited to two devices.Concurrent watching of the same live event will be allowed only if devices are connected to the IP address of the same household.DAZN also said it would also introduce a 39.99 euro premium subscription, called DAZN Plus, which would allow up to two devices connect to the same live event from any location.Premium subscribers would also be allowed to register up to six devices to the app.DAZN’s announcement comes when Italy’s biggest phone group Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) is also seeking to cut the cost of its 1 billion euros distribution deal with the sport streaming service.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterReporting by Elvira Pollina
Editing by Keith Weir and David Evans
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Audi Formula One deal with McLaren becoming unlikely -source

Audi Formula One deal with McLaren becoming unlikely -source

An Audi logo is pictured during the Volkswagen Group’s annual general meeting in Berlin, Germany, May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Axel SchmidtRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterHAMBURG, May 5 (Reuters) – An agreement for Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) premium brand Audi to join Formula One by investing in British luxury sports carmaker McLaren is becoming increasingly unlikely, a person familiar with the project told Reuters on Thursday.”The price expectations are too far apart,” the person said, adding that while the project had not yet failed, its prospects are now close to zero.Meanwhile, talks with Swiss-based Sauber, which runs the Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo team, and Williams are continuing, the person said. Both Audi and Volkswagen declined to comment.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterManager Magazin reported earlier on Thursday that talks with McLaren were close to failing after months of negotiations.Volkswagen has not previously been involved in Formula One but has worked with Red Bull, notably in the world rally championship.On Monday, VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess said that its Audi and Porsche brands would join Formula One, after convincing the German automaking group that the move would bring in more money than it would cost. read more A source had told Reuters in March that Audi was ready to offer around 500 million euros ($556.3 million) for McLaren as a means to enter.Williams and Aston Martin, both currently powered by Mercedes engines, have said they would be interested in future ties with Audi.”I think for any team who has not a manufacturer on his side, it’s super appealing to have this possibility,” Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack told reporters at last month’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.Williams team principal Jost Capito is a previous head of Volkswagen Motorsport.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegisterReporting by Jan Schwartz/Alan Baldwin in London; Writing by Maria Sheahan, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. .