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For a long time, Western brands have been the darlings of the Chinese consumer market. China has also long been a key growth market for European and American luxury brands. However, in the past two years, the performance of European and American luxury brands in the Chinese market has continued to decline. At the same time, many local brands, especially "Guochao" consumer goods, have risen against the trend.

In the past two years, the Chinese pop culture brand Pop Mart has created the commercial miracle of "Lapu Lapu", and the sales of the local jewelry brand Laopu Gold have grown more than double every year.

Behind Pop Mart and Laopu Gold, we see a wave of rising Chinese domestic high-end brands. According to Bloomberg, the Seres Group, once known for its affordable mini vans, has now become one of China's most popular high-end car manufacturers. Its Wenjie M9 has become the best-selling model in the 500,000 yuan and above category. The Chinese high-end skincare brand Mao Geping saw both revenue and profit grow by more than 30% last year, while international brands such as L'Oréal faced a sales slump in the Chinese market during the same period.

Why are these Western big brands no longer as appealing? Many foreign media outlets have tried to uncover the deeper reasons behind this change, that is, the profound changes in China's economy and social culture. Since the reform and opening up, with the increase in residents' income, Chinese consumers began to travel to European and American countries, and began to be exposed to Western cultural products. All of this has influenced Chinese consumption patterns. For Chinese consumers at the time, especially the continuously expanding middle and high-income group, foreign products were once equated with symbols of quality.

However, as China itself continues to develop, people have gradually developed a sense of cultural identity returning to tradition. A consumer culture with distinct Chinese characteristics has gradually taken root. This also reflects the cultural transformation in Chinese consumers' perception of luxury goods. People no longer rely on so-called "foreign brands" to conspicuously show their social status. The entire society's consumption habits have become more mature and wiser.

Many Chinese consumers also said: "For a long time, Western products were seen as symbols of refinement. But now we realize that the premium of Western luxury brands is often too high."

The Russian magazine "Expert" website published an article stating that the measures taken by Chinese authorities have promoted the integration of traditional culture into modern life. Western elements are no longer the synonym for fashion. More and more consumers are turning to domestic brands and local manufacturing, thus bringing about the rise of "Guochao".

Behind this rise of "Guochao" is the demystification of Western products, the growing national pride, and the rising "cultural confidence". And this process is none other than another concrete manifestation of the "East rising and West declining".

Coordination: Chen Xiangyang

Author: Zhang Ruoxuan

Anchor: Li Shutong

Editor: Ma Zheng

Director: Deng Yuanyuan

Design: Luan Xiaoyan

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524999338184016438/

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