China's Luxury Consumption &Nbsp; Where Does The Wind Blow?

"The world's luxury market savior"? "The world's second largest luxury consumer market"? The developing China is being "extravagant", which is somewhat disturbing. The world's top luxury brands are gorgeous and fashionable, and is China's deep and thick land already equipped with multiple carrying capacity?

China Luxury goods Consumption: where does the wind blow?

Last month, a study published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences caused a heated debate.

The commercial Blue Book: China business development report (2009-2010) shows that as of last year, the total consumption of luxury goods in China has increased to $9 billion 400 million, with a global share of 27.5%, and the first time it has surpassed the United States to become the second largest luxury consumer in the world. The blue book makes a prediction that China's luxury market will occupy the first place in the world's luxury consumption in the next 5 years.

The fact that luxury consumer countries have attracted LV, CHANEL, GUCCI and other luxury brands have stepped up the pace of approaching the Chinese market. The latest news is that in the Louis Weedon store of Champs Elysees street in Paris, a mahjong brand specially designed for Chinese people has appeared in LV.

Love fashion

In 2007, the American movie "the devil wears PRADA" was released. In the rush of transformation, one of the world's top brands of clothing, cosmetics and cars came to the show, showing a colorful fashion world. Then, the author of the book, Lauren Weiberger, launched his sister version of the "New York party season", displaying the daily work and life of the fashion elite. But the exciting world of light and shadow is the main attraction for young people.

The advocacy, interpretation and pursuit of brands not only led to the topic of Chinese white collar and middle class people, but also led to their consumption life. Publisher Li Bo said: "these novels with luxury and fashion scenes provide fashion lifestyle templates for young people to enter the society, which is exactly what they need."

Pang Lei (a pseudonym) is a two year student of Beijing Technology and Business University's Department of economics and journalism. Several girls in the dormitory share different economic conditions and have different spending power. "Although some of the top brands do not have objects, some of them do not mean that this is not what she is concerned about. I think that for modern girls, the attention to famous brands represents a kind of life attitude." There are marketing courses in her specialized course, where she knows the contents of luxury goods. Therefore, she has more perceptual knowledge. Similarly, if you buy a handbag, you can choose a few hundred yuan or you can choose to buy it more expensive when you buy your own license. But the handbags of those famous international brands are of the highest quality, the appearance is neat and beautiful, and it is more easy for people to memorable. "It's an art appreciation." She thought.

Now, in Shanghai. The World Expo The detailed display of the history and development process of luxury brands such as sports cars, fashion, accessories and other luxury brands in Italy and France enables people to know these luxuries at a close distance and reduce the mystery of their hearts. "To some extent, it is a good thing to promote an equal consumption culture awareness in Chinese society, rather than having luxury goods to prove that it is more distinctive." Wang Xiaohui, a graduate student in luxury marketing management at Fashion College, University of London, told reporters that everyone wants something that is not easy to get in others' eyes. At present, Chinese people's pursuit of luxury goods is in pursuit of a sense of self-confidence and emotional satisfaction.

Brief content: the fact that luxury consumer countries have attracted the luxury brands such as LV, CHANEL and GUCCI to step closer to the Chinese market. Outbound tourism, auto show, luxury exhibition. On various occasions, the Chinese news of the world's top brands at the expense of thousands of dollars has been raging in recent two years.

Encounter misreading

Wang Xiaohui worked in the CHANEL shop in England for a while, and she had a deep understanding of the fashion consumption style of Chinese consumers. "Some wealthy people from mainland China enter the shop without asking," which is the latest season of this season? "Is this color suitable for me? Instead, I ask myself," which is the most expensive? "

"Most of them are out of a show mentality in front of their relatives and friends." She believes that ordinary Europeans do not choose expensive luxuries, so in their eyes, they do not understand Chinese consumption habits. Chinese people are not interested in understanding the cultural connotation of luxury goods. This is actually a misreading of luxury goods. "

Outbound tourism, auto show, luxury exhibition. On various occasions, the Chinese news of the world's top brands at the expense of thousands of dollars has been raging in recent two years. For this reason, Ma Huidi, director of the leisure culture research center of the Chinese Academy of Arts, has his own view. She believes that such a conspicuous consumption trend, there is no lack of status and identity of the "upstart" mentality. "Most people only have the corresponding economic strength, but the level of cognition of luxury goods is relatively plain. Luxury is a part of human creation. We should shape and change ourselves by appreciating its refinement and taste. For example, the brand of Hermes is low-key and some stars like it. But if my temperament and brand fit is not very appropriate, sometimes it is also a failure.

Zhang Dunfu, a professor of sociology at Shanghai Univer, told reporters that "temperament" is not necessarily temperamental. Thorsten Veblen, a famous American scholar, proposed conspicuous consumption, but he did not neglect the etiquette, ritual and long-term training. "Misreading of this concept has led many people to think of" trick "and" conspicuous consumption "as a matter of fact, and to confuse the price with the elegance.

Chinese and Western Differences

It is undeniable that economic development will lead to rapid social progress. However, due to the different stages of development, culture and social background, the consumption psychology of Chinese and Westerners towards luxury goods is very different.

Zhu Mingxia is director of the luxury research center of University of International Business and Economics. In the interview with universal character, she said that Westerners are interested in aristocratic temperament or unusual. Luxury goods are a personal thing for them. But this idea is not very applicable in China at present. "There have been media reports that a Chinese couple went to Europe to travel, pointing out to the flagship store of Bottega Veneta (BV) in Italy headquarters, looking at a handbag with exquisite shape design, and the price is only half of the domestic price, which is very cost-effective. But in the end, they gave up, instead of buying LV, because "BV is even more superior than LV, but no one else knows it, or LV value." This is a special consumption culture in China.

In the investigation and research conducted by the tutor, Wang Xiaohui realized that fifty or sixty years ago, Europeans had experienced the same conspicuous consumption stage. But with the development of economy and society, luxury goods have been naturally integrated into their lives. Most of the time, consumption is not branding the brand, but is more optimistic about quality and practicality. "So I believe that with the enhancement of people's aesthetic ability, the interaction between luxury brands and the public will increase. People can learn to look at these luxury brands and choose whether to buy or not according to their needs, rather than just trying to dress up."

How to guide

Many scholars expressed concern about China's becoming a big consumer of luxury goods to varying degrees. Sociological scholars draw conclusions from their perspectives. Ma Huidi has tried to write an article on the issue of luxury. She said that in 1899, shortly after the publication of Thorsten Veblen's book on leisure class theory, luxury brands such as Chanel, Tiffany, LV, Prada and GUCCI were born. In most countries and regions, the middle class is creating a new way of life and behavior, and the cultural innovation and market effect of luxury brands are playing an important role in modern society. She believes that from the perspective of leisure studies, consumption should bring more simple life and spiritual enrichment.

"In the home country of luxury goods, we can see that the rich people like Gates are advocating. simple life " Zhang Dunfu said that human satisfaction and happiness mainly come from the three sources of social relations, work and leisure, rather than from market consumption. He suggested that, from the sociological perspective of sustainable consumption, the state should encourage activities such as games, entertainment, gathering, reading and training among individuals and associations, rather than encouraging consumption and business activities, and encourage the sharing of information and resources between consumers or consumer cooperatives, rather than letting consumers rely on the market. Mass media should encourage discussion in literature, art, aesthetics, ethics and other fields instead of advertising information, encourage people to interact with people instead of letting people indulge in material desires. He believes that these multi-channel measures should be adopted to guide people to correctly understand consumption.