
Amid the intense competition, Chinese bike-sharing giants Mobike and Ofo have both come up with new ways to draw attention, but a designer raincoat and a minion-themed bike turned out to be less effective than planned.

Mobike announced on July 4 that it would start selling Mobike raincoats, which were designed by independent designer brand exciTING. The raincoat included roomy space for a backpack and a reflective strip. But the $40 price tag was not warmly received by Mobike users. Many criticized the raincoat for its lack of features and for costing several times more than the average raincoat, and few people would need the raincoat anyway, since most avoid riding a rainy day.
Meanwhile, Ofo has launched “Minion Ofo” in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities. The yellow-colored bikes are decorated to look like a minion and have several minion figures on their handlebars. The front of the bike has two big minion eyes. The bike-sharing app also uses banana icons to mark out the location of each bike.

While many "Despicable Me" movie fans like the all-yellow-bikes, others said the company should focus that same level of attention on making the bikes easier to ride.
This is believed to be the latest form of competition between the two bike-sharing giants, which are fighting for dominance in the Chinese market. Both companies have also extended their battle to overseas markets.
Fire brigade in Shanghai holds group wedding
Tourists enjoy ice sculptures in Datan Town, north China
Sunset scenery of Dayan Pagoda in Xi'an
Tourists have fun at scenic spot in Nanlong Town, NW China
Harbin attracts tourists by making best use of ice in winter
In pics: FIS Alpine Ski Women's World Cup Slalom
Black-necked cranes rest at reservoir in Lhunzhub County, Lhasa
China's FAST telescope will be available to foreign scientists in April
"She power" plays indispensable role in poverty alleviation
Top 10 world news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 China news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 media buzzwords of 2020
Year-ender:10 major tourism stories of 2020
No interference in Venezuelan issues
Biz prepares for trade spat
Broadcasting Continent
Australia wins Chinese CEOs as US loses