Last Updated on May 21, 2025
Chinese consumer habits are primarily shaped by a unique culture and an ever-evolving digital ecosystem. From how people shop online to the role local social media apps play in influencing purchasing decisions, these audiences often behave in a way that often surprises foreign brands.
Businesses with a deep understanding of these landscapes gain an advantage in China’s rapidly changing market.
Read along as we discuss the differences between Western and Chinese consumer habits and the latest customer segments worth noting.
Getting to Know Today’s Chinese Consumer Habits
The rapid expansion of social commerce primarily fuels online shopping trends in Mainland China. In 2023, local online retail sales hit ¥15.42 trillion (around $2.17 trillion). This maintained the country’s status as the world’s largest online retail market for the 11th straight year.
Online purchasing is so prevalent among Chinese people that more shopping transactions in Mainland China now happen online. By late 2023, online physical goods comprised 27.6% of retail sales.
Another notable Chinese consumer behavior is the cashless culture. Digital wallets like WeChat Pay and Alipay are integral to their everyday lives. These apps are used by approximately 95% of mobile internet users, which is over 900 million Chinese consumers.
This consumer behavior shows the market’s openness to new tech and builds rich data for digital marketing and loyalty programs that businesses can utilize for their campaigns.
Recent economic challenges also led Chinese consumers to adopt more cautious spending behaviors. Many are prioritizing value-driven purchases over discretionary spending.
This trend, often called “xiaofei jiangji” or “downgraded consumption,” reflects a shift towards important items over luxury goods.
Why is it important to note these spending habits?
While the country does offer ample business opportunities, even the most successful Western brands have a history of failing to capture some targeted consumer segments in China.
For example, Best Buy tried to import its big-box retail model only to discover that Chinese shoppers strongly preferred domestic brands with aggressive pricing and more personalized service. They failed to adapt to local shopping habits and withdrew from China in 2011.
Source: China Daily
Similarly, eBay lost out to Alibaba’s Taobao after neglecting Chinese preferences for free listings, instant messaging with sellers, and e-wallet payment options.
These examples highlight that success in China requires aligning with local consumer behavior, not assuming local shoppers behave like their Western counterparts.
5 Differences Between Western and Chinese Consumer Behavior
1. Community Influence vs. Individual Decision-Making
Consumers from the West (particularly in the U.S. or Europe) often pride themselves on individual choice when it comes to where they dedicate their online purchasing power.
Meanwhile, the Chinese population is far more community-driven in their online shopping transactions. Their peer circles (family, friends, classmates, colleagues, co-consumers) play a key role in their purchasing decisions.
It’s common for Chinese shoppers to seek opinions from WeChat groups, forums like Zhihu, or follow what their peers post on social platforms.
An example of personalized WeChat Groups for Chinese Consumers
In the Middle Kingdom, a popular saying among young shoppers is “种草” (zhòng cǎo), meaning “planting the seed (of desire).” This refers to how seeing others’ posts can inspire one’s own purchases.
Around 75% of Chinese internet users post online feedback on purchases at least once a month, compared to less than 20% of customers from the U.S. If you ask our team, that’s a considerable gap in engagement.
It’s evident that China’s consumer confidence often relies on social proof. This makes influencer and word-of-mouth marketing important factors to consider when engaging with local online shoppers.
2. Seamless Omnichannel Experiences
Another difference between Western and Chinese consumers is how online and offline shopping blend together.
In the West, many consumers still treat e-commerce and physical retail as separate entities. You might go to the mall for some things and shop on brand websites or Amazon for others.
In fact, according to a 2021 case study, around 72% of European consumers still shop in physical stores.
In China, consumers expect a digitally integrated product discovery and purchasing journey. It’s common to use a phone for everything while shopping: searching for low prices, conducting mobile payments, sharing what they buy, and even AR try-on or virtual fitting rooms powered by e-commerce giants.
AI-enabled virtual fitting rooms on Taobao (Source: Jing Daily)
3. Openness to New Brands
When it comes to brand preferences, Western consumers have historically shown more brand loyalty in many categories. An American or European shopper might stick with a favorite toothpaste, cereal, or luxury fashion brand for years, unless given a strong incentive to switch.
In China, consumers are comparatively less loyal and more willing to experiment with new brands, especially in the age of e-commerce platforms.
There are a few reasons behind this. First, the Chinese market has been flooded with new products (both domestic and foreign brands) in the past decades, so consumers are accustomed to trying different options.
11.11 Festival Promotions on Douyin
Second, frequent promotions and flash sales during public holidays or festivals (e.g., Singles Day 11/11, Chinese New Year, and more) encourage shoppers to explore alternatives to their usual brands if the deal is attractive.
This means new entrants, including foreign brands, have a fighting chance to win over Chinese customers, as long as they can create buzz and offer perceived value.
4. Customer Service Expectations
The Chinese population generally expects a high-touch, personalized service experience, whether online or in-store. In fact, local e-commerce platforms excel in real-time customer service with instant chat support.
Chinese shoppers frequently message sellers to ask detailed questions about material, sizing, shipping, etc. This is partly because of trust issues (concerns about counterfeit goods mean buyers want extra assurance), and partly because it’s expected.
In the West, while online chat support exists, it’s not universally offered by every small e-store, and customers typically rely on product descriptions or reviews rather than contacting a seller directly for more info.
5. Marketplaces and Super-Apps vs. Brand-Centric Shopping
The pathways internet users can take to find and buy products also shape the differences between Western and Chinese consumer habits.
In the West, e-commerce often revolves around brand-specific websites (e.g., going directly to Nike.com for shoes) or a handful of large marketplaces like Amazon. Many foreign merchants cultivate their stand-alone online stores (brand.com) and invest in SEO or ads to draw shoppers to those sites.
On the contrary, roughly 90% of e-commerce in China is conducted on multi-brand platforms like Tmall, Taobao, JD.com, Pinduoduo, etc., rather than individual brand sites.
Most Notable and Latest Consumer Profiles in Mainland China
Elderly Consumers
In recent years, the growth of spending and consumption patterns among older age groups has become glaringly obvious.
Today’s Chinese elderly are increasingly tech-aware, active, and ready to spend. Over 280 million internet users in China are aged 60+, accounting for more than 10% of the country’s online population.
Source: China Briefing
On platforms like JD.com, the spending from seniors is increasing rapidly, with the e-commerce giant reporting a 238% uptick in purchases from this segment since 2019. Their strong purchasing power is also more directed to leisure and travel compared to other generations.
Experience-Driven Gen Zers
As online shoppers who grew up in the world of social media and e-commerce, these young people seek unique and personalized offerings.
China’s younger generation is often described as open-minded and experience-hungry impulse buyers. Unlike their parents or grandparents, who may have prioritized saving, this new wave of consumers prioritizes living in the moment and enjoying life’s pleasures.
One study found that 47% of China’s Gen Z consumers say they buy products on the go without much planning. It’s a notably higher rate than even Chinese millennials or Gen Z people in other countries.
Source: McKinsey & Company
Gen Zers in China are experience-driven, meaning they often value experiences and emotional satisfaction over purely material ownership. This doesn’t mean they don’t buy things. They do.
However, motivation to spend their disposable income is usually tied to hobbies, social status among peers, or just having fun rather than long-term utility.
Family Travel Planners
They are consumers (often parents in their late 20s to 40s, sometimes adult children planning for elders) who coordinate and spend on family trips and vacations. In China, family-oriented travel has become a huge segment as living standards have improved and travel restrictions have eased.
It’s common for Chinese households to take trips together during school holidays or the Chinese New Year break. Because of this, these outbound tourists often plan ahead. They secure group tour packages or independent itineraries, sometimes months in advance, to get the best options.
Those consumers planning family trips heavily utilize digital resources. They consult online travel agencies (OTAs) like Ctrip (Trip.com), Fliggy, Qunar, etc., which provide one-stop platforms for booking flights, hotels, attraction tickets, and sometimes even visas.
Many join travel forums or WeChat groups to ask about destinations and share tips with other outbound tourists. The “planner” in the family might follow travel bloggers or family influencers as part of their travel planning journey.
Brand-Conscious Millennials
Unlike before, Chinese millennials no longer seek luxury brands to showcase their status or professional standing.
These days, this consumer segment puts more weight on the value of their purchases in their everyday lives, making them more keen on buying high-quality products or services. They also pursue brands that fit their lifestyle and aspirations.
More importantly, Chinese millennials have achieved relatively high purchasing power as a consumer group. They hold one of the highest average annual disposable household incomes, often benefiting from dual-income households.
High-Income Baby Boomers
These are individuals or households, often in their late 50s to 70s now, who accumulated significant wealth during China’s economic rise. They might be retired executives, successful entrepreneurs, or professionals. As a result, they have high spending power and, finally, the time to enjoy it.
It’s not uncommon for wealthy Chinese retirees to take multiple overseas trips a year. On top of that, it’s also noted that 63% of baby boomers in China intend to spend more on fitness and wellness, far higher than younger groups.
Affluent Female Shoppers
Female consumers often make most of the spending decisions in modern Chinese households. They usually hail from high-tier cities, are educated, and have ongoing careers. The segment’s growth has fueled what’s popularly known today as the “She Economy.”
In this segment, there’s also a rise in single, financially independent women who spend on themselves without traditional family pressures. It’s among the factors why some channel their disposable income into high-end hobbies, luxury travel, pet care, and other industries.
As more Chinese women attain higher education and high-paying jobs (women now often outnumber men in college graduation rates), their financial independence grows.
Your Trusted Digital Marketing Partner in the Chinese Market!
The changes in Chinese consumer habits depend on varying factors, from the segmented audience groups to the ever-changing digital landscape. These consumption patterns are also not static, so it’s important to keep a close eye on them if you want to create campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
You may also want to read:
At Sekkei Digital Group, our team has the relevant industry experience and expertise to help your business build a digital presence in China’s digital ecosystem. With our data-driven insights and strategies, we can map your path to growth in the local market.
Whether you want to expand your audience reach or engage with your existing customers, we have all the digital solutions you need. Contact us today, and let’s start working together!
