Ups and downs of international brands point way, teach lessons

On the night before International Women's Day, two events were staged on Shanghai's shopping street, Huaihai Road. I was amazed by the enthusiasm and number of people cramming the two stores.

Although only several hundred VIP customers were invited to the pre-sale of US lingerie brand Victoria's Secret's first flagship store in China, the hustle and bustle there attracted a big crowd of passers-by.

Just two blocks away, British retailer Marks and Spencer was offering final sale discounts to shoppers, drawing a big throng of people to selected goods, who queued eagerly to pay.