Hypermarkets have been hugely popular in China; from next to nothing in 1997, there are now 2,400 of them. But the low-hanging fruit has been picked. Not only is the competition tightening, but retail dynamics are changing.

Internet-enabled television could be third in the “smart” procession, following smartphones and tablets. But can current technology deliver? And are customers even interested?

Mexico consumers are conflicted. On the one hand, only 16 percent of those surveyed by McKinsey believed that they were doing better economically; on the other, 48 percent are optimistic about the future.

How well do you understand America's young consumers? Could you describe how they communicate, with what devices? These are half-trillion dollar questions—and McKinsey’s iConsumer can help to answer them.

For multinational corporations, the emerging-markets middle class is a promising frontier. But they will need to develop a nuanced understanding to reach these consumers.

Why and how banks should be investing in emerging markets.

Consumers expect their banks to give them what they want—even when they don't know what they want.

The China business and finance editor for the Economist has written a book about innovation, Need, Speed, and Greed. Vaitheeswaran answers five questions on consumer innovation.

The strains of the current retail bank model are showing themselves, in the form of rising costs and falling loyalty. McKinsey asked 20,000 consumers in 13 countries about what they wanted. Here is what we found.

Who are Brazil's online shoppers? And how do they use the Internet? McKinsey asked thousands of Brazilians those questions. Here are the answers.

Consumer companies know China is important. To succeed there, though, they need to understand the economic and social changes that are redefining the way that Chinese consumers spend.

Rising incomes and increasingly sophisticated consumers could open the door to more mobile postpaid offerings for operators with the right strategies.

Many European retailers want to replicate the successful models applied by discount stores, but the results are mixed. Here is how to get it right.

Buying something is not just a destination; it is a journey of many steps.

The dynamics of China’s mobile phone market are changing, in particular the way that people buy their handsets. Who are the likely winners? And losers?

McKinsey takes a keen interest in the luxury market. Here is a sampling of some our most recent in-depth research on the subject.

McKinsey estimates that about 3 million Brazilians can afford luxury goods. Here is how to reach this ambitious and surprisingly youthful market.

Europe is in crisis; the US is in the doldrums; China is worried about a property bubble; India has hit a rough patch. But Brazil is thriving. In the first of two articles on Latin America's largest economy, we look at what makes the middle class tick.

Over the next 10 years, consumer spending in emerging markets is expected to grow three times faster than in developed nations, reaching a total of $6 trillion by 2020. Consumer-goods companies must understand and address these changing patterns of —by both geography and category This report suggests how.

Mobile usage in new markets has been associated with the pay-as-you-go (or “pre-paid”) model. As incomes rise and prices fall, consumers are likely to shift to the contract (or “post-paid”) model. Here's what companies need to know to make the shift work to their advantage.

Asian banking consumers are changing the way they do their business. Here's how banks can adapt.

Brazil pharmacy retailers have every reason to be optimistic, with strong growth and a surging economy. But there will also be a shakeout. The winners will be those who adapt to three key trends.

American consumers have been using coupons with new enthusiasm. But is this a good thing for companies?

Digital, big data, ethnicity, polarization and other trends that are shaping the US retail landscape.

Economic growth is lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. Will players in telecoms, media, and high tech be prepared to meet their demands?

Once dominated by open-air markets and department stores, Russia’s apparel market now features upscale global boutiques. Foreign players will find the market fraught with considerable, but manageable, peril.

The rush to serve India’s growing middle class has concentrated on the cities—but there’s rupees to be made in rural areas too.

Asian markets will drive growth in the global insurance industry. How can insurers make the most of this chance?

Companies that make the deep strategic, organizational, and operational shifts required can accelerate revenue growth.

Companies invest enormous money and effort to create new products and services. Too often, though, they have a serious flaw: Consumers don't want them.

What makes Chinese consumers tick? What are they worrying about? How will burgeoning inflation shape their behavior? See the answers to these questions and more in McKinsey's most recent in-depth survey of Chinese shoppers.

Consumer behavior is likely to transform the European residential energy market in the next decade. How can companies adapt?

In the first of five articles drawn from exclusive research, McKinsey details how consumers spend their tech time.

Changing consumer preferences and the need for speed are complicating the apparel business along the entire value chain.  Here's how to deal with the most important challenges.

Spurred by the spread of the Internet, mobile technology and social networks, global digital tribes are forming. Marketers who ignore the phenomenon will lose out.

China's rising middle class loves to shop. But it is also going in for less conspicuous consumption, in the form of financial products.

This year's Luxury Consumer Survey addresses three key questions: Can South Korea keep it up? What’s changing? And what do these trends mean for the players in the luxury industry?

The CEO of Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo, Daniel Servitje, reflects on the growth path of one of the world’s biggest packaged goods companies.

Everyone's opening app stores—but only a few are succeeding at it. Here's what you need to know to crack the code.

Some branded apps have generated real user buzz. Here’s a few secrets as to how they did it.

Is mobile banking the wave of the retail future, or just hype? Where should banks place their bets?

Hammered by recession and still uncertain about the economy, consumers are getting pickier. Just look at auto insurance.

Although they were rocked by the Tohoku earthquake, Japan's luxury consumers are back shopping—but with caution.

Christophe Lorvo, general manager of the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, answers questions about the global hotel business—and how to keep going after an earthquake.

New findings show how large and small companies grow—and reveal the startling performance of emerging-market players.

McKinsey's in-depth annual report on the Chinese luxury market reveals two major trends: There are more luxury consumers, and they are more sophisticated.

The Russian economy turned the corner in 2010. Will consumers get back to spending on themselves?

Should consumer-goods companies be going into Brazil? Or expanding there? Or waiting-and-seeing?

With several years of sustained, broad-based growth behind it, Africa is becoming an important market. Here are the most important trends shaping the African consumer sector.