Rather than chasing fast fashion trends and expensive western luxury brands, Ms Mi Gao, a graduate student from Zhuhai city in China’s southern Guangdong province, opts for style and practicality when buying clothes and accessories. The 25-year-old is part of a new generation of frugal Gen Z consumers in China, born after 2000, who experts say have been greatly reevaluating their spending habits and purchases, becoming more rational and discerning with their choices as they grapple with a multitude of issues like high youth unemployment rates amid growing economic uncertainty . Like her peers, Ms Mi is always on the hunt for the best deals and discounts.
She regularly turns to livestream auctions hosted on popular domestic apps like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, where hosts and sellers plug everything from clothes and accessories to tech gadgets while fielding rapid-fire questions live from thousands of viewers and potential buyers. The avid online shopper shared with CNA her love of fashion and how she scours popular online e-commerce platforms like Taobao and Douyin, TikTok in China, for inspiration. Cost is a big priority for her whenever she shops online and so is “practicality,” she said.
The last time she visited a physical shopping mall, she recalls, had been months ago in June, and it was only because she “urgently needed” a pair of sandals at the time. “About 80 per cent of my purchases are made online,” Ms Mi said. “What I care about most is whether someth.