Workers on the front line of China’s luxury goods and services market are protesting over wage arrears and lay-offs, amid a slowing economy, a war on graft, and changing trends which have seen more consumers buy high-end goods directly from abroad – including Britain.

A four-year corruption crackdown and a cooling of the Chinese economy continue to bite its luxury market, particularly top-end brands exposed to the high street, such as Britain’s Burberry.

The trend has forced many global retailers to change their strategies to lure a new generation of fashionable young Chinese consumers who prefer to purchase luxury global brands on cross-border e-commerce sites, rather than wait for it to be released in China.

Meanwhile, protests among workers at luxury cosmetic booths and a string of high-end stores, including two Calvin Klein outlets, have added to the woes of the luxury goods and services industry.