A major shift in consumers preferences in China is that from foreign brands to Chinese. Author Shaun Rein of The End of Copycat China: The Rise of Creativity, Innovation, and Individualism in Asia explains in CNBC how the top-5 brands at Singles´Day illustrates the growing China pride.
CNBC:
The top 5 brands, ranked by gross merchandise volume, were budget smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, followed by telecommunications hardware and phone maker Huawei, consumer electronics and home appliances company Haier, furniture retailer Linshimuye and Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo, an Alibaba spokesperson told CNBC via email on Wednesday.
Top 5 ranking reflects “the growing pride Chinese consumers have in their homegrown brands”, said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group. “That’s why they are buying brands like Xiaomi and Haier.”
“Uniqlo is one of the hottest brands in China now because they make clothing and [have a] marketing campaign that fit the aspirations of Chinese consumers unlike Louis Vuitton with their blond hair, blue eyed models,” said Rein, who is also the author of ‘The End of Copy Cat China: the Rise of Creativity, Innovation and Individualism in Asia.’ Many Chinese consumers are unaware that the brand originates in Japan, he said.
Alibaba on Wednesday revealed that the Singles’ Day sale saw over 1.2 million large home appliances, 3 million lighting products, 200,000 bottles of laundry detergent and 50,000 new cars sold.
“Those categories are very popular in China,” said Rein.
White goods makers tend to engage in aggressive marketing campaigns for Singles’ Day, he said. Discounted laundry detergent, meanwhile, is a popular item as Chinese consumers prefer to have it delivered rather than carting it home. Finally, online car shopping is booming, he said, because consumers know what they are getting when they order one.
Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers´request form.
Are you interested in more branding experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Check our latest list here.
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