Chinese Connoisseurs Go Online to Find Luxury Goods

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Luxury goods buyers in the Greater China Region (including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) heavily use the internet to make selections, making a sound online strategy imperative for marketers moving into that rapidly expanding market. 92% of respondents use online sources to learn about luxury products, and 81% to make a purchase decision. 72% use it for brand engagement. Finally, 82% plan to shop online in the next 12 months. They strongly agree that the internet is a key to staying up-to-date with luxury brands.

When they share their finds, Chinese luxury-goods consumers prefer to do so via instant message (used by 43%), followed by email (25%) and social networking sites (23%). The researchers observed five distinct motivations among luxury goods consumers in the Greater China Region: to impress others; to feel superior by owning a luxury item; seeking quality; for sheer indulgence; and to enjoy the rich brand heritage.

Chinese consumers appear to enjoy brand identity. In September,the willingness among Chinese social media users to be the highest among the world’s consumers, and nearly universal (98% for brands, 96% for companies).

Taiwan Motivated By Quality, Hong Kong By Indulgence

Anecdotally, Mainland Chinese consumers were most motivated by sharing their finds, while consumers in Hong Kong were driven more by the indulgence of luxury goods. Taiwanese consumers were more motivated by a personal appreciation of product design and quality, as well as by brand heritage.

Those sub-markets also differ in their tolerance of advertising. Just 54% of Hong Kong consumers said they would like to see more advertising of luxury goods, compared to 62% of consumers in Mainland China and 66% in Hong Kong.

The high usage of the Internet in China might be a very good signal for any business owners to expand their marketing target to cyberspace. If your question is “how”, then find your answer at The Website Marketing Group.

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