Generation Z in China the new focus of luxury fashion brands, which woo them with sneakers, streetwear and celebrities such as Fan Chengcheng
- Shoppers in China born since the mid-1990s spend more than counterparts in other markets, are nationalistic and prefer to buy products made in China
- Getting their custom is a challenge for Western luxury brands, which are turning to athleisure and collaborations with Chinese celebrities to reach them
The needs, quirks and interests of millennials have been analysed to death in newspapers, and by think tanks and marketing agencies. But the fashion industry – famously fascinated with all things shiny and new – has recently turned its attention to Generation Z. This group incorporates everyone born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, and they make up 20 per cent of the Chinese population, with the oldest among them now reaching their mid-20s.
In the West, this age group is yet to make much of a mark on the fashion industry, but a report by management consultancy Bain has shown Chinese shoppers to be significantly younger than anywhere else in the world, with Gen Z already accounting for a substantial proportion of sales – hence the feeding frenzy for their custom.
According to another global consultancy firm, OC&C Strategy Consultants, under-25s account for around 13 per cent of household spending in China, the highest among nine countries it profiled, among them Brazil, France, Germany, the UK and the United States.