- Kristopher Fraser
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Amidst growing anti-government protests in Hong Kong, China has banned bulk
orders of black clothing and other items popularly used by protesters. The
news was reported by Reuters.
Customer services staff at some of China’s major couriers, including STO
Express, ZTO Express and YTO Express, told Reuters that the bans were put
in place this past August. Single pieces of black clothing can still be
sent, but shipments of more than five pieces are not allowed.
Black clothing and maks are signature trademarks of the Hong Kong
protesters, 2300 of whom have been arrested since March. Many Hong Kong
citizens are furious over what they see as Beijing’s increasing control on
Hong Kong, which was promised 50 years of freedom not extended to the
mainland when Britain returned the city to China.
Beijing blames western democracies for helping to incite the protests, and
Chinese President Xi Jinpeng has made it clear he will thwart the
protesters efforts at all costs. Surprisingly most retailers seem
unaffected by it. Retail workers at brands, including H&M and Uniqlo, said
they hadn’t heard of such a ban and they were still fine to wear black
clothing on the sales floor at their respective stores.
In addition to black clothing, bulk orders of umbrellas, sticks, and masks
are also banned. In general the protests have caused many brands to pull
back on their expansion plans in China, which could cripple growth for some
companies as the Asian market is seen as a key target for retail growth. In
August, New York-based investment bank Cowen & Co. said that brands could
see sales decline between 10 percent and 60 percent if protests continue in
Hong Kong until the end of the year.
