Vigorously boosting consumption "is one of the key tasks to be achieved in 2025 as determined by the Central Economic Work Conference. Stimulating consumption potential and cultivating new consumption growth points, the young consumer group has become the main force of new consumption. They not only pursue personalization but also value the "quality price ratio" by spending money on novel experiences and paying for hobbies and interests; Preferring intelligent technology and emphasizing physical and mental growth, they choose healthier and greener consumption methods... These new consumption characteristics and demands not only reflect the younger generation's pursuit of a better life, but also bring new opportunities and challenges to the consumer market, injecting new momentum into high-quality economic development. This edition will launch a series of reports starting today, delving into new trends in youth consumption and exploring vibrant new consumption scenarios. ——Editor's note: "In the past year, we have spent a lot of money on 'stingy search'." "Buy a few hundred yuan figurine whenever you want, and save on 5 yuan postage if possible." During the just passed Spring Festival holiday, many young people shared their consumption summaries on social media over the past year. Some phenomena may seem contradictory, but behind them lies the unique consumption logic of young people. The youth consumer group is the main force in the consumer market. In the ever-changing Internet era, new consumption scenarios, new business types and new models are constantly emerging, and young people's consumption concepts, preferences and behavior patterns are undergoing tremendous changes. These new features have formed new trends and contain new business opportunities, bringing new opportunities and challenges to the consumer market. I want to see the world, but I don't just want to see it. "Experiential consumption is favored." Living here, you can watch the stars at night, eat barbecue around the campfire, and truly immerse yourself in the local people's lives. "22-year-old Zhang Zuyang did not choose to stay in a hotel when traveling in Xinjiang, but stayed in a local Kazakh residential house." I like the original ecology. Although living in a residential house is not cheap, the experience is full. I want to see the world, but I don't just want to see it. I prefer this immersive tourism. "Compared to consumers of other age groups, young consumers are more sensitive to quality of life, cultural tone, and environmental atmosphere, and prefer experiential consumption. Participating in outdoor adventures, checking in intangible cultural heritage folk customs... Deep and personalized travel experiences have become the preferred choice for young consumer groups. The 2024 China Youth Consumption Trend Report shows that over 70% of respondents travel at least once a year, with 46.36% arranging multiple trips per year, 26.28% regularly arranging one or two trips per year, and 17.22% occasionally traveling. Among them, natural and outdoor exploration, exploring historical sites, and relaxing in vacation destinations are popular travel methods among young people. The snow slope stretches in front of me, and the cold wind howls in my ears. The feeling of free flight makes me feel a different kind of pleasure 28 year old Sun Hong is a skiing enthusiast who goes to different ski resorts every winter to seek fresh experiences. Experiential consumption has increased the popularity of ice and snow tourism Li Jiwei, Executive Director of Meituan Research Institute, said. Monitoring data shows that since the beginning of winter, the search volume for ice and snow tourism such as skiing and skating has more than doubled compared to the previous period. The accommodation, catering, and transportation in tourist cities are no longer just supporting services, but have become tourism experience projects that attract young people. Experiential consumption gameplay is constantly emerging, which helps to further unleash consumption potential. Why do young people pursue experiential consumption? Huang Jun, professor of the School of Applied Economics of Renmin University of China, analyzed that as deep users of the Internet, young people have broad vision, energy and curiosity. Experiential consumption can bring novelty and excitement, add fun to life, and enrich life experience. In addition, young people crave to showcase their unique personalities, and experiential consumption can provide unique experiences that meet their needs for self-expression and personality expression, and find identity recognition and emotional resonance. Wang Chenwei, a researcher at the Institute of Economic System and Management of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that in many places, the existing consumption scenarios are still limited to traditional models such as shopping malls and catering, lacking diversified and personalized new consumption scenarios, making it difficult to meet the consumption needs of young people. We should innovate experience scenarios, expand consumption fields, encourage cities with conditions to create experiential consumption venues, and stimulate the interest of young consumers. As long as you like it enough, you are willing to pay the bill "has become a hot topic for self consumption. As night falls, the ocean of glow sticks waves with the music, and the chorus and cheers are like the roaring of the sea, creating a lively atmosphere on site. Not long ago, Jiang Xiao, who works in Beijing, specially went to Hefei, Anhui to watch a concert on weekends. At the concert, the atmosphere is particularly good when the audience and the singer sing together, which is a very effective way for me to relieve stress, "Jiang Xiao said. According to a report from the China Performance Industry Association, in 2024, there will be 488400 commercial performances (excluding performances in entertainment venues) nationwide, with 176 million audiences and a box office revenue of 57.954 billion yuan. Young people are the main consumer group for music festivals and other performance events. According to the sales data of "Double 11" in 2024, the categories of goods consumed by young people are mostly travel supplies, concert tickets, etc., shifting from "buy whatever is cost-effective" to "buy whatever you like". Among the youth group, self consumption has become a hot topic. What is self indulgent consumption? Simply put, it means placing greater emphasis on satisfying oneself with products and services in consumption. To pay for the beauty that can bring joy to oneself, and thus obtain emotional value and spiritual support, self pleasing consumption is not only a change in personal consumption behavior, but also a reflection of the development of the times - with the development of the economy and society, people's longing for a better life no longer stays at the material level, but pays more attention to their spiritual state and psychological feelings. For example, paying for one's own interests and hobbies. Handbooks are my hobby. I like to put all kinds of small items I collect in my hand books. As long as I like them enough, I am willing to pay. "Liu Da, a resident of Shenyang, Liaoning, has an area in his home where various hand books, adhesive tape, seals, watercolors, etc. are neatly arranged. For example, occasionally giving yourself a small surprise. When I see blind box machines in the subway during my commute, I have to stop and take a look. I almost buy a blind box every week. Zhou Yao, who works in Beijing, has already set up display cabinets for these blind boxes at home. A survey conducted by a social media platform shows that "happy consumption, consumption for emotional value or interest" is the most popular voting option among young people, accounting for 40.1%, higher than the proportion of "upgrading consumption concepts and paying more attention to consumption quality". With the improvement of living standards and the upgrading of consumption, there is great potential for the development of self pleasure consumption and emotional consumption, which will become new increments in the future market. From purchasing anime and game merchandise to seeking new entertainment experiences, young people who pursue happiness will continue to drive the emergence of consumption hotspots Li Jiwei said. I can buy expensive ones, but I can't buy expensive ones anymore. "The consumption concept is more pragmatic." I bought a few new clothes here, with an average price of 100 yuan, and the cost-effectiveness is particularly high. "Hart, a Beijing citizen in his early 20s, walked out of the" Youth Power Center "located in Chaoyang District, Beijing, carrying four shopping bags. We have found that many young people nowadays are unwilling to pay a premium for big brands, but instead pursue more pragmatic consumption while expressing their attitudes through personalized products. Therefore, shopping malls introduce many niche brands and owner brands to cater to young consumers Wanwen, the chief marketing lawyer of Yingzhan Group, which operates the mall, said. 'This province, this flower' is a catchphrase among many young people. Young people are keen on comparing prices online and enjoy shopping for second-hand products or "flat replacements". But they don't just aim for cheap prices, they can buy expensive ones, they can't buy expensive ones anymore. They not only pursue cost-effectiveness at a reasonable price, but also pay more attention to the "quality price ratio" that prioritizes quality. Ke Ying, born in the 1990s, is a young mother who discovered that there is a price difference between the same products on retail and wholesale e-commerce platforms. Children's toys lose interest after playing for a while, so they need to be bought and changed frequently, so they won't be too expensive. Under the conditions of same origin, same factory, same craftsmanship, and same material, Ke Ying will prioritize choosing products with higher cost-effectiveness. The Mobile Application Behavior Report of "APP Generation" Chinese Young People released by the research team of the School of Journalism of Renmin University of China shows that young people will turn to more pragmatic and rational consumption with the role change from ivory tower to society. Because young people like to make strategies and compare prices before shopping, and are willing to post comments and share their feelings after shopping, many companies focus on targeting small-scale seed users on social media when promoting new products, thereby expanding brand influence. Wang Chenwei suggested that scientific guidance should be provided to regulate online behaviors such as community "grass planting", online sales, and recommendation algorithms. Regulatory departments, leading enterprises, and industry associations should jointly establish a diversified governance and supervision system, create a good ecology that is in line with the consumption trend of young people, promptly investigate and punish illegal activities, effectively protect consumer rights, and boost consumer confidence. (New Society)