Weblog with daily updates of the news on a frugal, fair and beautiful China, from the perspective of internet entrepreneur, new media advisor and president of the China Speakers Bureau Fons Tuinstra
The youngsters are China’s most studied group of consumers, but branding expert Ashley Dudarenok warns brands should not overlook the country’s silver swans as major consumers, she explains in the Jing Daily. “Ignoring them is not just a missed opportunity; it’s a strategic blunder,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
In the relentless pursuit of Gen Z and millennials, the marketing world has turned a blind eye to one of the most lucrative consumer cohorts in China: the affluent retiree. Dismissed by many brands as a legacy segment, these individuals — predominantly women aged 60 and over — are, in fact, a powerful economic force.
They are the “Silver Swans”: digitally savvy, brand loyal, and endowed with high disposable income and the freedom to spend it on themselves. While the industry chases youth, this mature audience represents a vast blue ocean of opportunity for luxury brands bold enough to reimagine their narratives around elegance, experience, and well-being.
This generation, which witnessed China’s economic miracle firsthand, is now enjoying its fruits. Their consumption is not for social clout but for self-fulfillment, making them a uniquely stable and valuable customer base. Ignoring them is not just a missed opportunity; it’s a strategic blunder.
Shanghai-based business analyst Shaun Rein reports on the latest research on China’s consumers. While spending might be down for the next months, consumers are not driven by nationalism, he tells CNBC. It is economic anxiety that makes the difference, he says.
While many foreign brands have a hard time selling to China’s consumers, some are able to crack the code, says branding expert Ashley Dudarenokat CNBC. “Brands are moving beyond superficial nods to Chinese culture,” Dudarenok said.
CNBC:
Apple’s story also underscores how it’s possible to reignite local interest despite losing market share to domestic competition. Some customers in Beijing told CNBC that they liked the iPhone’s new cosmic orange color, and that more locals intended to buy their first iPhone this year since they’d heard about new attractive features such as larger internal storage.
China’s factories were quick to jump on the trend, releasing iPhone cases with a similar orange hue even before the 17 model was out.
“Winning brands are those that have established local R&D centers and on-the-ground product teams,” said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of ChoZan, a China marketing consultancy. “This allows them to spot trends early, develop products tailored to local needs, and launch them in months, not years. This is a significant departure from the past, where global products were often simply rolled out in the Chinese market.”
Even with the right data and social media platforms, cultural integration is becoming increasingly important, especially as Chinese brands find success in tapping the country’s own history of artisanal craftsmanship.
“Brands are moving beyond superficial nods to Chinese culture,” Dudarenok said. She pointed out that Loewe partnered with jade carving masters, while Burberry teamed up with bamboo-weaving artists.
Arthur Kroeber, author of China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, discusses the state of China’s current economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on September 9. “So there are a lot of problems. It’s not vibrant from a consumer standpoint. But from a productive standpoint, there’s a lot that’s going right,” he says, according to Social News XYZ.
Social News XYZ:
Key indicators reflected China’s factory output and retail sales going through their weakest growth since August last year. Retail sales have slumped, with demand at home weakening, and unemployment continued to tick up, said reports.
Industrial production rose just 5.2 per cent year‑on‑year in August, down from 5.7 per cent in July, and retail sales expanded only 3.4 per cent last month. It slipped from July’s 3.7 per cent, missing a forecast gain of 3.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, unemployment rate edged up to 5.3 per cent in August, while fixed‑asset investment grew a meagre 0.5 per cent in the first eight months – the weakest pace for that period since 2020 – and property investment collapsed nearly 12.9 per cent year‑on‑year through August.
Earlier this month, Arthur Kroeber, founder of Gavekal Dragonomics, a China-focused economic research firm, had pointed out: “You have a significant problem of persistent deflation, excess capacity in industry, declining profits, a weak job market, and a property market that’s in very poor shape.”
However, he soon added: “So there are a lot of problems. It’s not vibrant from a consumer standpoint. But from a productive standpoint, there’s a lot that’s going right.”
He was speaking at an event, hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies on September 9.
For years, the playbook for winning in China was a mix of big-name endorsements, heritage storytelling, and a relentless focus on the Tier-1 coastal elite. That playbook is now obsolete. The China Online Consumer Brand Index (CBI), a landmark study from Peking University and Alibaba, crunches the numbers on nearly one billion consumers and reveals a market that is not just evolving, but has fundamentally transformed.
The report, released August 20, isn’t just another data dump; it’s a stark look at a new consumer psyche — one that is more pragmatic, digitally native, and geographically diverse than ever before. For global brands, the findings are both a warning and a massive opportunity. Simply showing up is no longer enough.
China’s CBI, developed by Peking University’s National School of Development in partnership with Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Group, evaluates brands across four key dimensions: Brand Awareness (32.5%), Brand Novelty (27.5%), Customer Loyalty (22.5%), and Customer Satisfaction (17.5%). The index uniquely emphasizes Brand Novelty—reflecting China’s appetite for innovative, fast-growing brands that appeal to younger consumers…
Perhaps the most significant long-term trend identified by the CBI is the further geographic diffusion of wealth and consumer power. While the world focused on Shanghai and Beijing, cities like Hefei, Zhengzhou, Chongqing and Nanchang have quietly emerged as hotspots of high average consumption quality, sometimes even surpassing their Tier-1 counterparts.
This is not just about rising incomes. It reflects a deeper trend of “consumption upgrading” across the country. Consumers in these cities are increasingly sophisticated, demanding the same quality and brand diversity as those in the coastal megacities. For brands, this means the Tier-1 strategy is no longer sufficient.
The next wave of growth will come from understanding the nuanced cultural and economic landscapes of these rising urban centers. Brands that build logistics, marketing, and community-building strategies tailored to these new frontiers will secure the next decade of growth.
To sum up, the data is unequivocal: Chinese consumers have graduated from being passive recipients of brand messaging to active, discerning partners in value creation. The brands that understand and adapt to this new reality will not just win in China, they will define the future of global commerce.
US retailer Target ended its promise to its consumers to get the lowest price. But under pressure of the inflation, triggered off by the trade war with China, and other challenges, Target has changed its long-standing business model. It is the end of a safety net for consumers, says retail analyst Ashley Dudarenokin Time.
Time:
Ashley Dudarenok, who runs a China- and Hong Kong-based consumer research consultancy, said the decision “eliminates a safety net for consumers” who could be sure that they were getting the most competitive prices at Target. “For consumers, this means the onus is now on them to compare prices before shopping, potentially pushing the most price-sensitive shoppers to competitors like Walmart or Amazon for certain purchases.”
Dudarenok says that Target is hoping its “loyal customer base, often attracted by the in-store experience and exclusive brands (the ‘Tar-jay’ effect) will absorb this change.” But the move is risky, she adds, at a time when U.S. consumer spending is falling.
Target has grappled with a slump in sales this year, with the company missing its Q1 revenue estimate and cutting its full-year sales outlook in May…
President Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 decrying DEI as “illegal and immoral discrimination” and ending federal initiatives. The order does not force private employers to abolish DEI programs but opens up companies to anti-DEI backlash.
“The company is juggling significant financial pressures, including the looming threat of tariffs on Chinese goods, with the need to maintain customer loyalty,” Dudarenok says. “Ending the price match policy is a defensive financial move. At the same time, the company is still navigating the fallout from its DEI initiatives, trying to find a neutral ground that doesn’t alienate its diverse customer base.”
Target’s challenges date back several years. The company’s annual revenue has stagnated since 2021, while its shares have fallen around 60% in that time.
Business analyst Shaun Rein, based in Shanghai, is more bullish on China’s economy than he has been since 2019, he says at CNBC. Especially now that China is winning the trade war, he adds.
One of the key factors causing global coffee prices to rise is the massive growth of consumption in China. Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains how Chinese consumers took on the coffee market over the past decades, a growth that is now yet finished, despite the rising prices, she tells in her vlog.
China’s toy company Pop Mart has become an instant domestic and international success for a new generation of consumers. Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok explains in Time how Pop Mart was able to read the hearts and minds of a new brand of consumers. Pop Mart understands those consumer needs, according to Dudarenok, and the Chinese domestic market lets companies “fail fast and succeed fast” to figure out what consumers really want.
Time:
Where Pop Mart distinguishes itself from both domestic and international competitors is in reading the mood of its consumers, Ashley Dudarenok, who runs a China and Hong Kong-based consumer research consultancy, tells TIME. Whether it’s rebelliousness, a desire to escape, or exhaustion from work or school, Pop Mart customers are buying more than just a toy, they’re buying a symbol of themselves…
Dudarenok, the consumer research consultant, sees Pop Mart’s global success as more than just an ebbing of stigma against Chinese manufacturing; instead it’s a direct result of the company’s ability to navigate and succeed in the Chinese market. “It’s not a surprise that this kind of company comes out of China,” says Dudarenok. That’s because “China is the world’s most competitive digital market, with maybe the most spoiled consumer in the world that wants things fast, cheap, and good.” Pop Mart understands those consumer needs, according to Dudarenok, and the Chinese domestic market lets companies “fail fast and succeed fast” to figure out what consumers really want.
One way Pop Mart distinguishes itself from Japanese competitors is through its stores. By contrast, Dreams Inc. largely sells its toys online or through distributors like Kiddy Land, Kinokuniya, and Urban Outfitters. Pop Mart, on the other hand, turns its own stores into an experience—with each modeled after one of its characters—fuelling customers like Carillo and Leow to plan travels around visiting different Pop Mart stores. They’ve also capitalized on the blind box craze through their roboshops vending machines that make buying their blind boxes all the more accessible.
China’s 310 million retirees (60 and over) are embracing technology, wellness, and premium experiences. Unlike previous generations, they prioritize health and longevity, driving demand for fitness devices, dietary supplements, and digital health platforms.
They are increasingly tech-savvy, using e-commerce platforms and mobile payments. Trust is paramount, so brands must focus on transparency, high-quality assurance, and personalized services. Retirees are also fueling China’s pet economy, treating animals as family and spending heavily on premium pet care.
Travel and leisure remain high on their list, with a focus on wellness retreats and historical tourism. Messaging that emphasizes active aging, intergenerational connections, and user-friendly technology will resonate. Brands should simplify digital interfaces, invest in trust-building, and highlight community engagement.
Born between 1981 and 1996, China’s 320 million millennials are digital natives and major economic drivers. Their focus has shifted from affordability and status symbols to quality and sustainability. Eco-consciousness is now a purchasing prerequisite, with electric vehicles, smart home devices, and biodegradable packaging in high demand.
Millennials research extensively before buying, favoring platforms like JD.com and Taobao. Social media and green influencers play a crucial role in their choices. Brands that clearly communicate sustainability initiatives — such as carbon offset programs and ethical sourcing — gain their trust. However, greenwashing can damage brand credibility.
Luxury brands must integrate sustainability into their identity, providing tangible proof of commitment. Millennials are willing to pay for experiences that align with their values, such as eco-tourism and farm-to-table dining. By aligning with this mindset, brands can build long-term loyalty.
China’s consumers turn to local brands because they tend to be cheaper than international brands, and because of patriotism because of the US-China trade war, says Shanghai-based business analyst Shaun Rein to CNBC. Anti-US sentiment was already virulent under Biden because of anti-Chinese measures. Under Trump that has not yet improved, adds Shaun Rein, but the Chinese hope Trump is more transactional than Biden was.
While he remains optimistic about China’s economy in the long run, he foresees a rough time in most of 2025 as deflation and layoffs melt away the financial stimuli of the past months, tells business analyst Shaun Rein at CNBC’s Squawk Box. He sees a recovery only in nine to twelve months as consumer confidence is not going up in 2025.
China is a complicated market, where consumers know what they want and what they do not want, tells marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok. She says that finding the right channel is the start of a complicated process.
