Understanding the Chinese consumer in the 21st century

Summary

The attitudes of China’s burgeoning consumer society are shaping its development and place in the global economy. But which sectors, products and brands are winning over China’s consumers, and why?

Key areas

• Key trends in China’s consumer market
• Potential impact of these trends on the future direction of China’s growth as a consumer market
• Context surrounding China’s development as a consumer nation
• Specific attitudes that are critical in understanding the current generation of Chinese consumers
• Key take-outs for Western brands in China

Outline

Consumerism in China has come a long way since the initial market policies of the early 1980s. A whole generation has now been born into China’s burgeoning consumer society, and they are departing from the less commercial views of their parents. This generation is shaping China’s development – it is their attitudes and buying habits that will impact on how the West responds to, and works with, China’s growth.

In this event, Alison Hulme will outline some of the key trends in China’s consumer market: which sectors, products and brands (domestic or foreign) are winning, and why? She will examine the attitudes behind consumerism in 21st Century China; looking at, for example, generational differences in consumerism, the popularity of copycat goods and the reasons behind certain brand messaging successes and failures.