China’s hottest online items of 2023: sex scandal ‘dismissal dress’, US$280,000 concert ticket, virtual Einstein’s brain, books, health pills lead way
- Post-pandemic economic bounce back sparks online buying frenzy
- News of viral sales from last year provides a picture of country’s latest social and cultural trends
The year just passed saw a recovery in consumption in China in the wake of Covid-19 restrictions being lifted in the country.
The Post has picked a few items from last year’s top sellers, combining the newly published data from China’s e-commerce giant Taobao.com – which is operated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post – and news of viral sales from last year, to give you a picture of the country’s latest social and cultural trends.
Dismissal dress
In June, a “mistress” scandal engulfed an executive from a state-owned oil company and one of his subordinates.
The online sensation was born after a street photographer posted a video of the executive and his “mistress” holding hands in a busy shopping area which led to the dismissal of them both.
However, thanks to the scandal, there was an unexpected winner – the silk pink dress the woman was wearing in the video.
Despite the item of clothing being dubbed the “dismissal dress”, it sold like hotcakes on Taobao.com, with more than 4,000 people buying the dress in a month and more than 12 million checking the dress out online.
US$280,000 concert ticket
As hustle and bustle made a comeback last year, concerts were among the most popular events.