Originally Posted by
Condition One
While walking around China, I've noticed premium Chinese cigarette brands selling for up to 150RMB. Brands like Huangelou, Furongwang, Zhonhua, and Panda. Why do these sell at a massive premium compared to say, European brands such as Dunhills or Davidoffs? Now I'm curious to buy a pack to try them out
For one, those European brands are probably fake. (This isn't such a compelling argument, in light of the fact that fake Chinese cigarettes are also incredibly common.)
Second, people who buy Lamborghinis just to show off also have a penchant for displaying their disregard for money in all aspects of life... they really are a marketer's dream.
Third, the SOE execs that order them to be planted at banquets don't give a rat's behind what they cost because they don't have to pay for them.
On a related note, there is a store in the Kerry Centre basement that sells Deng Xiaoping's favorite Pandas (produced 20+ years ago) at a cost of y3,000 per carton. I asked one of the sales girls about this insanity a while back, and she told me that they sell quite well. To each, his own.