Welcome to the 92nd edition of our Newsletter EdGenie's 📜 Sunday Scroll...

Every Sunday I send out actionable tips, tricks and real-world application insights from my 15 year experience coaching students to achieve As and A*s in their Economics A Levels via EdGenie.

Hey Genies,
I genuinely believe you can achieve an A* in A-level Economics.

And here's exactly why:If you're in Year 12, heading into Year 13, you have your mocks coming up in October.

That feels like ages away, right?

But let me break it down:

That's around 90 days from now.

90 days to catch up on any content you've missed.

90 days to truly understand the tricky topics and build momentum.

90 days to practise exam questions, get feedback, and actually get better.

The difference between the student who does the work this summer and one who waits is huge:

✅ Student A (who starts now)

• Uses these 90 days wisely, does a bit each week, and improves steadily.
• Goes into mocks confident, and nails the grades they want.
• Gets great predicted grades, boosting their chances at their dream uni.
• Enjoys Year 13 without the constant anxiety of catching up.

❌ Student B (who waits)

• Waits until September to start properly, feels overwhelmed, stressed, and rushed.
• Doesn't perform well in mocks, receives lower predicted grades.
• Limits their options for uni courses and feels stressed for the entirety of Year 13.
• Constantly playing catch-up rather than progressing confidently.
  
  

Right now, you're in the perfect position to choose which student you want to be.

You can absolutely get that A/A*.It's about doing small things consistently, but with a clear purpose.

At EdGenie, I show students exactly how to use their summer effectively.

With personalised guidance, detailed feedback, and exam technique support, you won’t waste a single second.Ready to make these 90 days count?

Join EdGenie and let's secure your A* together—starting now, not later.I believe in you.Let’s get going!Emre

🧸 Labubu Mania

• Pop Mart’s Labubu dolls, sold in surprise “blind boxes,” are wildly popular — some reselling for up to $150,000.
• Celebrities like David Beckham and Rihanna are fans, fuelling global hype.

📈 Booming Business

• Pop Mart’s shares have surged 180% in 2025, symbolising the rise of homegrown Chinese consumer brands.

💅 Local is the New Luxury

• Chinese shoppers, once loyal to foreign brands, are turning to local luxury, make-up, and drinks.
• Domestic brands are thriving both at home and abroad.

💸 Frugal but Fancy

• Slower economic growth is making consumers more price-sensitive, pushing them toward affordable, quality local brands.
• Brands like Luckin Coffee and Laopu Gold offer cheaper yet attractive alternatives to Starbucks and Tiffany.

💖 Cultural Connection

• Local firms succeed by flaunting their Chinese identity — with designs and messages that resonate culturally.
• Shoppers no longer favour products just because they’re foreign.

🧠 Smarter Shoppers

• Social media is helping consumers make informed choices, spotting identical ingredients and better value in local cosmetics.
• This reduces information asymmetry and increases competition.

💄 Cosmetics Revolution

• Mao Geping, a Chinese make-up brand, has entered China’s top 10 high-end cosmetics list, challenging global giants.

🏙️ Small Cities, Big Gains

• Many rising brands began in inland or smaller cities, avoiding saturated coastal markets.
• Spending in towns under 1 million people grew 5.5%, while it fell in big cities.

🏨 Hotels Go Local

• Hotel chain H World plans most expansion in third- and fourth-tier cities, where foreign rivals are weaker.
• Its occupancy rate is over 80%, beating chains like Marriott.

🌍 Going Global

• Brands like Mixue and Chagee are expanding rapidly overseas, with hundreds of international stores planned by 2027.
• Global buzz is boosting local popularity, reversing the old trend of Western brand dominance in China.

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Q. Define the term “non-price competition” and explain how Pop Mart uses it in its marketing of Labubu dolls.
A. Non-price competition refers to strategies used by firms to increase market share and brand loyalty without lowering prices, such as through product differentiation, branding, and marketing. Pop Mart’s Labubu dolls are sold in “blind boxes” that create suspense and emotional engagement, appealing to consumers’ desire for collectability. Limited edition releases and celebrity endorsements (e.g. David Beckham, Rihanna) enhance brand value and consumer perception, increasing demand at a given price level. This allows Pop Mart to sell at premium prices while still expanding sales, thereby avoiding price wars and maintaining profit margins in a monopolistic market structure.

Q. Using a supply and demand diagram, show how increased global demand for Labubu dolls could affect their equilibrium price.
A. An outward shift in the demand curve for Labubu dolls—due to rising global interest and social media hype—raises the equilibrium price and quantity. At the original price, excess demand emerges, causing upward pressure on prices. In the diagram, demand shifts from D1 to D2, leading to a movement along the supply curve from point A to point B. If supply is inelastic in the short run (as production cannot scale quickly), the price increase will be more significant. This reflects the Veblen effect, where exclusivity and high price further boost desirability, reinforcing the upward pressure on prices.

Q. Explain two reasons why domestic Chinese brands such as Laopu Gold are becoming more attractive to consumers than foreign competitors.
A. Firstly, local brands offer better value for money, combining quality with lower prices, appealing to increasingly price-sensitive consumers amid weak household spending. Secondly, they emphasise cultural resonance and national identity, which many foreign brands lack. Laopu Gold incorporates traditional Chinese design in its luxury jewellery, aligning with consumer preferences for authenticity. This form of product differentiation strengthens brand loyalty and allows local firms to compete in segments traditionally dominated by imported goods. Additionally, advances in information access via social media have allowed consumers to evaluate local alternatives more critically and favourably.

Q. Analyse how better-informed consumers in China are reducing the information gap in cosmetics and other markets.
A. Better-informed consumers reduce asymmetric information, a common cause of market failure, by using platforms like social media to research ingredients and compare brands. Chinese buyers now identify domestic cosmetics with identical active ingredients to foreign brands but at lower prices, challenging the former price premiums of imported products. This shift improves market efficiency as prices better reflect actual product quality. It also increases competition, incentivising foreign firms to adjust pricing or product offerings. As information flows become more symmetrical, consumer surplus rises, and allocative efficiency improves, especially in high-margin industries like luxury skincare.
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​Q. Explain why the rise of domestic brands such as Chagee and Mixue might indicate a shift in China’s comparative advantage.
A. Comparative advantage occurs when a country can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than others. Traditionally, China’s advantage lay in low-cost manufacturing. However, the success of domestic consumer brands like Chagee and Mixue in design, marketing, and cultural branding suggests a move toward value-added, consumer-facing sectors. These firms leverage insights into local tastes and cost efficiencies to compete globally, particularly in food, beverage, and fashion segments. The expansion of these brands overseas indicates China is developing a comparative advantage in service-based and branded consumer products, reflecting a structural transformation in its economy.

If you or your child are looking to Boost your A level Economics Grades in under 30 days, I'd recommend starting with an all-in-one support network where you get 24/7 access to a SuperTutor:

→ Join EdGenie 🧞‍♂️: Transform your A-Level Economics essays and exam marks (genuinely) with our comprehensive on-demand learning platform. This carefully curated course blends engaging content with effective exam techniques, the same ones that have empowered over 1,000 of my students to achieve an A or A* over the last 13 years.