Having studied Chinese language, society and history at the University of Leeds, Matthew Crabbe has since turned an academic interest in China into a career. As co-founder of research company Access Asia, Matthew has worked exhaustively on trying to make sense of the myriad contradictions in China's economics and statistics on the consumer markets there.

Matthew takes a particular interest in the human story behind the rapid growth in China's economy, and how such breakneck change is having an effect on its people, their lifestyles, society and communities. Having travelled to China regularly since the late 1980s, Matthew has seen this change first hand, and has attempted to document these changes within his research work with Access Asia. 

As well co-authoring the 1998 book One Billion Shoppers: Accessing Asia’s Consuming Passions (Nicholas Brealey Publishing) with Paul French, Crabbe has written published reports on Women in China: Women Consumers and Lifestyle Trends (2007, Access Asia) and Kids in China: Children Consumers and Lifestyle Trends (2007, Access Asia).