MONEY MASTER

While much of China battles deflation and sluggish consumer confidence,  JD.com Inc  just proved that  shoppers aren’t entirely holding back . During this year’s  Singles’ Day shopping festival , JD.com reported a  near 60% jump in orders  and a  40% surge in shoppers , hitting a new record for the world’s largest online shopping event. Even though the company didn’t reveal total transaction value, the scale of growth stands out against a backdrop of economic weakness and price declines — signaling that  strategic discounting and government subsidies  may still be able to reignite short-term spending momentum. Key Takeaways for Readers 1. Record growth despite deflation — consumer demand still alive. China’s overall price environment remains soft, but JD.com’s strong Singles’ Day performance shows  consumers are selectively spending  — especially when it comes to electronics and deals. Persistent deflation has made shoppers cautious...

  Indonesia's consumer prices have risen at their slowest rate in nearly three years, prompting speculation that the central bank may consider further easing measures this month. This decline is attributed to falling food and fuel costs, along with concerns about weak consumer demand. According to the statistics office, inflation rose 1.84% in September compared to a year earlier, marking the lowest headline figure since November 2021 and falling short of the median forecast of 2% from a Bloomberg survey of economists. Deflationary Trends and Supply-Side Influences On a monthly basis, the consumer price index decreased by 0.12% , extending Indonesia’s streak of monthly deflation since May—the longest such period since 1999 , as reported by the statistics agency. The monthly deflation is primarily driven by supply-side factors, as the harvest season has led to an abundance of commodities such as chili and tomatoes. Additionally, prices of non-subsidized fuels, poultry, and school ...