Mark Dolliver: China's Limit?

It’s heretical to suggest that China’s consumer-goods boom could abate. A Gallup report, though, points to reasons why it could get less intense. In part, the buying spree of recent years already has satisfied much consumer demand. One example: Even in rural China, 88 percent of homes owned a color TV as of last year. As importantly, Gallup finds that lots of Chinese consumers simply don’t want—or don’t care to spend the money it would take—to buy some big-ticket items (see the chart).