Core Insights - The core viewpoint of the articles emphasizes the transformation of consumer behavior in China over the past decade, highlighting a shift from traditional experience-based decision-making to a more strategic, insight-driven approach in market and brand management [1][3][12] Group 1: Consumer Trends - The past decade has seen a profound evolution in China's consumer market, transitioning from the "New Premium Era" to "Meaning and Value" as the central theme for 2026 [1][3] - 75.2% of consumers are now engaging in psychological account switching, indicating a willingness to spend significantly on experiences they value, while being frugal in everyday purchases [5] - The consumer market is moving from a focus on scale and speed to a deeper engagement with consumer values, necessitating that companies provide products that offer meaningful benefits beyond functionality [6][7] Group 2: Key Trends for 2026 - The 2026 China Consumer Trend Report identifies ten key trends, with "Rational-Emotional Coexistence" and "Quality Calculation" being crucial for understanding current consumer behavior [8] - 77.8% of consumers are shifting from quantity-based consumption to a focus on quality, seeking products that provide personal growth or emotional recognition [8] - The trend "Local Flavor" is reshaping commercial geography, emphasizing the importance of local culture and experiences in consumer decision-making [8] Group 3: Business Strategies - Companies are advised to separate brand budgets from performance budgets, as brand equity is essential for sustainable growth, while performance marketing addresses immediate sales [9] - The concept of "Brand Consensus" is introduced, emphasizing the need for companies to build a coherent narrative that resonates emotionally with consumers [9] - Companies should develop three core capabilities: trend foresight, user empathy, and systemic aesthetics to navigate the evolving market landscape [11] Group 4: Future Opportunities - The "Three New" opportunities identified include new scenarios (emotional healing, daily highlights), new expertise (niche market specialization), and new intelligence (AI integration in services) [10][11] - Companies must cultivate trend foresight by establishing dedicated strategic insight teams to differentiate between fleeting trends and long-term shifts [11] - The ultimate competitive advantage in the user-centric era is establishing deep emotional consensus with consumers, transforming brands into "Consensus Brands" [12]

Core Insights - The core viewpoint of the articles emphasizes that 2026 will mark a pivotal year for Chinese consumption, focusing on the reconstruction of consumption around "meaning" and "value" [3][9][18] Group 1: Consumption Trends and Changes - The report by Zhimeng Consulting outlines ten years of structural changes in Chinese consumption, highlighting a shift from "scale expansion" to "quality enhancement" [5][9] - Key trends identified include "value new cycle," with consumers increasingly seeking deeper meaning and personal value in their purchases [10][12] - The past decade has seen a transition in consumer focus from material possession to the exploration of consumption significance and individual value [9][17] Group 2: Key Consumer Trends for 2026 - The ten core trends for 2026 include: rational-emotional coexistence, quality calculation, spiritual nomadism, daily highlights, empathetic experiences, local trends, insiderism, health tuning, brand consensus, and AI scenario power [10][12] - Rational-emotional coexistence is highlighted as a leading trend, indicating that consumers are "rational emotionalists," balancing practical needs with emotional satisfaction [12][14] - Quality calculation signifies the arrival of the "value-price ratio" era, with 77.8% of consumers preferring "less but better" consumption [14] Group 3: Future Predictions - The future of the Chinese consumption market is expected to undergo three significant transformations: accelerated structural upgrades, extreme vertical segmentation, and psychological value becoming a core competitive dimension [17] - Brands that excel in product quality, experience, and value expression will survive the upcoming market reshuffle [17] - The competition will increasingly focus on understanding user depth and creating psychological value, with a call for brands to concentrate on quality reconstruction, scenario reshaping, and consensus building [17][18]

Core Insights - The "2026 Consumer Trends Conference" highlighted the shift from high-speed growth to a focus on "meaning and value" in consumer behavior, marking the end of an era characterized by scale and speed [2] - The "2026 China Consumer Trends Report" identified ten key consumer trends, emphasizing "rational emotionalism" and "quality calculation" as critical to understanding current consumer behavior [2] Group 1: Consumer Behavior Trends - The report outlines ten consumer trends: rational emotionalism, quality calculation, spiritual nomadism, daily highlights, empathetic experiences, local trends, insiderism, health tuning, brand consensus, and AI scenario power [2] - Consumers are becoming "rational emotionalists," exhibiting a tendency to be rational in daily spending while being more emotional in discretionary purchases [2] - The "quality calculation" trend indicates a shift towards consumers seeking not just value for money but also exceptional value [2] Group 2: Market Segmentation and Experience - The current consumer market reflects a duality of cost-effectiveness and high-end experiences, indicating the arrival of a consumption stratification era [4] - The focus of consumption is shifting from external social value recognition to internal individual life experiences, emphasizing personal satisfaction over mere possession [4] - Consumption is evolving into a process of curating an ideal life and seeking emotional comfort and identity recognition [4] Group 3: Brand Strategies and Long-term Value - Leading companies are adopting various strategies to deepen connections with consumers, such as Haier's user co-creation model and Kailas's focus on authentic experiences [5] - Brand building is essential for long-term value, with aesthetics becoming a key differentiator in a market that prioritizes emotional and experiential aspects [7] - The approach to brand communication is shifting from a one-sided narrative to a two-way interaction that resonates emotionally with consumers [7] - The ultimate goal for brands in the new era of "meaning and value" is to build deep consensus with consumers, which serves as a robust defense against market fluctuations and supports sustainable growth [7]

Core Insights - The core viewpoint of the article emphasizes a shift in consumer behavior from material satisfaction to seeking better experiences and fulfillment, with a focus on user-defined value in the commercial world [1][2]. Group 1: Consumer Trends - The 2026 consumption trends report identifies "meaning" and "value" as key annual keywords, indicating that consumers will increasingly question the reasons behind their purchases and the value they derive from them [2]. - The report outlines ten major consumption trends for 2026, including "rational-emotional symbiosis," "quality calculation," and "spiritual nomadism," which reflect a shift towards a more nuanced understanding of consumer motivations [2][3]. - Over 80% of consumers engage in "emotional consumption" at least once a month, aimed at healing, decompressing, or rewarding themselves, highlighting the importance of emotional experiences in purchasing decisions [2]. Group 2: Brand Strategies - The trend of "health frequency" points to a refined approach to health management, while "AI scene power" suggests the integration of AI as an emotional companion in consumer experiences [3]. - The "brand consensus" trend emphasizes the necessity for brands to build deep consensus from cognition to experience in an era of information overload, which is essential for establishing a competitive moat [3].

Core Insights - The 2026 Consumer Trends Conference, hosted by Zhimo Consulting, took place in Beijing on December 6-7, showcasing the annual China Consumer Trends Report, which has been a significant indicator of the Chinese consumer market for the past decade [1][2] Group 1: Conference Overview - The conference featured a two-day deep trend forum with 24 forward-looking speeches and 4 cross-industry roundtable discussions, covering ten key industries including food and beverage, home appliances, outdoor sports, retail, health, automotive, AI, and cultural tourism [1] - Zhimo's annual consumer trends report has evolved from a "small green book" in 2017 to a comprehensive analysis that includes 100 consumer trends and 450 brand case studies, serving as a crucial reference for corporate strategic decision-making and brand innovation [2] Group 2: Key Trends and Insights - Zhimo's founder and CEO, Xiao Mingchao, announced the top ten consumer trends for 2026, which include: rational-emotional symbiosis, quality calculation, spiritual nomadism, daily highlights, shared experiences, local trends, insiderism, health tuning, brand consensus, and AI scenario power [3] - The report emphasizes a shift in the commercial landscape from "high-speed growth" to "high-quality growth," highlighting a generational shift in "consumer discourse power" and a fundamental leap in the role of technology [3] Group 3: Practical Applications and Discussions - The conference included various segments such as industry roundtable discussions, brand case sharing, and trend exhibitions, attracting over a thousand attendees interested in consumer trends [4] - Experts from academia and industry discussed the underlying logic of changes in Chinese consumption and identified opportunities for the industry, focusing on themes like convenience in consumption and the upgrade of aesthetic and emotional needs [5]

Core Insights - The 2026 China Consumer Trends Report by Zhimeng highlights "meaning" and "value" as the annual keywords for consumer trends in 2026 [1] - The top ten consumer trends identified are: rational-emotional symbiosis, quality calculation, spiritual nomadism, daily highlights, empathetic experiences, local trend emergence, insiderism, health tuning, brand consensus, and AI scenario power [1] Group 1: Consumer Behavior Trends - "Rational-emotional symbiosis" defines the shift in consumer mindset and behavior, with 75.2% of consumers consciously engaging in psychological account replacement and planning [1] - "Quality calculation" deepens the concept of "rational-emotional symbiosis," with 77.8% of consumers pursuing "less but better," and 74.4% expecting consumption to contribute to personal growth [1] - The "spiritual nomadism" trend is supported by data showing that over 80% of consumers engage in "emotional consumption" at least once a month for purposes of healing, stress relief, or self-reward [1] Group 2: Lifestyle and Experience Trends - In lifestyle contexts, "daily highlights" and "local trend emergence" guide brands to become catalysts for ritualistic experiences and narrators of the value of local culture as a scarce lifestyle [2] - In terms of experiential aspects, "empathetic experiences" and "insiderism" reveal the value of offline flow and the power of professional recognition within circles, requiring brands to shift from creating resonant scenarios to building hard-core trust [2] Group 3: Development and Recognition Trends - The trends of "health tuning," "AI scenario power," and "brand consensus" indicate refined directions for health management, integration paths for AI as emotional partners, and the necessity for brands to establish deep consensus from cognition to experience in an era of information overload [2]