The data
Shopping data from online retail platform TMall is giving us a little window into how pace and quality of life differ in urban and rural areas.
Check out the most popular kitchen appliance purchases in China’s megacities (Tier 1), mid-sized cities (Tier 2-3) and towns (Tier 4-6):
Tier 1 cities | Tier 2-3 cities | Tier 4-6 cities | |
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Top purchases |
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Why it matters
- Consumption in third-tier cities and below is expected to pick up the slack in the coming years.
- It’s not wise to assume you understand the “China market” based on research conducted on first-tier city residents. Needs differ drastically from location to location.
- But, as China’s lower-tier cities continue to develop, the preferences of today’s urban residents might help predict the future preferences of tomorrow’s rural residents.
Sources
- Joint report by Tmall Product Innovation Center and appliance manufacturer Fotile 方太: 天猫趋势发布之健康厨房消费趋势报告 (Healthy Kitchens Consumer Trends Report)