Looking at new consumption trends from the perspective of "Good Things at the China International Import Expo"

The China International Import Expo is in its ninth year, and the hot consumption power of China's big market can be seen and touched.

Walking into the venue, the new products for the first time were crowded with spectators waiting to experience them; looking at the booth, the exhibitors picked up their mobile phones and started selling goods live on the spot; opened the e-commerce app, and many exhibiting brands had put "same models at the CIIE" on their products to grab traffic; click on the social platform, and the CIIE exhibition preview was posted on the homepage of the blogger who brought the goods...

The story of “exhibits turning into commodities, and commodities turning into explosive products” is nothing new at the CIIE. From bringing new products to the CIIE to "test the waters" in the past few years, to now being deeply embedded in the supply chain, spreading channels, and playing with marketing, global exhibitors are increasingly knowing how to seize CIIE traffic and understand new consumption trends in China. Entering this year's CIIE, the exhibitors made several "unanimous" choices, which are vivid footnotes of this change.

——Products suitable for aging are very popular.

You can sit down while taking a shower, and there are handrails to help you get up; when the water reaches the sensor, the alarm will sound; you can also call for help when in danger... The reporter saw at the Panasonic booth that a bathroom suitable for the elderly has turned the safety needs of the elderly at home alone into detailed designs.

The "silver economy" is booming. At the CIIE, Panasonic was not the only one to sense this trend - the world's first aging-friendly elevator, Asia's first smart hearing aid, and aging-friendly fitness equipment focusing on home training were all put on the stand. Tempur-Pedic's smart sleep system will slightly raise the head of the bed when snoring is detected, and receive a sleep report on the mobile phone the next day, which meets the needs of middle-aged and elderly people who often snore. Several exhibitors unanimously mentioned that the "silver economy" is "a huge potential market" in China and must be deployed as early as possible.

On November 7, at the Panasonic Group booth in the consumer goods exhibition area of ​​the 9th China International Import Expo, a staff member (right) introduced to visitors a sit-down shower that is convenient for the elderly. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi

"The needs of Chinese consumers are becoming more and more detailed and precise, and our product lines in China will grow accordingly." said Sun Jingbo, head of communications for Bayer Group and Consumer Health Products Division.

——"Emotional consumption" is gaining momentum.

The current trend of "emotional consumption" can also be felt at the CIIE.

The atmosphere of the Lego booth has obviously changed this year. The "flower wave" formed by 26,400 building blocks and flowers at the entrance was crowded with spectators taking photos and checking in. This year, for the first time, LEGO's CIIE booth clearly focused on adult consumer groups. "We have observed from past sales data that adults now increasingly need emotional value. The pleasure brought by building is regardless of age," said the booth staff.

At the entrance of the LEGO booth at the 9th China International Import Expo, there is a "wave of flowers" made of 26,400 building blocks and flowers. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Moling

The booth of Yingqiao, a manufacturer of alpaca accessories next door, is more like a tactile "experience site": the fluffy and soft alpaca dolls. People who walk by, regardless of age and gender, can't help but reach out and touch them. The reporter stood in front of the booth for less than 10 minutes, and three or four groups of customers had already placed orders on the spot. From 18 square meters at the corner of the first CIIE to 108 square meters this year, Yingqiao's booth is getting bigger and bigger.

Zhang Yunquan, the person in charge of the booth, said that from the initial introduction of large alpaca blankets to the production of plush dolls that can be held in your arms, to the development of alpaca hair bag hangings that can "heal on the go", and further co-branding with local Chinese IPs, "We have stepped into the "emotional consumption" trend of the Chinese market and built the market."

——International brands pursue “understanding China”.

On the UNIQLO booth, 12 "old models" that looked familiar but had upgraded details were specially displayed - the fur collar of the down coat was changed to be detachable, the buttons of the baby hip jacket were given different colors to prevent mis-buttoning, and the windproof gloves added touch-screen materials on the fingertips... Behind every change, there is a message from Chinese consumers.

Crocs built its booth to look like a Shanghai Shikumen. This year's autumn and winter new styles are inspired by Shanghai's style. The velvet lining is precisely because Chinese women pay more attention to keeping their feet warm.

AkzoNobel, which participated in the exhibition for the first time, brought the world's first plant-based paint, which is made from coconut oil, corn, and cassava. The bio-based content is as high as 96%, which is close to the environmentally friendly home decoration needs of Chinese families.

——Chinese and foreign brands work together to create a win-win situation.

At the L'Oréal booth at the 9th China International Import Expo, a visitor was trying out a scalp detector. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Moling

What goes further than improvement is finding people with whom we can make products at the CIIE. L'Oréal met a Chinese start-up company at the 4th China International Import Expo, and the scalp tester they jointly produced has now been implemented in 9,000 hair salons around the world. Bayer previously signed a cooperation agreement with local Chinese daily chemical companies at the China International Import Expo to jointly develop a series of innovative products such as youth scalp care and infant skin care. Some products can also feed back into the global market.

From this point of view, while exhibitors are "understanding China" at the CIIE, they may also be able to take a first look at the next stop of global consumer trends. (Reporter Wang Moling)