The North Lags Three Years Behind the South

Take Tongliao beef jerky, for instance—a textbook case. Is it a good product? Can it sell? Yes. But can it capture the market? No. Why? Outdated thinking leaves no room for first-mover advantage. There’s an industry but no industrial chain; there are products but no pricing power. That’s a chronic ailment across northern China.

Big Tech Descends: The North-South Divide and E-Commerce Ecosystem Reflected by a Small Northern Town | ERN Deep Dive