Transcendent Retail APAC 2021.pdf

LESSONS FROM CHINA’S TREND-SETTING COMMERCE
MARKET FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD
A REPORT BY WUNDERMAN THOMPSON INTELLIGENCE IN COLLABORATION WITH JING DAILY

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
KEY TRENDS
Blended Channels
1. The Clicks-and-Mortar Store
2. The Rise and Rise of Livestreaming
3. Brands Get in the Game
4. Branded Short Films
5. Boomer Digital Migration
Shifting Influence
6. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) as Brands
7. Democratization of the Influencer
8. Meet the Virtual Influencer
9. Five Influencers to Watch
Created in China
10. TikTok Takes Over the World
11. Shein and the Race to Rule Ultra-Fast Fashion
12. C-Beauty Goes Global
13. Fintech’s Reckoning
The New Luxury
14. Hard Luxury Goes Online
15. Virtual Possessions
The Socio-Political Consumer
16. Guaochao Commerce
17. The Ethical Consumer
BY THE NUMBERS
Consumer Data From China, Australia, India, Indonesia,
Japan and Thailand
TAKEAWAYS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
003
004
010
024
039
047
051
057
079
081

IN “TRANSCENDENT RETAIL:
APAC,” WUNDERMAN
THOMPSON INTELLIGENCE, IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH
JING DAILY, EXPLORES
EMERGING TRENDS IN CHINA,
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST
COMMERCE MARKET, AND
ASSESSES THE READINESS
OF OTHER APAC MARKETS TO
EMBRACE THEM.
Already, Chinese trends such as
live commerce, social commerce
and the creation of super apps that
combine messaging, commerce,
payments and delivery are spreading
across the globe, thanks to direct
investments and knowledge transfer
by Chinese tech giants as well as
experimentations by local players.
In “Transcendent Retail: APAC,” we
identify opportunities for sectors
from retail to technology to finance
to fashion and beauty. We highlight
lessons for brands interested in
selling to Chinese consumers as well
as brands tapping into China retail
trends landing on their own shores.
This study includes data from
Wunderman Thompson’s Future
Shopper survey of 10,158 consumers
in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand,
Retail is now digital and physical,
personalized and social, all at the
same time. It also increasingly
transcends geography.
Borders are evaporating between
markets, channels and media,
helped in part by the pandemic
lockdowns. And retail is moving into
a state where touchpoints are both
constant and fleeting.
Twelve percent of the 250,000 brands
that took part in Alibaba’s Singles’
Day shopping festival in 2020 were
from outside China, chiefly from
America, and accounted for $5 billion
of the company’s $74.1 billion in sales.
Over 11 days, Alibaba chartered more
than 3,000 flights and ships to bring
foreign goods into China and another
700 chartered flights to deliver
orders outside the country.
Japan and Australia, and interviews
with experts and case studies.
This report is available at
intelligence.wundermanthompson.
com and jingdaily.com.
Enjoy.
INTRODUCTION
Chen May Yee
APAC Director
Wunderman
Thompson
Intelligence
Sky Canaves
Content Director
Jing Daily
INTRODUCTION TRANSCENDENT RETAIL: APAC 3

CHINA’S DOMINANCE OF GLOBAL
ECOMMERCE IS NO ACCIDENT.
IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF
A SPECIFIC SET OF PLANNED
CIRCUMSTANCES: THE ROLLOUT
OF FAST-SPEED MOBILE
NETWORKS EVEN TO RURAL
COMMUNITIES; THE BUILDING
OF LOGISTICS NETWORKS
INCLUDING WAREHOUSING
AND DELIVERY; AND THE NEAR
TOTAL ADOPTION OF MOBILE
PAYMENTS ACROSS CHINA IN
RECENT YEARS.
Add to that China’s pioneering tech
players, such as Alibaba’s Tmall,
JD.com and Tencent’s WeChat, and
more recently, short-video platforms
Douyin (known as TikTok outside
China) and Bilibili, which stitch
together buying, socializing and
gaming into a seamless experience.
Already the biggest online commerce
market in the world before the
pandemic, China pulled even further
ahead during the lockdowns.
By December 2020, 70% of China’s
population—989 million people—
were online, almost all via their
mobile phones. Of these, almost
80% were shopping online, 86%
were using mobile payments and
94% were consuming online video,
according to the China Internet
Network Information Centre.
Retail ecommerce sales in China are
expected to hit $2.8 trillion in 2021, up
from $2.3 trillion last year, according
to eMarketer. That will make China
the first country in the world where
more than half—52%—of total retail
sales come from ecommerce. South
Korea is a distant second at 29%,
followed by the United States at 15%.
The result is a burst of innovation:
the blending of physical and digital
channels, the rise of livestream
commerce, the expansion of virtual
worlds for socializing, playing and
buying, and the blurring of all and any
lines in between.
“Chinese ecommerce, already a
marketing-centric environment,
has become much more rich-media
focused, with massive uptake
“This is
just the
beginning.”
ZHAO HUI
SPOKESPERSON, LAZADA
CROSS-BORDER
ECO-INNOVATON SERVICE
CENTER
OVERVIEW 5
5
TRANSCENDENT RETAIL: APAC

Shiseido Beauty Square, Harajuku
in video content marketing and
livestreaming,” says James Bay,
Wunderman Thompson’s Greater
China managing partner
for commerce.
These trends are now spreading
beyond China. The evidence is
all around.
In Tokyo’s Harajuku district,
Shiseido’s new concept store,
which opened June 2021, features a
public studio in its entrance area to
record livestreaming and other video
content, all projected onto a large
screen. Shoppers can also project
their personal 3D avatar in a virtual
space in the store, in their favorite
makeup and fashion, and snap
pictures of their avatar with friends
and brand ambassadors.
OVERVIEW 6
6

Shiseido Beauty Square, Harajuku
7
7
OVERVIEW

Lazada Cross-Border Eco-Innovation Service Center, Nanning
“Chinese ecommerce,
already a marketing-centric
environment, has become
much more rich-media
focused, with massive uptake
in video content marketing
and livestreaming.”
JAMES BAY
GREATER CHINA MANAGING PARTNER COMMERCE,
WUNDERMAN THOMPSON
OVERVIEW 8
8

Lazada Cross-Border Eco-Innovation Service Center, Nanning
In India, social commerce app Trell is
known as the country’s TikTok for its
three-minute videos by influencers in
regional languages such as Marathi,
Bengali and Malayalam. It has raised
$17 million from investors including
Sequoia Capital and Samsung
Ventures. Trell’s content creators
and audience mostly hail from India’s
second and third tier cities.
Online buying and selling is
increasingly crossing geographical
borders. According to the Chinese
government, cross-border
ecommerce rose 46.5% in the first
quarter of 2021 to RMB 419.5 billion
($63.8 billion), or about 14.5% of total
ecommerce.
In Nanning, in southern China’s
Guangxi province, Lazada opened
its first cross-border innovation
center last year to source, train and
host livestreaming talent, and match
them with Chinese brands looking to
sell in local languages to Vietnam,
the Philippines, Malaysia and other
Southeast Asian nations. Lazada is
one of the biggest online retailers in
Southeast Asia and is owned
by Alibaba.
The Nanning center now hosts
2,000 LazLive sessions a month
from its eight livestreaming rooms
as well as direct from the homes
of its livestream talent. Zhao Hui, a
spokesperson for the center, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence:
“This is just the beginning.”
52% OF CHINA’S
RETAIL SALES WILL
ORIGINATE ONLINE IN
2021, VERSUS 29% IN
SOUTH KOREA AND 15%
IN THE UNITED STATES.
OVERVIEW 9
9

K11 Art Mall, Shanghai
IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, CHINA
HAS GONE FROM BEING THE
WORLD’S FACTORY TO BEING THE
WORLD’S BIGGEST CONSUMER
MARKET AND GLOBAL TREND-
SETTER FOR ONLINE RETAIL.
“DON’T THINK OF CHINA
AS THE ENDPOINT OF YOUR
PRODUCT. A LOT OF WHAT IS
COMING OUT [OF CHINA] IS
COMING TO THE WEST LATER,”
SAID NADER MOUSAVIZADEH,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF MACRO
ADVISORY PARTNERS, AT THE
FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS OF
LUXURY SUMMIT IN MAY 2021.
WE EXPLORE THE NEWEST
RETAIL TRENDS IN CHINA, HOW
THEY’RE EVOLVING, AND THEIR
LESSONS FOR GLOBAL MARKETS.
BLENDED
CHANNELS
1. The clicks-and-mortar store
As online shopping evolved with the
pandemic, so too did physical stores.
They are now inseparable.
With the coronavirus pandemic largely
under control, bricks-and-mortar retail
has been open for business in China
for the past year. But the central role
of ecommerce in the Chinese market
means that brands have to rethink the
very concept of the physical store. For
many, this has meant developing hybrid
experiences that merge the best
of online and offline elements. Not
only Chinese brands but also some
storied Western brands are opening
concept stores in Chinese cities first.
KEY TRENDS 11

Burberry Open Spaces store, Shenzhen
12
KEY TRENDS

L’Oréal omnichannel concept store, Shanghai
In July 2020, British luxury fashion
house Burberry debuted its Open
Spaces “social retail” store spanning
5,800 square feet and three stories in
the trend-setting southern Chinese
city of Shenzhen, in partnership with
WeChat owner Tencent.
Through a customized WeChat mini
program on their smartphones,
customers can rack up “social
currency” through in-store activities,
unlocking product information through
QR codes and interacting with the
brand to get various perks along the
way. They are assigned a cartoon
avatar on the mini program, which
hatches from an egg and evolves to
introduce new outfits and characters.
Taking a similar approach, in May 2021
L’Oréal opened its first omnichannel
concept store in Shanghai, aiming to
bring a little of Paris to consumers
who are still unable to travel to the
French capital. In addition to selling
cosmetics and skincare products,
the outlet includes an interactive
cycling simulator that takes visitors
on a virtual ride through the streets
of the city while they collect points
that can be used towards discounts.
For those who can’t visit in person,
L’Oréal built an in-store set to serve
as the backdrop for livestreaming
by beauty influencers. As with
Burberry’s Open Spaces store,
customers can link their visits to their
WeChat accounts via a dedicated
mini program, helping the brand
collect valuable data and offer more
individually tailored experiences.
The TX Huaihai Youth Energy Center
in Shanghai offers another new
KEY TRENDS 13

TX Huaihai Youth Energy Center, Shanghai
retail model centered on bringing
online stores into the real world.
When it opened in December 2019,
50% of its stores were designated
as pop-ups, largely sourced from
Taobao merchants with social media
followings and track records of
strong sales, such as Badmarket,
which sells youth-oriented fashion
and accessories.
Unlike most landlords, TX Huaihai
does not collect rental revenue, but
takes a percentage of sales. Taobao
shops reach out directly to their
existing fan bases to encourage them
to visit TX Huaihai. And since data is
centralized through a common digital
point-of-sale ecosystem, TX Huaihai’s
management can help drive business
to specific stores or have them
partner with neighboring retailers.
Despite opening on the cusp of the
COVID-19 pandemic, TX Huaihai drew
more than five million visitors in
2020, its first full year of operation.
As shoppers flocked to the new mall,
established global brands such as
Fendi, Nike and G-Shock began to
take notice and hosted their own
pop-up retail events at TX Huaihai.
“The offline world needs to be a
source of customer acquisition
for brands, enabling them to enter
their social commerce ecosystem
for future customer engagements
and purchases,” Bryce Whitwam,
adjunct instructor of marketing at
the New York University School of
Professional Studies in Shanghai, told
Jing Daily.
Physical retail won’t be killed off by
the massive growth of ecommerce
in China, but it’s going through an
important transition. Increasingly,
consumers expect in-person shopping
to replicate features prevalent in
ecommerce, such as gamification,
higher levels of personalization
and perks, and the ability to keep
consumers entertained.
KEY TRENDS 14

Alibaba
2. The rise and rise of livestreaming
The rest of the world is jumping on
the Chinese bandwagon of selling via
video broadcasts.
The Chinese model of ecommerce
livestreaming, pioneered by Alibaba’s
Taobao Live in 2016 and now a feature
of almost every rival platform, has got
brands, retailers, and tech platforms
around the world racing to introduce
their own versions of the seamless
“see now, buy now” consumer trend.
Livestreaming merges the
advantages of online retail with
personalization and opportunities
for interaction between brands, on-
air personalities and consumers—
juiced by limited-time vouchers
and deals—into a potent blend of
commerce and entertainment.
KEY TRENDS 15

To promote her KKW fragrance, Kim Kardashian teamed up
with China’s top-sellng livestreamer Viya, November 2019
Even before the coronavirus
pandemic, ecommerce livestreaming
was transforming the way Chinese
consumers shop. During the Singles’
Day shopping festival in November
2019, global brands such as L’Oréal
engaged in 24/7 livestreaming. Even
Kim Kardashian, arguably the biggest
influencer on a global level, saw the
value in partnering with China’s top-
selling livestreamer Viya to sell her
KKW fragrance to Chinese consumers.
However, 2020 will go down as the
year ecommerce livestreaming
went from experiment to necessity
for Chinese brands and retailers
during lockdown. Everyone from
out-of-work actors to CEOs joined
the livestreaming fray. Brands and
ecommerce platforms developed
more engaging content that relied
less on limited-time deals and
KEY TRENDS 16

Livestream on 85th anniversary of Lancôme, owned by
L’Oréal Group
26% OF CHINESE
ECONSUMERS SAY
LIVESTREAMING WOULD
ENCOURAGE THEM TO
BUY MORE ON SOCIAL
PLATFORMS IN
FUTURE.
Looking ahead, Chinese livestreaming
is heading upwards, as luxury brands
embrace the medium, and outwards,
as Chinese brands more intentionally
target overseas audiences using local
language via platforms such as Alibaba-
owned Lazada’s LazLive platform.
consumer FOMO (fear of missing
out) to sell products, and more on
entertainment and education.
For example, Alibaba’s Tmall worked
with the producers of Sleep No More,
Shanghai, an immersive theater
production by Punchdrunk set in
the 1930s that was shuttered during
the pandemic, to create a brand
showcase for the 618 shopping
festival, the largest mid-year
shopping festival in China.
More than one million viewers tuned
in to watch stars of the livestream
perform jazz-inspired jingles for
20 brands showcased across five
floors of the historic McKinnon Hotel.
Related content on Weibo drew more
than 200 million views.
KEY TRENDS 17

Louis Vuitton x League of Legends
3. Brands get in the game
Reaching beyond the traditional male
audience to include female players
and fans.
China is the largest gaming market
in the world. By the end of 2020
there were 518 million gamers in
the country, with almost all playing
mobile games, according to data
from the China Internet Network
Information Center. Revenues from
China’s gaming sector stood at $43
billion in 2020, with about three-
quarters of the total coming from
mobile games.
Significantly, the majority of mobile
gamers are female (56%) and
47% are under 30, according to
Wunderman Thompson data. These
demographics overlap with some
of the main drivers of Chinese
consumption, making the gaming
sector a key area for brands to work in.
This became especially relevant
during the COVID-19 pandemic, when
brands had to rely more heavily on
digital channels to reach consumers,
and more consumers than ever were
spending time at home playing games.
Gaming collaborations can also
generate offline retail opportunities
as fashion and beauty brands
develop real-world products tied to
gaming content.
Louis Vuitton, for instance, launched
an apparel collection series based on
Tencent’s massively successful game
League of Legends to accompany
its in-game collaboration on a series
of skins for players. MAC Cosmetics
KEY TRENDS 18

Top: MAC Cosmetics x Honor of Kings
Bottom: Genshin Impact
also partnered with Honor of Kings
on a series of lipsticks that sold
out within 24 hours of their release
in early 2019, as did subsequent
collaborations on lipsticks and
eyeshadows in 2020.
Games such as fantasy roleplaying
Genshin Impact from MiHoYo also
have the ability to inspire a largely
female player base to form fan
communities that gather for events
where players dress up, cos-play
style—investors such as gaming giant
Tencent are taking notice and funding
a crop of new apparel ventures to
reproduce fashions from games.
Chinese games are increasingly
finding fans outside the country as
well, where their broader influence
will be felt for years to come.
In 2020, a total of 37 Chinese
mobile titles earned more than
$100 million in overseas markets,
according to Sensor Tower, and
cumulative revenue for the top 30
most profitable Chinese games
reached $9.24 billion, a year-on-year
increase of 47%. Genshin Impact set
a new monthly revenue record for a
Chinese game in the global market
in October 2020 at $160 million, and
Japan overtook the United States as
the top market for Chinese titles.
KEY TRENDS 19

4. Branded short films
Brands are forging deeper connections
with consumers through film.
Globally, the decline of television
viewership is forcing brands to
invest in content that connects
with consumers on a deeper level
than the typical ad spot. In China,
this trend has been accelerated by
government-imposed restrictions
on airing commercials during prime-
time viewing hours and the shift to
streaming video.
Chinese brands are now displaying
a marked willingness to go beyond
30-second commercials.
Way beyond.
BMW Lunar New Year film 2020, directed by Ning Hao
KEY TRENDS 20

During China’s biggest holiday,
the Lunar New Year, it is almost
de rigueur for brands to mark the
occasion with “gifts” of short films
that convey good wishes to their
customers, helmed by top-tier
filmmakers such as Jia Zhangke and
Ning Hao. Other significant dates
on the Chinese calendar, such as
International Women’s Day on March
8, National Youth Day on May 4,
and graduation season, also offer a
multitude of occasions for brands
to speak to consumers through the
medium of film.
Global brands have also jumped in.
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury auto division,
sponsored the production of the
short film Day Is Done by emerging
director Zhang Dalei as part of its
2020 partnership with China’s First
International Film Festival. The
25-minute picture, about a young
man’s trip to visit his grandfather, went
on to win the Silver Bear Jury Prize at
the Berlin International Film Festival.
Over the past several years, the
Procter & Gamble-owned Japanese
skincare brand SK-II has made a name
for itself with a series of films that
address social issues facing Chinese
women, starting with the Cannes
Golden Lion-winning Marriage Market
Takeover in 2016, which sparked
serious discussions on society’s
suffocating pressure on young
Chinese women to get married.
Building on this foundation, in March
2021 SK-II announced the launch of
its own Singapore-based content
studio, with the mission of sharing
important stories about women with
global audiences.
One of the first films released by
SK-II Studio was the five-minute VS
Obsession, starring Chinese swimmer
Liu Xiang, which explored how
objectification on social media can
overwhelm those in the public eye. It
was part of a series to mark the 2021
Tokyo Summer Olympics, featuring
athletes from around the world who
are expected to participate in the
Games, including American gymnast
Simone Biles and Japanese volleyball
player Hinotori Nippon.
SK-II Studio
KEY TRENDS 21

Alibaba’s Taobao app, with simplified interface for seniors
5. Boomer digital migration
Tech platforms adapt to serve a
mobile-first generation of seniors.
During the pandemic, Alibaba’s
Taobao marketplace reported
a nearly 30% increase in older
customers, as the gray-haired set
were forced to play online catch-up
with their younger brethren just to
buy food and basic supplies.
The pandemic also highlighted the
challenges faced by some older
internet users, who lacked familiarity
with mobile technology such as QR
codes used for health screenings,
leading the government to encourage
the development of senior-friendly
features on tech platforms.
Chinese citizens aged 60 and over
represent one of the final frontiers
for ecommerce, with emerging role
models such as Beijing’s Fashion
Grandmas. (See Five Influencers to
Watch, page 34.)
China’s population is steadily graying,
as life expectancy has increased and
birth rates decline. The most recent
population census released in May
2021 reported approximately 264
million Chinese over 60, accounting for
18.7% of the total population (up 5.44%
from 2010), and the total is forecast
to grow to 300 million by 2025.
Older Chinese tend to be digitally
literate, with many having
leapfrogged computer-based
internet usage and gone straight
to mobile, meaning that they are
comfortable using apps for services
KEY TRENDS 22

Shutterstock
such as shopping. At the end of 2020,
11.2% of China’s roughly one billion
internet users were over 60, while the
total of 50-and-over users was 26.3%,
up from around 17% in March 2020.
iMedia Research projects the size
of China’s “silver economy” as
RMB 5.7 trillion ($880 billion) by the
end of 2021. Compared to younger
generations, older consumers have
higher levels of disposable income and
more time to engage in shopping online.
Groceries and daily necessities are
major categories for older consumers,
while electronics, appliances, and
apparel are growing too.
Alibaba’s Taobao recently launched a
senior version of its popular mobile
app, with features such as enlarged
fonts, streamlined purchasing, and
simplified functions for interaction
with family members.
Short-video app Douyin has rolled out
a voice-command system that makes
it easier for users to post and share
videos, which could also influence its
ecommerce functionality.
KEY TRENDS 23

Perfect Diary eyeshadow palettes, graced by
Li Jiaqi’s dog Never
SHIFTING
INFLUENCE
CHINA’S INFLUENCER CULTURE
IS EVOLVING AND BECOMING
MORE COMPLEX. BIG IS NO
LONGER ALWAYS BETTER.
IT’S NO LONGER ENTIRELY A
YOUTHFUL GAME—SILVER-
HAIRED INFLUENCERS CAN
REACH UNTAPPED AUDIENCES.
AND INFLUENCERS NO LONGER
EVEN HAVE TO BE HUMAN.
6. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs)
as brands
Celebrity influencers leverage their
fame with their own brands.
Influencers, also known as Key
Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in China,
have long been seen as critical
to brand success in the market,
where consumers rely heavily on
recommendations from trusted
sources. And the rapid rise of
ecommerce livestreaming has
boosted demand for on-air sales
talent capable of engaging consumers
during hours-long broadcasts.
The biggest livestreaming influencers
in China have massive followings.
Viya (aka Huang Wei), the top-seller
on Taobao Live, can sell anything
from paper towels to rocket
launches, and draws audiences in the
tens of millions with her candid girl-
next-door persona, albeit one who
can authoritatively dispense reviews
on everything from food to fashion
to appliances. She generated more
than $450 million in sales during
Alibaba’s November 2020 Singles’
Day shopping extravaganza.
Li Jiaqi, who made his name as a
beauty livestreamer and is known
as China’s Lipstick King, has nearly
80 million followers across various
platforms and holds a record for
hosting 389 livestream sessions in
the span of a year.
Now leading influencers are seeking
out opportunities to sell their own
branded products, which may
ultimately be more profitable than
livestreaming. In early 2021, Viya
and her business partner husband
launched a food brand focused on
premium instant noodles, a trending
KEY TRENDS 24

Li Jiaqi the Lipstick King
category among increasingly health-
conscious consumers. Debuting
her new products via livestream,
she invited singer Luhan to appear
and sold goods worth RMB 10
million during the event, a figure it
could take a competitor a year to
reach. And Viya has indicated plans
to expand into a broad range of
consumer goods, including apparel
and cosmetics.
Lipstick King Li, who, like Viya,
sells primarily on Taobao Live,
has developed a reputation as
an entertainer, and now regularly
collaborates with Alibaba-owned
platforms on major marketing
campaigns that go beyond shopping.
These include a recent Tmall
livestream with 10 Chinese artists to
mark International Museum Day on
May 18, exploring the link between
consumer goods and art. He also
played himself in a 2020 film co-
produced by Alibaba Pictures.
Li’s fans have also come to love his
playful bichon frise dogs, which make
regular appearances on his show and
provided a source for new IP, Never’s
Family, named for the lead dog of the
pack. Brands that have sought to tap
into the power of his pets’ IP include
Chinese beauty brand Perfect Diary,
the LVMH-owned Fresh, and South
Korean IP studio Line Friends. Li
now produces pure entertainment
content, such as anime videos, for
his social media platforms.
KEY TRENDS 25

7. Democratization of the influencer
High costs and influencer fraud
prompt brands to ditch KOLs for
KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers).
Chinese and international brands
vie to have the likes of Viya and Li
promoting their products, though this
comes with costs: high appearance
fees and commissions, plus the
requirement for steep discounts
on products. In addition, brands
have to cede a measure of control
over where and how their goods
are presented in a broadcast, which
poses a challenge for luxury brands
in particular, as they may be wary
of finding themselves sandwiched
between flash sales on toothpaste
and buy-one-get-one-free offers.
What’s more, the Chinese influencer
industry is rife with questionable
practices. As much as a third of all
online ad traffic in China is believed
to be fake or fraudulent, and a 2019
report from Chinese ad tech firm
Miaozhen Systems estimated that more
than 57% of KOL followers are fake.
“There is so much engagement
fraud it’s ridiculous,” said Arnold Ma,
founder and CEO of China-focused
digital marketing agency Qumin, in
an interview with Jing Daily. “You
see videos of engagement factories
where they literally have hundreds and
thousands of mobile phones mounted
on walls and stands where people
just go around doing engagements on
different things—that’s one thing that
is slowly destroying the influencer
marketing industry.”
“The really big influencers’
commissions are 30-40%
of sales, which can be a
prohibitive cost for brands.
A lot of these influencers
create a short-term sales
boost, but nothing long-term
for the brand.”
JAMES BAY
GREATER CHINA MANAGING PARTNER COMMERCE,
WUNDERMAN THOMPSON
KEY TRENDS 26

As a result, brands have moved
to explore other options, such
as working with smaller-scale
influencers known as Key Opinion
Consumers (KOCs). These are
regular consumers with fairly small
followings (typically in the hundreds)
who are largely focused on product
reviews. KOCs’ appeal derives
from their relatability and apparent
trustworthiness, as they may be part
of their audience’s social circle.
The lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu
(Little Red Book or RED in English)
has proved a fertile ground for KOC
marketing, as its algorithm favors
smaller accounts and promotes posts
based on topics and hashtags, instead
of emphasizing content from the
accounts a user follows. While KOCs
cannot entirely supplant KOLs for
brand promotion, they offer a far less
expensive and lower-risk alternative.
Xiahongshu
KEY TRENDS 27

16% OF CHINESE
SAY SOCIAL MEDIA
INFLUENCERS ARE THEIR
BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON
BUYING, COMPARED TO
24% WHO SAY FRIENDS
AND FAMILY.
8. Meet the virtual influencer
Virtual influencers are another
emerging option. Although virtual
idols first emerged in Asia more
than a decade ago, primarily as
performers, advances in technology
and increasing demand for online
content during the COVID-19
pandemic made 2020 a breakout
year for digital avatars in China.
Youth-oriented video streaming
platform Bilibili is a hub for China’s
Anime, Comics, and Games (ACG)
community. It works through the
entire chain of virtual idol creation,
from content development to virtual
reality (VR) technology, and hosts
major virtual idol concerts that
merge the online and offline worlds.
Video-streaming platform iQiyi has
created a virtual hip-hop band,
Rich Boom, that appears on shows
and in music-video commercials
for sponsors such as Tsingtao and
Pinduoduo. Alibaba is also investing
heavily in developing virtual idols to
host livestreams.
In 2019, Bilibili acquired China’s
best-known virtual idol, Luo Tianyi,
an anime-inspired young female
singer who has more than five
million followers on Weibo. Luo has
appeared in mainstream productions
such as state broadcaster CCTV’s
Spring Festival Gala (the world’s
most watched television show) and
been accompanied by renowned
classical pianist Lang Lang. Luo has
also collaborated with numerous
brands, including KFC, Nestlé and
L’Occitane, and has appeared in
ecommerce livestreams as well.
The biggest obstacle to the
development of virtual influencers is
cost, since they require a great deal
of technical support, and glitches can
cause embarrassment to brands. As a
result, in the short term, popular digital
influencers are most likely to come
from major tech platforms, which can
then share the technology with brands.
As with real-life influencers, Chinese
tech platforms can also offer ways
to democratize virtual influencers;
for example, Alibaba’s gamified
digital community Taobao Life saw
a spike in adoption during China’s
COVID-19 lockdowns.
Taobao Life, not to be confused
with the livestreaming platform
Taobao Live, is a mobile app that
allows Taobao users to create
and dress virtual avatars, who
can then socialize (and shop)
together in its virtual world. It also
includes branded content, such
as outfits from luxury brands that
can also incentivize engagement
with discount offers for real-world
products, and users can share their
Taobao Life activities on other social
media platforms, spreading their
influence and reach in the process.
KEY TRENDS 28

Virtual idol Luo Tianyi makes an appearance on behalf of
Procter & Gamble at an Alibaba event
KEY TRENDS 29

9. Five influencers to watch
After the mega-influencer, who
comes next?
As the influencer market matures, it’s
splitting into sub-genres, taking a cue
from new market conditions and new
social mores. We look at five up-and-
coming influencers as harbingers of
change and explore the market gaps
that they fill.
The boss influencer
Name: Luo Yonghao
Age: 49
Platform: Douyin
The pandemic ushered in a trend
of “boss livestreaming,” which saw
numerous company founders,
CEOs and top executives take
to livestreaming to pitch their
products. These are often 3C
goods—computers, consumer
electronics, and communications
(mobile phones)—that appeal to
male consumers, in contrast to the
beauty, fashion and fast-moving
consumer goods categories favored
by the mostly female livestreamers
on Taobao Live.
For example, Lei Jun, founder
and CEO of Xiaomi, the Chinese
smartphone maker, made his
Luo Yonghao
KEY TRENDS 30

livestreaming debut on short-video
platform Douyin in August 2020,
reaching 50 million viewers and
netting $30 million in smartphone
and television sales, the South China
Morning Post reported.
One of the surprise ecommerce
livestreaming stars of 2020 was the
somewhat notorious and heavily
indebted tech entrepreneur Luo
Yonghao, who announced a new career
move as a way to pay off his debts.
Luo, founder and CEO of troubled
smartphone maker Smartisan,
made his debut on Douyin in April
2020 with a livestream that drew an
audience of 48 million and racked
up a reported RMB 110 million ($15
million) in gross merchandise volume.
Luo hit RMB 3 billion ($479 million)
in sales volume in 2020, and has
announced an ambitious goal to
reach RMB 10 to 15 billion in 2021.
However, Luo’s broadcasts have been
marred by a number of reported
shortcomings that speak to larger
issues in the ecommerce livestreaming
industry. These range from a lack of
professionalism, such as showing
little enthusiasm and making basic
mistakes with brand names, to
violations of China’s advertising
laws and complaints about product
quality and customer service.
Still, Luo’s success made him a
pioneer in livestreaming targeted
towards male consumers at a time
when they made up only around
20% of the overall ecommerce
livestreaming audience. A little over
a year later, male audience share has
risen to approximately 44%.
“I may not be suited to selling
lipsticks, but I’m confident
that I can become the
‘number one livestreaming
brother’ in many product
categories.”
LUO YONGHAO
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR, FOUNDER, SMARTISAN, AND
TOP-SELLING DOUYIN LIVESTREAM HOST
KEY TRENDS 31

The inclusive influencer
Name: Yang Tianzhen
Age: 36
Platform: Xiaohongshu
Yang Tianzhen stands out from most
other KOLs by promoting inclusivity
and self-acceptance, and launched an
apparel brand, PlusMall, in June 2020
catering to the underserved consumer
group of larger-sized women.
Having started as an agent for
Chinese megacelebrities such as Fan
Bingbing and Luhan, she switched
careers to become a full-time
livestreamer on the lifestyle-oriented
platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red
Book or RED).
Yang’s debut livestream exceeded
expectations, drawing 480,000
viewers and selling goods worth more
Yang Tianzhen
KEY TRENDS 32

distaste for 996 work culture
(working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
six days a week) that prevails in
industries such as tech. Controversy
aside, Yang’s forthright attitude
and confidence have gained her a
loyal following that make her a key
influencer to watch.
than $1 million. She is less active
than many other KOLs, with a total
of just 32 livestream appearances in
the second half of 2020, since she
has numerous other commitments,
including building her fashion
business, making appearances on
reality shows and talk shows, and her
new appointment as a “brand friend”
for Victoria’s Secret.
Yang’s popularity in mainstream
culture could usher in a more open
playing field for Chinese KOLs, as
conventional standards of beauty
are increasingly being challenged.
Yang has also generated controversy
for her apparent support for brutal
work schedules, stating publicly that
she sees no issue with sacrificing
her health for her career, just as
many young Chinese are expressing
“Ladies, don’t fear being
fat. Find your own source of
confidence!Body weight can’t
stop me from loving myself.”
YANG TIANZHEN
CEO, YIXIN ENTERTAINMENT AND FOUNDER, PLUSMALL
KEY TRENDS 33

CHINESE OVER 60 NOW
ACCOUNT FOR
18.7% OF THE TOTAL
POPULATION, UP 5.4%
FROM 2010
The senior influencer
Name: Fashion Grandmas
Age: Late 50s to mid 70s
Platform: Douyin
The Fashion Grandmas, a collective
of around two dozen members aged
from their late 50s to mid 70s, are
social media stars with millions of fans.
They use Beijing streets as their runway
in videos sprinkled with nuggets
of wisdom on life and love, serving
up pop-up ads and livestreamed
product sales along the way.
Inspirational Fashion Grandmas
quotes include “Beauty is not only for
the young” and “Even the elderly can
live a wonderful life!”
China’s mandatory retirement age
is 60 for men and 55 for women.
Chinese seniors—educated and
well-off—have long fueled the
Chinese outbound travel industry,
making it the biggest in the world.
Now they’re making their mark
on online commerce, a transition
speeded up by pandemic lockdowns.
According to Wunderman Thompson
research, 81% of Chinese aged over
55 say they are more comfortable
using digital technology post-COVID,
more than any other age group.
“China’s mobile internet industry has
earned money from every group...
Fashion Grandmas
KEY TRENDS 34

men, women, youngsters, parents, but
not the elderly,” Bian Changyong, chief
executive of Beijing Dama Technology
Company, which handles the Fashion
Grandmas’ social media, told AFP.
“This could be the last structural
opportunity of the industry.”
The Fashion Grandmas are far
from alone. There’s also Grandma
Wang Who Only Wears High Heels,
an 80-year-old with over 16 million
followers on Douyin as of June 2021,
who preaches “self-love” (in high
heels), as well as @IAmGrandmaTian
and @Woshiniwanglaoye, who have
garnered a generation Z following
attracted to their down-to-earth humor.
Fashion Grandmas
KEY TRENDS 35

The actor influencer
Name: Liu Tao, also known as
Liu Yidao
Age: 43
Platform: Juhuasuan
Liu Tao is one of China’s most
popular television actresses, best
known for her roles in hit series such
as Nirvana in Fire and Ode to Joy,
with a Weibo following approaching
45 million as of June 2021. During the
coronavirus pandemic, Liu was one
of many out-of-work celebrities who
took to ecommerce livestreaming
as a way of generating income while
staying in the spotlight.
In May 2020, Liu became an official
ambassador for Juhuasuan, Alibaba’s
flash sales platform, appearing as a
new character named Liu Yidao (Liu
One Knife), represented by a sword-
wielding anime-style figure—a
reference to both her prowess
in slashing prices and her prior
performances in martial arts dramas.
Liu’s debut was among the most
successful of the new crop of
actors-turned-livestreamers,
drawing an audience of 21 million
and generating RMB 148 million
($23.2 million) in sales. While other
celebrities fizzled after their initial
broadcasts, Liu continued to make
regular appearances, with her first
14 livestreaming events averaging 10
million viewers each and helping 129
brands to hit the RMB 1 million sales
milestone. Liu also helped to boost
Juhuasuan’s fortunes—although the
platform was established back in
2013, 90% of Liu’s sales were to first-
time customers, who purchased a
diverse array of goods and services,
Liu Tao
KEY TRENDS 36

including first-class air fares and
ocean-view properties.
While most KOLs host their livestreams
from practically indistinguishable
showrooms, Liu’s set replicates her
home, with different areas dedicated
to specific product categories. She
maintains a high energy level during
hours-long broadcasts while appearing
relaxed and approachable, often
without makeup.
Alibaba has registered trademarks
for the Liu Yidao character, which it
aims to develop into various forms of
IP. In 2020, the animated figure was
featured in a brand collaboration with
the centuries-old knife brand Zhang
Xiao Quan consisting of a box set
of kitchen knives and an illustrated
volume from Liu Yidao titled Nine
Bargaining Tactics.
Her example shows that, while fame
is no guarantee of success when it
comes to ecommerce livestreaming,
ecommerce-related IP is a promising
category for development.
“From now on, my duty shall
be to select the best products
and slash their prices down
further if they’re not
low enough.”
LIU TAO
ACTOR
KEY TRENDS 37

The cross-border influencer
Name: Tamano Ibn Khalid, also
known as Tam
Age: 38
Platform: LazLive
Tam is part of a growing roster of
influencers who are hired, trained
and matched with Chinese brands
looking to sell to specific markets
abroad. The required vibe is friendly
and knowledgeable, but most
importantly they need to speak the
language of the target market and be
relatable to the local audience.
Tam is originally from Manila and
works full-time as an English teacher
in Guangzhou. In March 2020, he was
introduced by friends to TechSEA, a
Guangzhou company that matches
livestreaming talent with brands on
LazLive, the livestreaming platform
for Lazada, Southeast Asia’s biggest
ecommerce platform after Shopee.
“I love talking a lot,” Tam tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
He goes by Tam when livestreaming
to a Filipino audience and by Khalid
when livestreaming to Malaysia. Like
most livestreamers, he gives out
vouchers that are only valid during
the session and does lucky draws to
draw audience participation.
His first livestream was for a Chinese
brand called Winmax, where he
demonstrated gym equipment like
resistance bands and yoga mats.
Since then, he has modeled and sold
clothes for Giordano, cooked live to
sell air fryers and juicers for Miui,
demonstrated earbuds for Baseus
and played Nintendo Switch and
Sony Playstation live to sell game
consoles for LWH Electronics. He
averages 10 to 15 livestream sessions
a month, pulling in Southeast Asian
audiences of up to 30,000 each time.
Unlike mega-influencers with millions
of followers who can command 30-
40% of sales from each livestream
they do, Tam is paid a flat fee for a two-
hour livestream. He declined to reveal
the fee but said it brings in less than
what he earns as an English teacher.
CROSS-BORDER
ECOMMERCE ROSE
46.5% IN THE FIRST
QUARTER OF 2021 TO
RMB 419.5 BILLION ($63.8
BILLION), OR 14.5% OF
TOTAL ECOMMERCE.
Tamano Ibn Khalid
KEY TRENDS 38

CREATED IN
CHINA
AMONG OTHER THINGS, 2020
WILL GO DOWN AS THE YEAR
THAT CHINESE BRANDS FINALLY
MADE IT ON THE WORLD STAGE.
SURPRISINGLY, IT WAS NEITHER
AN ALIBABA ECOMMERCE
PLATFORM NOR A TENCENT-
OWNED SOCIAL APP THAT
GAINED TRACTION OVERSEAS,
BUT TWO YOUNGER UPSTARTS
THAT MANAGED TO WIN THE
RESPECTIVE ATTENTION AND
WALLETS OF GLOBAL GEN Z:
TIKTOK AND THE ULTRAFAST-
FASHION BRAND SHEIN.
C-beauty has overtaken K-beauty
and J-beauty domestically, with a
direct-to-consumer (DTC) approach
via social media marketing, and is
on its way to conquering Southeast
Asia. Looking ahead, a wide anti-
monopoly crackdown on fintech and
online platforms more broadly could
herald new collaborations.
10. TikTok takes over the world
As short-video platform TikTok
dangles the promise of ecommerce,
its Chinese sibling Douyin is already
offering it.
Over the course of 2020, the short-
video platform TikTok became one of
the world’s most popular apps, peaking
with 112 million global downloads in
May 2020. Its parent, Beijing-based
tech giant Bytedance, operates a
counterpart in mainland China called
Douyin, which hints at the future of
global ecommerce fueled by content.
Shutterstock
KEY TRENDS 39

A relative latecomer to ecommerce
in China, Bytedance, through Douyin,
is taking on established players such
as Alibaba and JD.com.
In late 2020, it barred links to third-
party ecommerce platforms from
livestreams hosted on Douyin,
directing users to Douyin online
stores instead. In March 2021, Douyin
introduced flagship stores for
brands with official accounts on the
platform and began building centers
for logistics and product quality
inspection around China, as well as
cross-border warehousing for goods
imported from Southeast Asia and
the United Kingdom. To top it all, the
platform also introduced its own
digital payment system, Douyin Pay,
in early 2021.
Douyin’s ecommerce business
has grown rapidly over the past
year, achieving a reported gross
merchandise value of RMB 500 billion
($76 billion) in 2020, but it has a long
way to go before it approaches the
levels of Alibaba (RMB 7 trillion in
2020), JD.com (RMB 2.6 trillion), and
Pinduoduo (RMB 1.7 trillion), and its
conversion rate reportedly lags that
of the established players.
Douyin has been publicly
downplaying the importance
of ecommerce sales numbers,
emphasizing its ability to offer a high-
quality experience for both buyers
and sellers, and its ultimate bet is
that it can leverage the power of its
600 million-plus daily active users
and the content they create and
consume into a compelling driver for
a new form of ecommerce.
To that end, Douyin’s head of
ecommerce, Kang Zeyu, recently
outlined a vision of “interest-based
ecommerce,” which he described
as “helping people to discover
their potential needs.” This would
presumably use Bytedance’s AI
prowess to satisfy users’ desires
to upgrade their lives and tap into
their shopping preferences via
an understanding of their video
consumption habits.
“The story
of Douyin
ecommerce
has just
started, and
we hope
to grow
with you
together.”
KANG ZEYU
PRESIDENT, DOUYIN
ECOMMERCE
KEY TRENDS 40

11. Shein and the race to rule
ultra-fast fashion
Social media savvy drives a youth-
oriented brand’s viral rise.
Chinese designers have been making
waves in the world’s fashion capitals.
Angel Chen starred in Netflix’s Next
in Fashion competition last year
and collaborated with Adidas and
H&M. The 2021 Spring/Summer Paris
Fashion Week featured collections
from Masha Ma, Uma Wang and
Sandriver, whose founder, Guo
Xiuling, supplied wool to international
luxury brands such as Hermès.
But despite these inroads into high-
end fashion, the biggest Chinese
fashion brand today comes the
other end of the spectrum—
ultra-fast fashion. Most gen Zers
Shein
KEY TRENDS 41

active on social media are familiar
with Chinese fast-fashion brand
Shein, which has leveraged China’s
manufacturing supply chain to
release hundreds of new ultra-
cheap clothing products a day, all for
distribution on a global scale.
Founded around 2008 by
entrepreneur Xu Yangtian (also known
as Chris Xu) in Nanjing as Sheinside.
com, the somewhat secretive
company initially specialized in
selling inexpensive wedding dresses,
and only pivoted to broader retail
in 2015. Since then, it has been on
a path to internet virality via global
social media. As a DTC retailer of
apparel, home goods, pet supplies,
and just about everything else,
Shein has doubled its sales for eight
consecutive years. Recent reports
have valued the company at $30
billion, placing it in ranks that include
H&M ($38 billion) and Zara ($21 billion).
Shein’s success is not premised on
low prices alone. The brand relies
largely on social media marketing,
inviting fans around the world to join
its affiliate program, through which
up-and-coming influencers can
receive commissions for promoting
the brand with posts of their outfits.
As a result, Shein’s Instagram
accounts include content from paid
partnerships with mega-influencers
like American TikToker Addison Rae
(38.4 million followers as of June 2021)
alongside reposts from lesser-known
creators with follower numbers in the
2,000 to 50,000 range.
The brand’s defining strength is a
social media presence based on
user-generated content. The label is
perhaps best known for appearing
in thousands of review videos or
“clothing hauls”—in which creators
model recent purchases and share
their opinions—across TikTok and
YouTube. Of the 10 most-watched
Shein try-on videos on YouTube, only
two were sponsored by the brand.
Now the race is on to find the next
Shein, with venture capital funds
targeting investments at potential
Chinese contenders such as Cider,
which recently secured $22 million
from Andreessen Horowitz and DST
Global. However, Shein’s ability to
churn out endless versions of cheap
clothing every day is not without its
downsides, chief among them the
environmental costs associated with
low-cost manufacturing and clothing
meant to be cast aside almost as
quickly as it can be made.
Shein
KEY TRENDS 42

12. C-beauty goes global
China’s “internet-famous brands” are
developing a new model of DTC
selling based on marketing innovations.
Homegrown beauty brands such
as Perfect Diary and Florasis are
taking the Chinese market by storm,
outselling big names from Japan,
South Korea and France as they
seize the lead in online sales in the
color cosmetics category. Perfect
Diary is a prime example of the new
crop of Chinese wanghong (“internet-
famous”) brands that target young
consumers with frequent releases
of affordable new products sold
primarily through DTC channels
and supported by private traffic
marketing via WeChat groups.
Founded just five years ago by
Yatsen Global, Perfect Diary has
pioneered a concept it terms “beauty
discovery” by focusing on limited-
edition products, many created via
brand collaborations. And like other
leading C-beauty brands, it has
become adept at integrating Chinese
cultural elements into its products,
tying into the broader guochao—or
nationalist chic—trend.
Perfect Diary’s success at home
fueled a $617 million US initial public
offering (IPO) in November 2020 for
Yatsen Global, which is now turning
its attention to the rest of the world.
Over the past year, Yatsen Global has
acquired two international skincare
brands, Eve Lom of the United
Kingdom and Galenic of France,
signaling ambitions to expand from
its current focus on color cosmetics
Troye Sivan, Australian singer-songwriter and global brand
ambassador for Perfect Diary
KEY TRENDS 43

produced by contract manufacturers
to more advanced research and
development.
For Perfect Diary’s expansion, Yatsen
Global has opted to turn to Southeast
Asia’s emerging markets, which exhibit
strong potential for beauty brands
with a projected annual compound
growth rate of 9.3%—even higher
than China’s 8.23%.
Perfect Diary has already become
a top seller in several countries,
leading the cosmetics rankings in
Malaysia during 2020 Singles’ Day
festival on Shopee, in Singapore
during the 12.12 shopping festival
in December 2020, and in Vietnam
during Lazada’s Super Brand Day on
November 11.
To further boost its presence
overseas, Perfect Diary tapped
Australian singer-songwriter Troye
Sivan as a brand ambassador, joining
Chinese movie star Zhou Xun.
Perfect Diary x The Met
KEY TRENDS 44

13. Fintech’s reckoning
Chinese fintech has had its wings
clipped by regulators, in a move
that could have ramifications for
anti-monopolistic practices by tech
companies globally.
In China, two mobile payment
providers, Alibaba’s Alipay and
Tencent’s WeChat Pay, operate
competing systems that together
control as much as 95% of the market.
As Chinese consumers have largely
leapfrogged credit card usage and
adopted digital payments on a mass
scale, the operators of these systems
have been able to collect enormous
amounts of data from transactions
and use it to develop proprietary
insights into consumer behavior.
But while nearly all offline merchants
in China accept both forms of
payment, online has been a different
story. Until recently, shoppers on
Alibaba’s ecommerce platforms
haven’t been able to use WeChat Pay
for their purchases, and shoppers
on JD.com and Pinduoduo—
which counts Tencent as a major
investor—could not use Alipay.
What’s more, brands and merchants
had to pick between one platform
or the other. For example, Alibaba
kept fashion brands on Taobao from
selling on JD.com, giving it a decided
edge in the apparel business.
But the walled gardens built up by
tech firms over the past decade are
now crumbling, with Alibaba bearing
the brunt of regulatory scrutiny thus
far. In late 2020, Chinese authorities
Shutterstock
KEY TRENDS 45

put a halt to Alipay parent Ant
Financial’s planned mega-IPO and
launched an antitrust investigation
into Alibaba’s ecommerce business
practices, resulting in a record $2.8
billion fine and a mandated end to
forced exclusivity.
The crackdown is spreading more
broadly to the platform economy, with
new rules issued in February 2021 by
the State Administration of Market
Regulation specifically targeting tech
firms, and numerous reports of fines
being levied against companies for
anti-competitive practices.
While these moves are unlikely to
dislodge any of the giant players,
they will require such players to work
much harder for future growth, rather
than relying on their market power.
“Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan,
Pinduoduo and JD.com have
already signaled plans to increase
investments substantially in the
coming year,” Vey-Sern Ling, senior
Asia internet analyst at Bloomberg
Intelligence, tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence. “This means
sacrificing profit to benefit users
and merchants, driven by a need to
compete in a different way.”
Ling adds: “Over time, this will lead to
more innovation.”
China’s anti-monopoly crackdown
comes at a time when multiple
governments around the world are
also trying to rein in the power of tech
companies for a slate of reasons,
ranging from anti-trust to political
control to spreading false news.
“Over time, this will lead to
more innovation.”
VEY-SERN LING
SENIOR ANALYST, BLOOMBERG INTELLIGENCE
KEY TRENDS 46

THE NEW
LUXURY
THE LUXURY SECTOR—ONE
OF THE LAST HOLDOUTS
TO EMBRACING AN ONLINE
FUTURE—IS SOFTENING ITS
STANCE.
14. Hard luxury goes online
Even the most rarefied brands have
embraced digital channels in China.
Global luxury brands that previously
relied on Chinese tourists flocking to
their stores in Paris, Milan, London
and New York had to shift gears
during the pandemic and reach them
instead on ecommerce platforms
such as Tmall Luxury Pavilion and
JD.com.
Until the pandemic hit, one major
holdout had been “hard luxury,”
encompassing high-end watches
and fine jewelry, a sector that has
been slower to embrace digital
transformation amid concerns over
brand dilution and the willingness of
core customers to make big-ticket
purchases online.
But, as with everything else, the
coronavirus upended normal rules
and playbooks. In 2020, one of
the most important and exclusive
events, Watches & Wonders
Geneva, shifted to an entirely
online format open to the public.
For the Chinese market, Watches &
Wonders went a step further with an
expansive livestreaming campaign
in partnership with Tmall Luxury
Pavilion and Net-a-Porter. The 2020
Watches & Wonders Tmall Watch
Show ran over five days in April,
and included the debuts of more than
100 new models from nine Richemont
watch brands, including Panerai, Jaeger-
LeCoultre, Piaget and Cartier (which
also launched its own global platform
in English, French and Chinese).
In a twist, many of the new products
were made available for sale once
they appeared on the show, a rarity
for luxury brands, which typically
use such events to preview
upcoming collections.
As China reopened, Watches &
Wonders returned to China in IRL
for an exclusive offline event in
September 2020. This featured
shoppable showcases with a
corresponding online partnership
with Tmall Luxury Pavilion, featuring
shoppable showcases throughout
Tmall and on the official flagship
stores of participating brands,
including Net-a-Porter (a subsidiary
of Richemont, also a major partner
of Watches & Wonders), with curated
content and immersive experiences
promoting new timepieces.
Hard luxury’s online pivot reached
a high point a month later, when
Cartier hosted a major Taobao Live
broadcast as part of the Singles’
Day presales. Celebrity brand
ambassadors made appearances to
help promote more than 400 items,
including a lavish diamond necklace
priced at RMB 190 million ($28.3
million). The two-hour broadcast
drew more than 776,000 viewers,
and is one example of how even the
most rarefied brands seek to appeal to
Chinese consumers on their home turf.
In China, the pandemic also pushed
several other sectors, such as real
estate and autos, that were previously
slow to switch to selling online,
to make major pushes into digital
channels. Livestreaming emerged as a
key route to raising brand awareness,
educating consumers, and driving
sales of major purchases, a trend
that is likely to make its way around
the world as more consumers grow
used to browsing digitally.
KEY TRENDS 47

15. Virtual possessions
Luxury brands in China seed aspiration
in gamers, led by automakers.
Luxury automakers are cultivating
the next generation of consumers,
even those who can’t afford their
pricey wheels yet.
China was the only major auto
market in the world to experience
growth last year, and luxury
brands’ sales surged. More than
2.5 million luxury cars were sold in
China in 2020, up 14.7% from 2019
and representing 13% of overall
passenger vehicle sales, according to
statistics from the China Passenger
Car Association.
In early 2020, Maserati partnered
with Tencent’s Game for Peace—
the Chinese mobile version of
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds—
to offer virtual cars for players,
including its classic Ghibli model
in blue, pink and gold versions. The
collaboration marked the first time an
auto brand was featured in the hugely
popular game, and was reportedly
part of a strategy to raise Maserati’s
profile among young men, since the
Chinese market for the brand had
been predominantly female.
As one of the top-ranking mobile
game titles in China, Game for Peace
has been a popular choice for other
luxury auto brands. During the
week-long Lunar New Year holiday in
2021—a peak gaming period—Aston
Martin and Airbus Helicopters paired
up to offer limited-edition in-game
skins. Even Tesla, which largely
eschews overt marketing campaigns,
worked with the game to offer virtual
models and an in-game shop where
players could purchase real-life
Tesla-branded accessories.
Tesla
KEY TRENDS 48

Rolls-Royce in Tencent’s QQ Speed
KEY TRENDS 49

QQ Speed, another Tencent mobile
game, marked its second anniversary
in 2020 by collaborating with the
ultra-luxe Rolls-Royce brand for
its first launch of virtual cars, a
Dawn model and a futuristic 2035
edition QEX, with racing features
and special skins to enhance the
player experience. Rolls-Royce also
offered a collection of virtual gifts
and coupons for players who logged
in to play, allowing them to engage on
a direct level with one of the world’s
most aspirational brands.
And while auto brands have taken
the lead among high-end consumer
categories in Chinese gaming, globally
a number of luxury fashion brands
have turned to offering virtual goods,
from Louis Vuitton’s League of Legends
collection to Gucci’s $12 Roblox sneakers
to the slew of designer labels (including
Marc Jacobs and Valentino) that
flocked to Nintendo’s Animal Crossing
last year to dress player avatars.
Maserati in Tencent’s Game for Peace
KEY TRENDS 50

THE
SOCIO-POLITICAL
CONSUMER
A NEW GENERATION OF
CHINESE CONSUMERS
POSSESSES DISCRETIONARY
INCOMES AND A DISTINCT
CULTURAL AWARENESS THAT
SETS THEM APART FROM OLDER
GENERATIONS AND THEIR
WESTERN COUNTERPARTS.
THEY PURCHASE LUXURY
GOODS LESS TO SIGNIFY SOCIAL
STATUS AND MORE TO EXPRESS
THEIR INDIVIDUAL TASTES
AND CULTURAL AND SOCIO-
POLITICAL PREFERENCES,
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION IN
SOURCES AS VARIED AS FINE
ART, POPULAR CULTURE, ACG,
STREETWEAR AND SNEAKERS.
Millennials (born after 1980) make
up about a quarter of China’s
population, but account for half of
luxury sales, and some 70% of luxury
fashion and lifestyle sales on Tmall.
Meanwhile, gen Zers are making their
first luxury purchases at the age of 20
on average, according to Bain & Co.
16. Guochao commerce
Purchasing moves beyond serving as
signifier of status to express taste and
individuality, with a dash of patriotism.
One of biggest buzzwords in
marketing and design in recent years
is guochao, or “national trend” (国潮),
reflecting rising interest in domestic
brands, such as sportswear giant
Li-Ning, among young consumers
who take pride in doing their part to
support “made in China,” especially
at a time of rising geopolitical
tensions with the United States.
“Young people have only seen the
China that has most of the world's
billion-dollar startups, the best
technology in the world, global
influence, rapid economic growth, so
they have a real, innate, fundamental
confidence about themselves and
about the country,” said Arnold Ma
of Qumin. “That's why guochao is
super popular.”
Li-Ning’s limited-edition Way of Wade sneakers
KEY TRENDS 51

Guochao generally refers to the
incorporation of Chinese elements
into product design, and while this
often translates to taking inspiration
from traditional sources of art,
the term also encompasses time-
honored Chinese brands, patriotic
insignia, classic animation and other
IP that evokes nostalgia, and even
cutting-edge advances such as the
national space program.
The core demographic for guochao
products are gen Z and millennial
consumers, who are keen to explore
China’s expansive cultural heritage
in novel ways, such as through the
subcategory of culturally oriented
collaborations known as wenchuang
(literally, cultural creations) with
institutions such as the Palace
Museum in Beijing.
Li-Ning
KEY TRENDS 52

Another major trend is collectible
toys (also known as art toys or
designer toys), including rare
figurines with potentially high
resale value. The products—often
involving collaborations between toy
manufacturers such as Pop Mart and
brands, artists and designers—have
sparked a collecting frenzy among
China’s cultural consumers, and their
distribution through unlabeled “blind
boxes” makes them affordable as
entry-level art, adding an element of
play and surprise to the experience
of collecting. China’s collectible toy
market was estimated to be worth
RMB 20.7 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2019
and is expected to rise more than
RMB 76 billion ($11.7 billion) by 2024.
Chinese cultural consumers
also prize limited editions and
collaborations in fashion, with
exclusivity often a more important
factor than brand names. China’s
thriving sneaker resale market has
seen limited-edition drops from
domestic brands such as Li-Ning and
Anta sneakers selling for many times
their original prices, and domestic
streetwear brands have been
drawing more attention from Chinese
cultural consumers for their fusions
of traditional design elements with
contemporary streetwear.
Top: Pop Mart’s blind box dolls
Bottom: Shutterstock
KEY TRENDS 53

17. The ethical consumer
Sustainability, feminism, and inclusivity
as part of the marketing equation.
Like their Western counterparts,
Chinese consumers are becoming
increasingly attuned to sustainability,
gender equality and inclusivity.
The stresses and demands of
contemporary Chinese society
have pushed a growing number of
Chinese consumers to seek out
more minimalist and purposeful
lifestyles. The government’s push
towards reducing the nation’s
carbon footprint and the COVID-19
pandemic have heightened consumer
sensitivity towards environmental
issues, health and wellbeing.
Thirty-seven percent of Chinese
consumers strongly agree that
companies should put people and
planet before profit compared
to 33% of Americans, according
to a 2021 survey by Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence. Chinese
respondents also indicated a greater
willingness to switch brands based
on sustainability factors than
Western consumers.
Reducing packaging waste has
become a top priority. Alibaba
has established recycling stations
and introduced in-app bonuses to
encourage customers to participate,
while close to 2,000 universities
across the country have set up
packaging-sharing hubs to encourage
reuse by members of the campus
communities. Brands are also
creating more reusable packaging,
Biodegradable packaging from Alibaba’s Tmall and
Cainiao Logistics
KEY TRENDS 54

especially around major holidays
when gift boxes are traditionally
given. The new trend is to offer boxes
that can be saved and reused for
various purposes, such as to store
jewelry or as a lunch container.
Another area where Chinese
consumers have been actively
speaking out is on traditional beauty
standards and gender stereotypes.
The body positivity movement is
gaining traction, represented by the
success of celebrity agent-turned-
influencer Yang Tianzhen (see Five
Influencers to Watch, page 32).
Chinese intimates brand Neiwai is
another prominent example, with
campaigns over the past two years
that highlight a diverse array of
body types wearing its minimalist
and comfortable designs. Aimed
at empowering female consumers,
Neiwai
KEY TRENDS 55

Neiwai’s marketing shares women’s
personal experiences in challenging
stereotypes and has generated a
consistently positive response on
social media channels.
Feminism has also emerged as a
universal topic, rather than one just
to be addressed during occasions
such as International Women’s
Day on March 8. On social media,
Chinese netizens have been quick
to react to brand marketing that
objectifies women or promotes
gender stereotypes. In early 2021,
the Chinese DTC lingerie brand
Ubras came under fire for ads
featuring a male comedian who
implied that wearing the company’s
underwear would allow women
to find career success simply by
“lying down.” Around the same
time, tissue brand Purcotton was
forced to apologize for an ad that
showed a woman purposely making
herself unattractive by removing her
makeup with its products to avoid an
unwanted suitor.
“Young people have only
seen the China that has most
of world’s billion-dollar
startups, the best technology
in the world, global influence,
rapid economic growth,
so they have a real, innate,
fundamental confidence
about themselves and about
the country.”
ARNOLD MA
FOUNDER AND CEO, QUMIN
37% OF CHINESE
CONSUMERS STRONGLY
AGREE THAT COMPANIES
SHOULD PUT PEOPLE
AND PLANET BEFORE
PROFIT.
KEY TRENDS 56

To assess the readiness of other
markets to embrace new channels
and behaviors pioneered in China,
we analyzed survey data from
10,158 respondents in China,
Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan and
Thailand who shop online at least
once a month.
We looked at post-pandemic versus
pre-pandemic frequency of online
shopping; how much consumers
are happy to spend online; to
what extent they are swayed
by personalized offers, online
influencers and others; and their
openness to spending on social
media and gaming platforms.
We further parsed the data by
gender and generations, to produce a
nuanced and at times surprising
picture for marketers of where these
markets are heading.
The survey covered 10,158
respondents was conducted
between March 26 and April 14, 2021.
It was conducted by Censuswide for
Wunderman Thompson Commerce’s
Future Shopper 2021 and analyzed by
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
COUNTRY SAMPLE SIZES
CHINA 2,076
AUSTRALIA 2,021
INDIA 2,000
INDONESIA 1,015
JAPAN 2,021
THAILAND 1,025
TOTAL 10,158
BY THE NUMBERS 58

HOW OFTEN DO YOU SHOP ONLINE?
EVERY DAY
4-6 TIMES A WEEK
2-3 TIMES A WEEK
ONCE A WEEK
ONCE EVERY 2-3 WEEKS
ONCE A MONTH
While Chinese consumers overall
are undoubtedly the online shopping
champions of the world, other
markets are catching up.
27% of Chinese shop online four to
six times a week, compared with
19% of Indians, 14% of Thais, 12% of
Australians and 11% of Indonesians.
However, when it comes to a small
band of early, dedicated converts
who shop online every single
day, the results are more even
across countries.
9% of Indian consumers say they
shop online every day, compared
to 7% in China. The proportions of
Australian, Indonesian and Thai daily
online shoppers all hover around 6%.
Thai and Indonesian consumers are
further behind on the curve, with
most likely to shop two to three
times a week.
Japanese consumers are the least
frequent online shoppers.
Japanese consumers are most likely
to space out their online shopping
to once a month (34%) or once every
two to three weeks (32%).
SHOPPING FREQUENCY
7%
6%
9%
6%
2%
6%
27%
12%
19%
11%
3%
14%
15%
21%
21%
17%
19%
18%
10%
23%
16%
19%
32%
17%
4%
18%
15%
18%
34%
16%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
38%
20%
21%
30%
9%
29%
7%
6%
9%
6%
2%
6%
27%
12%
19%
11%
3%
14%
15%
21%
21%
17%
19%
18%
10%
23%
16%
19%
32%
17%
4%
18%
15%
18%
34%
16%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
38%
20%
21%
30%
9%
29%
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 59

Chinese consumers are willing to
spend the most on online purchases
(average of $1,507), though Australia
is not far behind (average of $1,177).
Overall, males are generally willing
to spend more online, except in
India, where female shoppers are
marginally ahead.
SPENDING POWER
CHINA
MALE
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
FEMALE
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
JAPAN
THAILAND
THAILAND
0 750 1,500 2,250 3,000
$2,020
$1,134
$234
$248
$100
$81
$758
$293
$702
$279
$2,314
$740
0 400 800 1,200 1,600
$1,507
$1,177
$239
$91
$523
$471
WHAT IS THE MOST YOU ARE HAPPY TO SPEND ON A PRODUCT ONLINE?
MEAN ($)
MEAN ($) - GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 750 1,500 2,250 3,000
$2,020
$1,134
$234
$248
$100
$81
$758
$293
$702
$279
$2,314
$740
0 400 800 1,200 1,600
$1,507
$1,177
$239
$91
$523
$471
0 750 1,500 2,250 3,000
$2,020
$1,134
$234
$248
$100
$81
$758
$293
$702
$279
$2,314
$740
0 400 800 1,200 1,600
$1,507
$1,177
$239
$91
$523
$471
BY THE NUMBERS 60

16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
MEAN ($) - AGE BREAKDOWN
There are significant country
differences when it comes to what
consumers are willing to spend
online, as well as differences among
generations.
In China, millennials and older
generation Zers are more
comfortable spending larger
amounts online.
In Japan and Thailand, it is the
over-55s who are most willing to
spend larger amounts online, likely
a reflection of disposable income as
much as general comfort with
online shopping.
Over-55s in Australia are also
more willing to fork out larger
amounts online.
India and Indonesia are the most
uniform across generations when it
comes to how much consumers are
willing to spend online.
0 750 1,500 2,250
$1,221
$2,111
$1,350
$1,259
$412
$336
$971
$2,148
$1,180
$1,853
$192
$258
$288
$247
$168
$62
$99
$97
$110
$100
$262
$282
$420
$655
$735
$118
$469
$407
$885
$1,404
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 750 1,500 2,250
$1,221
$2,111
$1,350
$1,259
$412
$336
$971
$2,148
$1,180
$1,853
$192
$258
$288
$247
$168
$62
$99
$97
$110
$100
$262
$282
$420
$655
$735
$118
$469
$407
$885
$1,404
BY THE NUMBERS 61

($)
Bear in mind that the mean or
average is skewed upwards by a
small number of big spenders.
The median price—what the bulk
of consumers are willing to spend—
can be far lower.
However, the mean is a useful
indicator of market potential for
luxury brands and other big-ticket
retailers.
In China, for example, luxury brands
are increasingly going online.
MEDIAN
MEAN
0 400 800 1,200 1,600
$52
$471
$345
$ 1,507
$173
$1,177
$104
$239
$25
$91
$173
$523
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 62

The pandemic and accompanying
lockdowns have pushed record
numbers online, often through sheer
necessity when shops were
shuttered.
Thailand has made the biggest
strides in this game of digital catch-
up, with 88% of Thais now more
comfortable using digital technology,
followed by 76% of Indians, 73% of
Indonesians and 51% of Australians
declaring themselves now
more familiar with digital tools.
Even in China, which already boasted
a high level of digital literacy
before the pandemic, 62% declare
themselves more comfortable using
digital technology post-pandemic.
39% of Japanese are more
comfortable in the digital realm
post-COVID-19.
Overall, females are marginally more
likely than males to say they are
more comfortable using digital tools
post-pandemic.
POST-PANDEMIC ATTITUDES
“MORE COMFORTABLE” USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY POST-COVID-19
“MORE COMFORTABLE” USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY POST-COVID-19 -
GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
61%
63%
74%
80%
72%
73%
39%
38%
88%
88%
46%
52%
0 25 50 75
62%
50%
76%
73%
39%
88%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
61%
63%
74%
80%
72%
73%
39%
38%
88%
88%
46%
52%
0 25 50 75
62%
50%
76%
73%
39%
88%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
61%
63%
74%
80%
72%
73%
39%
38%
88%
88%
46%
52%
0 25 50 75
62%
50%
76%
73%
39%
88%
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
CHINA
MALE
AUSTRALIA
FEMALE
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 63

“MORE COMFORTABLE” USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY POST-COVID-19 -
AGE BREAKDOWN
In China, older generations played
catch-up, with 81% of over-55s
saying they are more comfortable
using digital technology
post-pandemic.
The age pattern is flipped in other
Asian countries, with younger
generations more likely to report
growing ease with technology than
their elders.
Thailand is a standout, with more
than eight out of 10 in every age
range reporting they are more
comfortable using digital tools.
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
50%
66%
62%
58%
81%
55%
56%
52%
51%
32%
70%
77%
83%
80%
75%
63%
73%
77%
82%
71%
62%
45%
37%
35%
30%
83%
87%
90%
90%
85%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
50%
66%
62%
58%
81%
55%
56%
52%
51%
32%
70%
77%
83%
80%
75%
63%
73%
77%
82%
71%
62%
45%
37%
35%
30%
83%
87%
90%
90%
85%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
BY THE NUMBERS 64

More than two thirds of respondents
across the board—slightly less in
Japan—say online shopping came to
their rescue in 2020. Further,
they expect this trend to continue
into 2021.
Thais were most positive about
online shopping going forward,
with nine out of 10 Thais in all age
groups saying online shopping will be
more important to them in 2021.
Indians and Indonesians are not far
behind, at 89% and 81% respectively.
LOOKING AHEAD
AGREE THAT ONLINE SHOPPING WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT
TO ME IN 2021
0 25 50 75 100
87%
60%
89%
81%
64%
96%
AGREE THAT ONLINE SHOPPING WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT TO ME
IN 2021 - AGE BREAKDOWN
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
CHINA AUSTRALIA INDIA INDONESIA JAPAN THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
85%
86%
86%
90%
91%
62%
66%
61%
58%
43%
87%
89%
93%
84%
95%
79%
81%
82%
82%
86%
73%
73%
72%
61%
54%
94%
96%
98%
96%
97%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
85%
86%
86%
90%
91%
62%
66%
61%
58%
43%
87%
89%
93%
84%
95%
79%
81%
82%
82%
86%
73%
73%
72%
61%
54%
94%
96%
98%
96%
97%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
BY THE NUMBERS 65

Personalized offers, friend
recommendations, and influencer
endorsements are key elements of
China̕s online commerce world.
Likewise, consumers in India,
Thailand and Indonesia also rank
these elements as very or quite
important when deciding whether to
buy something online.
However, consumers in Japan and
Australia are less interested in being
marketed to this way.
SOURCES OF INFLUENCE
HOW IMPORTANT ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FRIENDS WHEN
PURCHASING A PRODUCT ONLINE? (VERY + QUITE)
HOW IMPORTANT ARE ONLINE INFLUENCERS WHEN PURCHASING
A PRODUCT ONLINE? (VERY + QUITE)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
79%
58%
80%
76%
40%
76%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
71%
36%
77%
46%
41%
73%
HOW IMPORTANT ARE PERSONALIZED OFFERS WHEN
PURCHASING A PRODUCT ONLINE? (VERY + QUITE)
0 20 40 60 80
87%
62%
88%
82%
50%
93%
BY THE NUMBERS 66

SOURCES OF INFLUENCE
Overall, consumers say they are
more likely to be swayed by the
opinions of friends and family than
those of social media influencers,
celebrities and even in-store sales
assistants.
In China, the country that created
the mega-influencer capable
of moving millions of dollars of
merchandise in a single livestream, a
degree of influencer fatigue is
setting in.
About 24% of Chinese say
friends and family are now their
biggest influence on buying
decisions, versus 16% who cite
social media influencers and 4%
who say celebrities. In China,
some online marketers are tapping
into this shift by promoting friend
recommendations, micro-influencers
and peer-to-peer networks.
In India, Indonesia and Thailand,
though, there̕s still a fair amount
of interest in social media
influencers. In India, for example,
23% of consumer say social media
influencers have most clout when
it comes to their online purchasing
decisions, while 21% cite family
members and 20% say friends.
The Japanese are most likely to
declare themselves unmoved by any
marketing tactics, with 39% saying
nothing and no one influences their
buying decisions.
BY THE NUMBERS 67

WHO INFLUENCES YOU MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO BUY?
2%
2%
6%
1%
2%
3%
7%
2%
4%
4%
3%
4%
6%
1%
2%
0.5%
1%
0.3%
0.2%
2%
0.4%
2%
0.7%
1.%
1%
1%
2%
0.3%
0.5%
0.2%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
2%
2%
6%
1%
1%
2%
6%
31%
4%
11%
39%
18%
24%
20%
20%
15%
12%
12%
16%
13%
23%
25%
12%
19%
7%
4%
8%
7%
4%
8%
5%
4%
3%
2%
6%
8%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
25%
17%
21%
31%
18%
24%
BUSINESS PEOPLE
NOTHING/NO ONE
COLLEAGUES
FRIENDS
SPORTS PEOPLE
&ATHLETES
FAMILY MEMBERS
JOURNALISTS
SOCIAL MEDIA
INFLUENCERS
OTHER
CELEBRITIES
POLITICIANS
IN-STORE SALES
ASSISTANTS
BY THE NUMBERS 68

There is high interest in shopping
on social channels in almost all the
countries surveyed, led by Thailand.
88% of Thais say they intend to shop
more through social media platforms
in future, followed by 78% of Indians,
69% of Indonesians and 45% of
Australians.
In China, where social commerce is
already big, 80% of consumers say
they intend to shop more on social
platforms in future.
Japanese consumers are least
interested, though a significant
minority—one quarter—express
interest in shopping on social
platforms.
Females are more likely than males
to be interested in buying on social
platforms in every country except
Indonesia, where males are ahead.
SOCIAL COMMERCE
DO YOU INTEND TO SHOP MORE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS IN THE FUTURE? - YES
PLATFORMS IN THE FUTURE? - YES - GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
83%
77%
81%
72%
65%
17%
33%
87%
89%
38%
47%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
80%
45%
78%
69%
25%
88%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
83%
77%
81%
72%
65%
17%
33%
87%
89%
38%
47%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
80%
45%
78%
69%
25%
88%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
83%
77%
81%
72%
65%
17%
33%
87%
89%
38%
47%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
80%
45%
78%
69%
25%
88%
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
CHINA
MALE
AUSTRALIA
FEMALE
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 69

DO YOU INTEND TO SHOP MORE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS IN
THE FUTURE? - YES - AGE BREAKDOWN
Gen Z and millennials, predictably,
are generally more interested
in social shopping than older
generations.
The anomaly is Thailand, where 82%
of over-55s say they are interested
in social shopping, the highest
among all countries.
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
86%
79%
81%
62%
63%
49%
45%
31%
17%
78%
83%
80%
51%
38%
65%
73%
69%
68%
38%
57%
39%
22%
20%
12%
93%
91%
89%
69%
82%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
86%
79%
81%
62%
63%
49%
45%
31%
17%
78%
83%
80%
51%
38%
65%
73%
69%
68%
38%
57%
39%
22%
20%
12%
93%
91%
89%
69%
82%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
BY THE NUMBERS 70

LIVE COMMERCE
WHAT WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURCHASE MORE THROUGH
SOCIAL PLATFORMS IN THE FUTURE? (LIVESTREAM COMMERCE)
WHAT WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURCHASE MORE THROUGH
SOCIAL PLATFORMS IN THE FUTURE? (ENDORSEMENTS/INFLUENCERS)
0 5 10 15 20 25
26%
7%
19%
19%
4%
28%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
80%
45%
79%
80%
31%
86%
Livestream commerce, pioneered in
China, is still fairly new in most other
markets but it is starting to garner
interest in some.
28% of Thai respondents
say livestreaming would nudge them
to buy more on social platforms,
more even than the 26% of Chinese
who say the same.
19% of Indians and Indonesians
say they could also be enticed
by livestreaming to buy on social
platforms. Just 7% of Australians
and 4% of Japanese feel the same.
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 71

SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE
Consumers are very interested in an
experience where they can navigate
without friction across channels.
86% of Thai consumers say they
wish brands communicated with
them seamlessly across channels,
slightly more than the 80% of
Chinese, Indian and Indonesian
consumers who say the same.
Australians and Japanese are less
keen, perhaps because of privacy
and tracking concerns.
I WISH BRANDS COMMUNICATED SEAMLESSLY WITH ME
ACROSS DIFFERENT CHANNELS E.G. FROM SOCIAL MEDIA TO
BRAND WEBSITE TO STORE (STRONGLY + SOMEWHAT AGREE)
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
80%
45%
79%
80%
31%
86%
BY THE NUMBERS 72

DO YOU PLAY GAMES ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PLATFORMS?
41%
31%
27%
25%
12%
19%
86%
61%
83%
88%
34%
91%
1%
4%
2%
2%
5%
1%
6%
20%
4%
7%
48%
4%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
70%
33%
60%
45%
18%
54%
CONSOLE
COMPUTER
MOBILE PHONE
NONE OF THESE
I DON’T PLAY GAMES ON ANY PLATFORM
GAMING PLATFORMS
Across the region, mobile gaming is
the most popular platform, though
significant numbers also play games
on consoles and on their computers.
More than eight in 10 respondents in
China, India, Indonesia and Thailand
play games on their mobile phones.
By contrast, six out of 10 Australians
play games on mobile and only three
out of 10 Japanese do.
Just under half of Japanese say they
don’t play games on any platform.
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
41%
31%
27%
25%
12%
19%
86%
61%
83%
88%
34%
91%
1%
4%
2%
2%
5%
1%
6%
20%
4%
7%
48%
4%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
70%
33%
60%
45%
18%
54%
BY THE NUMBERS 73

Those playing games on mobile
phones are fairly evenly split
gender-wise, though females are
pulling ahead in Australia, China,
Japan and Thailand.
China is a gaming nation, with more
than eight in 10 Chinese respondents
playing games on mobile phones.
What’s surprising is 91% of over-55s
say they do so.
Thailand is on par with China, also
with more than eight out of 10 saying
they play mobile games and 82% of
over-55s saying they do.
Mobile games are also very popular
in India and Indonesia, though less so
with older generations.
GAMER DEMOGRAPHICS
PLAYING GAMES ON MOBILE PHONES - AGE BREAKDOWN
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
88%
89%
83%
80%
91%
72%
67%
69%
61%
26%
78%
86%
89%
79%
70%
88%
91%
87%
84%
57%
40%
44%
41%
35%
18%
84%
94%
93%
89%
82%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
88%
89%
83%
80%
91%
72%
67%
69%
61%
26%
78%
86%
89%
79%
70%
88%
91%
87%
84%
57%
40%
44%
41%
35%
18%
84%
94%
93%
89%
82%
MALE
CHINA
FEMALE
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
84%
87%
83%
84%
90%
86%
32%
35%
91%
92%
49%
66%
PLAYING GAMES ON MOBILE PHONES - GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 750 1,500 2,250 3,000
$2,020
$1,134
$234
$248
$100
$81
$758
$293
$702
$279
$2,314
$740
0 400 800 1,200 1,600
$1,507
$1,177
$239
$91
$523
$471
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
BY THE NUMBERS 74

The majority of Chinese, Indian and
Thai respondents already spend
money in gaming platforms.
Males are more likely than females
to spend money in gaming platforms
in all countries except Japan.
GAMING COMMERCE
DO YOU SPEND MONEY IN ANY OF THOSE PLATFORMS? - YES
DO YOU SPEND MONEY IN ANY OF THOSE PLATFORMS? - YES
- GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
81%
75%
82%
77%
61%
54%
30%
34%
78%
66%
61%
49%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
52%
80%
57%
32%
72%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
81%
75%
82%
77%
61%
54%
30%
34%
78%
66%
61%
49%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
52%
80%
57%
32%
72%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
81%
75%
82%
77%
61%
54%
30%
34%
78%
66%
61%
49%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
77%
52%
80%
57%
32%
72%
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
CHINA
MALE
AUSTRALIA
FEMALE
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 75

PLATFORMS IN THE FUTURE? - YES - AGE BREAKDOWN
Across all countries surveyed, while
younger generations are most likely
by far to spend money in gaming
platforms, their elders appear to be
catching up.
55% of Chinese over-55s and 32%
of their Thai counterparts already
spend money in gaming platforms.
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
87%
88%
76%
61%
55%
63%
58%
54%
40%
15%
81%
86%
78%
56%
31%
60%
63%
55%
38%
36%
49%
40%
33%
27%
15%
81%
80%
68%
50%
32%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
87%
88%
76%
61%
55%
63%
58%
54%
40%
15%
81%
86%
78%
56%
31%
60%
63%
55%
38%
36%
49%
40%
33%
27%
15%
81%
80%
68%
50%
32%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
BY THE NUMBERS 76

As virtual worlds become richer
and more complex, and as people
spend more time in them, they’re
also spending more money on virtual
products and experiences.
82% of Chinese respondents
say they are interested in buying
matching products for themselves
and their avatars on gaming
platforms.
India is not far behind, with 81% of
consumers saying they would do
this, as would about two thirds of
Thai and Indonesian respondents.
Male gamers are more likely to say
they will buy products on gaming
platforms, except in China and
Japan, where women are more likely.
GAMING COMMERCE
WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN BUYING THE SAME PRODUCTS FOR
YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR AVATAR ON THOSE PLATFORMS? - YES
YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR AVATAR ON THOSE PLATFORMS? - YES -
GENDER BREAKDOWN
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
83%
82%
81%
70%
60%
17%
29%
70%
63%
49%
39%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
42%
81%
65%
23%
66%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
83%
82%
81%
70%
60%
17%
29%
70%
63%
49%
39%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
42%
81%
65%
23%
66%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
83%
82%
81%
70%
60%
17%
29%
70%
63%
49%
39%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
82%
42%
81%
65%
23%
66%
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
CHINA
MALE
AUSTRALIA
FEMALE
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
BY THE NUMBERS 77

YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR AVATAR ON THOSE PLATFORMS? - YES -
AGE BREAKDOWN
CHINA
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
INDONESIA
JAPAN
THAILAND
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
85%
88%
77%
85%
57%
54%
45%
36%
33%
11%
80%
85%
83%
67%
59%
63%
71%
65%
50%
43%
48%
28%
23%
15%
7%
78%
75%
61%
46%
36%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
85%
88%
77%
85%
57%
54%
45%
36%
33%
11%
80%
85%
83%
67%
59%
63%
71%
65%
50%
43%
48%
28%
23%
15%
7%
78%
75%
61%
46%
36%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
While younger generations are
most likely to want to buy products
for themselves and their avatars,
about half of over-55s in China, India
and Indonesia say they would be
interested too.
This is another sign the senior
market is migrating online to play
and spend.
BY THE NUMBERS 78

TRANSCENDENT RETAIL TRENDS WHAT THIS MEANS
As digital habits and platforms proliferate, new retail touchpoints are
emerging.
The future of connected retail goes far beyond digital storefronts, bridging
gaming, entertainment and social elements.
Livestream explodes as the world follows China before the camera. Think beyond product function to product storytelling.
Growing fraud and mistrust are eroding the current influencer landscape. In its place, a grassroots influence movement is taking shape—leading to a
more authentic, relatable and ultimately trustworthy class of influencers.
Gen Z’s cultural clout and growing economic influence has helped to redirect
the world’s focus to China—while shining a spotlight on the power of user-
generated content and homegrown marketing.
In the world of social retail, digital content takes on a life of its own,
highlighting the importance of interactive formats.
Seniors—digitally literate and with higher disposable incomes—are migrating
online and expanding their influence.
What’s your senior strategy? Seniors are an untapped market for brands that
can sidestep stereotypes and speak well to older consumers.
Luxury and digital increasingly go hand in hand, as luxury brands embrace and
elevate digital activations.
What are the digital markers of value? How can brands communicate quality
virtually?
The luxury category is going beyond physical products, opening new
opportunities for digital artisanship.
What does high-end craftsmanship look like in the digital realm? How can
luxury brands translate heritage and artisanal goods from physical to virtual?
Purchasing gets personal. A choice in brand is becoming an expression of
individuality, values and patriotism.
Help consumers express themselves through the products by taking pride in
what makes them—and you—unique.
Chinese consumers are prioritizing sustainability and inclusive marketing at
the shelf.
Sustainable practices and inclusive messaging are more than just trust-
building exercises. Brands will need to show how they are creating meaningful
change in order to win Chinese consumers’ trust—and wallets.
TAKEAWAYS 80

Contact:
Chen May Yee
APAC Director of Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence
mayyee.chen@
wundermanthompson.com
Sky Canaves
Content Director
Jing Daily
sky@jingdaily.com
Editor
Chen May Yee
Writer
Sky Canaves
Researchers
Zihao Liu
Safa Arshadullah
Designer:
Jay Yeo
Copy editors:
Hester Lacey, Katie Myers and
Harriet O’Brien
About Wunderman Thompson Intelligence
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence is Wunderman Thompson’s futurism,
research and innovation unit. It charts emerging and future global trends,
consumer change, and innovation patterns—translating these into insight
for brands. It offers a suite of consultancy services, including bespoke
research, presentations, cobranded reports and workshops. It is also active
in innovation, partnering with brands to activate future trends within their
framework and execute new products and concepts. It is led by Emma Chiu
and Marie Stafford, Global Directors of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
About Jing Daily
Jing Daily is the leading digital publication on luxury consumer trends in
China. It is the flagship publication of Jing Group, which also includes China
Film Insider, MOVE THE MIND, Jing Travel and Jing Culture & Commerce. Our
readers are industry leaders seeking to understand China’s complex and
rapidly evolving luxury industry. The Jing Group also encompasses the Jing
Academy, which brings together the expertise of a team with decades of
experience in China’s luxury, culture, technology, branded content and travel
industries.
We would like to thank the experts, analysts and practitioners who gave
their time and insights to enrich this report. They are: James Bay, Greater
China managing partner for commerce, Wunderman Thompson; Zhao Hui,
spokesperson, Lazada Cross-border Eco-innovation Service Center; Tamano
Ibn Khalid, cross-border livestreamer; Vey-Sern Ling, senior analyst, Asia
internet, Bloomberg Intelligence; Sherwin Loh, vice president public relations,
Lazada; Arnold Ma, founder and CEO, Qumin; Ying Mao, senior manager, public
relations, Lazada; Bryce Whitwam, adjunct instructor of marketing, New York
University School of Professional Studies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 81

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