Yum China Outsmarts Slowing Economy with Emotional Hooks and Low Prices

Yum China is outsmarting a slowing economy in China with a strategy that focuses on emotional hooks and low prices. CEO Joey Wat credits the resilience to a strategy anchored in affordable but meaningful products and services, such as spicy chicken burgers and Lunar New Year coffee collabs. The company is also automating faster than expected, using AI to screen and hire part-timers and scout store locations. Wat is focusing on second-tier cities and prioritizing employee satisfaction, offering full family health insurance to managers.