In a rare public appearance last week, Fosun Group founder and billionaire Guo Guangchang teamed up with one of China’s biggest online marketing celebrities to tout luxury resort packages and masks from French fashion label Lanvin.
For the 53-year-old tycoon, the livestreaming act was part of a plan to tap a surge in e-commerce as the coronavirus pandemic locked down many parts of the world, and social distancing drove consumers to the virtual world. In China, retail sales at stores plunged 16% in the first four months of the year, while purchases online grew about 2%, according to official data.