Posts

Showing posts from September, 2025

Drama and Should I Go?

Image
Greetings from Yiwu, China Where the temperature has fallen to around 30c much more comfortable.. I was telling you about the heat (40c plus) in last week's news and much more.. if you missed it  you can catch up here. This week we have been running every day. Tomas, Coco and me.. running round our suppliers making things happen at pace as only they can in China - and especially in Yiwu. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!  It's a Yiwu state of mind...I'm sure there should be a hip-hop song about it. Yiwu City - you can make it here. Actually, you can make almost anything here. Correction. Re - Tax on candles.. Slight correction on last week's newsletter .. where I mentioned: we just got news that the EU and the UK are imposing (Trump like) tariffs on candles of 75% from this month... well, the UK is  not imposing  this (so far) just the EU.. I understand that the EU is trying to protect candle manufacturers from cheap Chinese imports.. but h...

David's AW News: In China

Image
Greetings from Yiwu in China Hope you are doing well and ready for the week. It's very hot here, as hot as I can ever remember being.. Last week I was telling you about life in Bali and how a BBC journalist called me around midnight (Bali time) from the UK.. if you missed it and want to find out why you can catch up here . On Sunday evening Bondhan (Our man in Indonesia) drove me to the airport, my time here seemed far too short and lots of jobs not really finished.. but anyway, I had a night flight to Guangzhou, China, to catch. Bali airport these days is super efficient, and like a dream to drift through, everyone is so kind and thoughtful even the security and passport control.. Bought some last-minute gifts, a glass of wine in the lounge and then ambled to the gate to board a China Southern night flight to Guangzhou. On board, there are only a few business class seats, so get very fussed over.. more wine and more food than I can eat. Really delightful, friendly servi...

David's AW News: The BBC called me in Bali

Image
Greetings from Bali, Indonesia August Bank holiday is behind us.. and it's September.. Soon I will be moving on.. but it's been nice to be back in Bali even if just for a short time. Last week I was telling you about Indonesia's 80th Independence Day.. and the very special way they celebrate this here . If you missed it, you can catch up here . Quite big news.. I took a phone call from an unidentified UK number last week, around midnight Bali time. I thought it was the usual scam call... But it was a journalist from the BBC. They had seen our endless rant about Temu and Shein undermining British Retailers. Finally getting attention.. I chatted with the friendly guy and gave our point of view. Later, he contacted Katka in the UK, and a week later, this article came out...You can read it here .. I'm really hoping that Keith Starmer will finally take action and take this massive loophole down. A Cool Wave. This week it has been strangely cool in Bali.. while UK, ...