The sales of yoga and dance-related products have increased at a remarkable rate in recent months, according to a new trends report released by JD’s Consumption and Industry Development Institute. Yoga stretchers, yoga shoes, dance shoes, yoga balls, and yoga bags all had a year-over-year growth of 868 percent, 816 percent, 700 percent, 110 percent, and 104 percent, respectively.
In addition to yoga and dance, the report also noted that the most popular sports activities for JD’s consumers in the past month include ball-related games, fishing, fitness training, and cycling.
The following are some of the report’s primary takeaways:
Ball products and specialized training products
According to the data, badminton, basketball, and table tennis-related products were among the top three sports categories in terms of turnover, possibly because ball sports have a significant social dimension. People can make friends while playing and exercising. At the same time, specialist training devices, such as equipment for strengthening the abdomen and leg muscles and developing arm strength, are quite popular.
Exercising at home has become a popular approach to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Consumers prefer to exercise at home, which is why exercise equipment, yoga and dance equipment, and other similar items are in high demand. Additionally, many consumers have acquired a variety of sports accessories that are appropriate for them, such as sports shoes, skirts, underwear, and so on.
Consumers in North China VS northeast
Consumers in different locations have varying fitness needs, according to the report. Consumers in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Jilin provinces prefer fitness equipment for home appliances; consumers in Tianjin, Beijing, and other North China provinces prefer ball products for indoor sports; consumers in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions purchased a large number of cycling equipment products for outdoor sightseeing; and consumers in Hunan and Hubei provinces purchased a large number of leisure sports products for fishing. Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing, Sichuan, and Shandong are the top five provinces and municipality in China that buy sports equipment.
Ball sports products are preferred by consumers aged 16-25, fishing products are preferred by consumers aged 26-35, and cycle sports products are preferred by consumers aged 36-45. Consumers between the ages of 16 and 25 prefer to buy sportswear, shoes, and bags, while those between the ages of 26 and 35 tend to buy a lot of sports protection products, according to the report.
JD.com’s Consumption and Industry Development Research Institute and supermarket business JD Super jointly released the “2022 Instant Food Consumption Trend Report” on May 13, revealing a rapid development of instant food in China’s consumer market.
Characterized as 3R food (easy to cook, easy to heat, easy to eat), the precooked food is a forerunner in the instant food market in China. According to JD.com’s data, its transaction volume mounted by 156 percent in 2021 YOY. The number of precooked food brands grew by 1.5 times in 2021 compared with that in 2019, and the number of their products increased by 2.5 times.
One consumption trend is that prefabricated food has developed into more varieties and forms to meet consumers’ demand, including precooked food giftboxes. According to JD.com’s data, the transaction volume of precooked food giftboxes grew by 232 percent in 2021 YOY.
Precooked food has also come under the spotlight at the Chinese New Year’s dining table. For example, the transaction volume of precooked food peaked during JD.com’s Chinese New Year Grand Promotion in 2022.
Among different age groups, Gen Z consumers record the highest growth rate in transaction volume of precooked food, reaching 137 percent in 2021 YOY. People aged from 36 to 45 are the major consumers of precooked food, accounting for 36 percent in 2021 and surpassing other age groups.
Healthy instant baby food is also leading the trend, which has become increasingly preferred by mothers. As JD.com’s data indicates, the transaction volume of instant baby food purchased by female consumers increased by 78 percent in 2021 YOY.
Another consumption trend reveals that people from higher-tier cities in China more easily accept precooked food than those from lower-tier cities.
China’s consumption trends of instant food suggest consumers have drifted away from the stereotype where instant food is stale and unhealthy, instead showing that instant food is now becoming more and more quality-driven.
Ahead of China’s Youth Day on May 4, JD has released a new report examining shopping preferences and trends related to Gen Z consumers, who now account for 19 percent of the country’s total population at 260 million , according to the National Statistics Bureau.
Often referred to as 95s (born after 1995), they are the latest to join the workforce, and will gain more purchasing power in the next decade.
Key findings from the report, released by JD Research Institute for Consumption and Industrial Development, show that this generation holds its own rational consumption ideas, looking to their peers for fashion trends while also holding clear personal preferences.
As digital natives, Gen Z grew up with the rise of the Internet, instant messaging, smart devices and other technologies. On average they are well-educated and have more freedom to develop their personality, hobbies and make their own choices.
Gen Z has also witnessed China’s rapid economic development, leading to a boost of national confidence. At the same time, China’s further integration into globalization enabled Gen Z to have a global perspective, and are not only more diverse but are also willing to embrace diversity.
In such a context, Gen Z has developed unique values. Based on a survey released by Snapchat, 72 percent of Gen Z respondents, when answering the question “How do you achieve your identity and realize your value?”, chose “by seeking fun”; about 60 percent chose “by achieving a goal” and “by keeping fit”; and 56 percent “by making money”.
The consumption upgrade of Gen Z in recent years has escalated from product quality to spiritual satisfaction, meaning that the external look of a product is a crucial part in terms of its market competitiveness.
Since 2022, sales of visually appealing products purchased by Gen Z have increased by 166 percent year-on-year (YOY). In the categories of kitchen and bathroom appliances, home renovation and soft furnishings, baby bedding, outdoor equipment and apparel, sales of products with eye-catching appearance have all increased by more than 10 times.
Gen Z shows the highest preference for smart products, with 70 percent higher in preference coefficient compared to the other age groups, which not only promotes industrial upgrading, but also adds momentum to technological innovation.
Smart products of electric vehicles, cameras, shower systems, mobile air conditioners and lighting equipment have preference coefficients close to or higher than 100 percent.
According to the “Generation Z Beverage Consumption Survey Report” released by the Shanghai Consumer Council earlier this year, 41 percent of Gen Z in Shanghai chose beverages with “0 sugar” and 38 percent chose “70 percent off sugar”. Less than 20 percent of Gen Z chose “full sugar” or “30 percent off sugar”.
Besides beverages, the low-sugar trend has expanded to various categories. JD’s data showed that low-sugar products of tea drinks, beer, condiments, vitamin and mineral supplements went up 20 times YOY and low-sugar pharmaceuticals saw an uptake of 14 times YOY.
Gen Z is dedicated to their health and wellness, leading to a rise in consumption in the industries of health care, beauty and anti-aging products among young people.
Wellness consumption has developed into a lifestyle for Gen Z. Sales on JD.com in 2022 showed that health management products have increased nearly 20 times YOY, and health drinks, Chinese medicine services and psychological counseling services have rose more than three times YOY. At the same time, nutritional products such as astaxanthin, seal oil and collagen chondroitin went up by more than 10 times YOY.
Guochao, Mandarin for homegrown fashion, gained popularity. The number of “Chinese Style” (国风) enthusiasts exceeded 177 million in 2021, in which the group aged 18-30 accounted for about 70 percent, said a report by Chinese online video site Bilibili Inc.
Red is an auspicious color in Chinese culture. JD’s data showed that Gen Z’s purchase of products with the phrase “Chinese red” included in the product names surged 326 percent in 2022, with personal care and health, and baijiiu, China’s liquor, being the highest-selling categories.
Gen Z is busier with increasing personal disposable income, thus becoming the main demographic of the convenience-based “lazy economy”. They frequently use delivery services and door-to-door services, according to QuestMobile.
Sales of ready meals and vacuum mop combos purchased by Gen Z on JD.com this year have increased by 200 percent and 142 percent respectively, with underwear washing machines up almost 20 times.
The shopping preferences of Gen Z, which used to be considered special and different a few years ago, have become the mainstream of the market today. These digital natives are considered the voice of the internet, and as a result brands are adjusting product designs, functions, services and marketing methods especially for them. In other words, Gen Z is creating trends, but also guiding the whole consumer market, energizing the process of consumption and upgrading.
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