The Chinese consumer marketplace is entering a fresh phase of maturity. According to the latest NielsenIQ survey published at the turn of 2025 and 2026, Chinese consumers feel more and more financially assured and are little and little guided by price only erstwhile making purchasing decisions. This is simply a fundamental change that forces brands to rethink their communication and positioning strategies.
Data is clear: only 26% of consumers declare that they would buy the product solely due to promotion – this is simply a decrease from 31% a year earlier. The end of the "price at any cost" era. This is even more clearly seen in e-commerce: the percent of buyers choosing online platforms only due to lower prices fell from 30% to 23% per year. "Chinese consumer is no longer looking for the cheapest option, but a product that is worth its price", concludes NielsenIQ analysts.
What denies the discount? 3 pillars of the purchasing decision:
- quality (priority for 81% of respondents),
- safety (81%) and
- Health (77%).
In addition, 64% of consumers pay attention to whether the product enriches their regular experience – at home or during outdoor activities. This signal for brands: the emotional and functional value of the product becomes more crucial than the price itself.
41% of Chinese consumers believe that their financial situation has improved over the past year (an increase of 34% in 2024), and 60% declare a greater willingness to spend money. However, NielsenIQ warns: optimism does not automatically translate into a consumer boom. 4 out of 10 people proceed to be cautious and the main concerns stay the “economic slowdown” and “maintaining the standard of surviving of the family”. This means that consumers have become more selective – they spend more willingly, but only on what they truly consider valuable.
One of the most interesting conclusions of the survey is the strong differentiation of consumer attitudes by age groups:
- Generation of demographic boom (61+) – 70% declare their willingness to spend money, remaining loyal to known brands, but besides open to news. It is simply a group with expanding purchasing power and sometimes to realize passion.
- Generation X (44–59 years) – careful, pragmatic, wellness and local products. Only 11% trust in influencer recommendations.
- Millenialsi (29–43 years) “ Experience above all.” 70% pay more for better quality of use, 85% for safety warrant and transparency of the supply chain.
- Generation Z (18–28 years old) – the most polarized: 31% are willing to spend on products of their interest ("hobby economy") while 34% stay very economical. This generation drives trends specified as the "glows of the economy" (the fandom gadget market), whose value in China is expected to exceed RMB 200 billion in 2025.
NielsenIQ indicates that in the era of ‘values above price’ the brand must:
Build Trust – through transparency of warehouses, quality certificates and clear communication.
Invest in experience – both in the product (functionality, design) and in the purchasing process (omnichannel, after-sales service).
Segment messages – there is no single strategy for all generations; effective communication requires precise targeting of values that resonate with the mark group. Changes in consumer attitudes translate into sales results. In 2025, the full sales of fast marketable goods in China increased by 3.6%, with a dynamic increase in e-commerce (+12.1%) and a slight drop in fixed sales (-2.1%). The fastest increasing categories related to experience and quality of life: individual hygiene products (+10.7%), snacks, drinks and alcohol. This confirms the trend: the Chinese consumer invests in what improves its quality.
NielsenIQ concludes: “In China no longer wins the cheapest. Whoever is the most valuable in the eyes of a peculiar consumer wins.”
Source:
Author: 梁安基 Andrzej Z. Liang, 上海 Shanghai, 中国 China
Email: [email protected]
Editorial: Leszek B.
Email: [email protected]
