Middle-class Chinese give new consumer meaning to Christmas

By Hu Weijia Source:Global Times Published: 2019/12/24 21:43:34

File photo: Xinhua

The commercialization of Christmas in China is changing the way the holiday is celebrated.

As Christmas is upon us, many have been wondering whether the China-US trade war would cut Christmas orders received by Chinese manufacturers. Some statistics showed more than 80 percent of the world's Christmas-themed products are made in China. The Christmas holiday wouldn't be the same without affordable Chinese goods such as Christmas trees, ornaments and decorations. 

Although Christmas isn't an official holiday in China, the nation plays an important role in the holiday economy. Yiwu, a small city in East China's Zhejiang Province, may be the place with the strongest festival atmosphere as a major supplier of Christmas products for the US and Europe.

However, the idea of Christmas in China is constantly changing and nowadays Christmas is celebrated as not only an export spree but also a shopping festival. Most people in China do not celebrate Christmas as people do in the West. Many Chinese spend Christmas as a carnival, instead of a religious event. When Christmas comes to China, it is more like a festival that gives people an excuse for consumption and meeting with friends.

Some young couples in China see Christmas as a romantic holiday to buy and exchange gifts. In the world's second-largest economy, the younger generation represents a key segment of the consumer market. Young people's enthusiasm for the festival is likely to make Christmas a bright spot in consumption growth.

Some statistics showed China's young generation makes up more than 90 percent of the nation's internet users. They are more likely to choose e-commerce platforms when it comes to shopping, even for global luxury brands. Some of them purchase with the help of daigou, an army of informal traveling shopping agents who buy and ship goods to local customers. Every year as Black Friday approaches, posters for the shopping festival are posted on daigou sites to attract Chinese youth.

China's dominance in the global e-commerce sector is growing. With the development of e-commerce, a new generation of middle-class Chinese consumers may make Christmas a shopping spree starting from Black Friday.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn



Posted in: COLUMNISTS,BIZ FOCUS

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