China Chat with WPP: China’s New Consumers

UK time:

30/06/2026 16:00 - 30/06/2026 18:30

Venue address: WPP, Sea Containers House, 18 Upper Ground, London SE1 9GL

China’s consumer market has become more selective, segmented and strategically complex. Today’s Chinese consumers are more rational in their spending, more confident in their cultural identity, and increasingly demanding when it comes to proof, value and relevance.

At the same time, Chinese consumers are no longer confined to mainland China. Through global travel, cross-border e-commerce and digital ecosystems, they are engaging with brands across international markets. For UK and global businesses, the strategic question is no longer simply how to “enter China”, but how to attract and serve Chinese consumers wherever they are.

This event will focus on China’s New Consumers: What Has Changed and How to Win Them Globally.

The evening will begin with a fireside conversation with David Roth (CEO, The Store – WPP, Chairman BAV), moderated by Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, CBBC, with additional panellists to be confirmed. Together, they will discuss which consumer segments are emerging as new priorities, how brands can better understand these audiences, and what strategies are required to reach and engage them effectively.

Agenda:

16:00 – 16:30 | Arrival and registration
16:30 – 17:15 | Fireside conversation
17:15 – 18:30 | Drinks and networking on the WPP balcony

Fees:

Free for CBBC Members
£80+VAT for Non-members

Registration:

Members

Non-Members

Speakers:

David Roth, CEO, The Store – WPP, Chairman BAV

David started his career at the UK House of Commons working for a member of Parliament. He swapped politics for the cut and thrust of advertising then Kingfisher’s B&Q, before joining WPP. David was on the management team that led B&Q’s international expansion to Eastern Europe & Asia including China. David is an acknowledged expert in branding and consumer change in China. He is a leading authority on digital, Artificial Intelligence and Voice in retail, and has authored several books including: “The Thoughts of Chairmen Now: Wisdom and Insights from China’s Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs”; “The China Dream”;, "Dates with Destiny- Understanding China's Shopping Festivals". David is the creator and narrator of a documentary film on Alibaba “ Open Sesame - the Birth and Rise of Alibaba”

David broadcasts and lectures around the world including BBC, CCTV China, CNBC, Davos the World Economic Forum, Yale, CKGSB and Cambridge Universities. David sits on the board of China-Britain Business Council.

Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, CBBC

Antoaneta Becker is a China market strategist with more than two decades of experience living and working in China, helping international brands understand not only how China’s consumer market functions, but why it changes so quickly. Her work sits at the intersection of commerce, culture, and consumer behaviour, with particular expertise across luxury, beauty, fashion, food, and lifestyle sectors.

Most recently, as Director of Consumer Economy at the China-Britain Business Council, she advised British companies on market entry and growth strategies in China during a period of profound transformation in Chinese consumption, retail, and digital ecosystems.

Before joining CBBC, Antoaneta spent a decade in Beijing as a journalist and analyst for organizations including the Economist Intelligence Unit and USA Today. Reporting from China during the country’s defining growth years, she covered the structural shifts that reshaped the economy and society - from state-owned enterprise reform and free trade zones to the emergence of China’s digital economy and consumer class.

Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Antoaneta brings a rare combination of on-the-ground experience, analytical depth, and long-term perspective on China’s evolving relationship with global brands and consumers. She holds degrees in Chinese Language and Literature and Chinese Contemporary Literature and Film from Peking University.

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China Chat with WPP: China’s New Consumers