Marketing research in China during the 40-year reform and opening up

China’s reform and opening up policy initiated by the then leader Deng Xiaoping have undergone a 40-year process since 1978. This period was marked by one of the greatest economic reforms in modern history. In this study, we extract literature focused on the Chinese marketization context and marketing practices published in top-tier international marketing journals and Chinese management journals between 1978 and 2018. This study identifies the research questions and research domains investigated in our selected literature. The authors hope to reveal the general landscape and evolution made in the context of this unique period in Chinese history. This thematically focused literature review provides marketing scholars with a snapshot of the academic marketing research in China and gives rise to novel research directions related to the deepening of the economic reform.