More than 100 new forms of life have become the new momentum of the consumer economy

Unmanned restaurant, VR experience hall, light and shadow interactive hall, stress reduction experience hall, capsule hotel, Hanfu experience, talk show club... On December 28, Meituan released data showing that more than 100 new forms of life will rise in 2021 and release new momentum in all walks of life. As of November 2021, the total transaction volume of such service products increased by more than 100% year-on-year, with an average annual growth rate of 44%, involving catering and entertainment, cultural tourism, sports and health, and elderly assistance.

"Nucleic acid rapid detection" into a warm new form

To help prevent and control the epidemic, "rapid nucleic acid detection" has become a warm new form in 2021. Meituan data shows that the search volume of "nucleic acid testing" in December 2021 increased by 480% compared with January 2021, and the new forms such as 2-hour quick check, drive-through test, night test, and Chinese and English bilingual testing that appeared in the "nucleic acid testing" area of the Meituan App made the public's work life more convenient.

Autumn and winter are approaching, and the online transaction volume of "nucleic acid testing" is growing. Meituan data shows that the highest peak in the second half of 2021 occurred on November 27, when the online transaction volume of nucleic acid testing was 8.79 times that of the peak in the first half of the year on May 27.

"If there are many people in the test, they will be dynamically deployed according to the actual situation, and strive to let the citizens be able to follow the test and take it as soon as possible, so that the citizens with special circumstances can get the test report as soon as possible." Bian Ying, a 53-year-old nucleic acid tester who has been working as a health care worker for 34 years, has taken 1,500 samples in 10 consecutive hours a day.

Bian Ying said that the most memorable is that a girl ran to test at 9 p.m. crying, and there was a notice of the critical illness of her hometown relatives in her mobile phone; and a young man carried his luggage to get a nucleic acid test report, and then went straight to the high-speed rail station to return to his hometown to attend his ex-girlfriend's wedding. This all made Bian Ying sweep away the tiredness, feel responsible and warm.

The "post-90s" have become the main force of the new form

As the "post-90s" become the backbone of society and the "post-00s" move into the workplace, their trendy lifestyles are also reflected in consumption. According to Meituan data, the "post-90s" consumers who are 21-30 years old are the main group of people with new forms such as script killing, hair transplantation, pets, etc., accounting for 75%, 66.5%, and 52.89% respectively, and the online order volume they contributed increased by up to 597% year-on-year.

Script kill to meet the social entertainment needs of young people, has become one of the ways to play at daily gatherings. Meituan data shows that 64.5% of young people consume scripts more than once in two weeks, of which more than 40% of young people will consume more than once a week. With 62% of orders concentrated between 17:00 and 23:00, the trendy life of young people has lit up the city's night economy.

While enjoying life, the "post-90s" are also very concerned about hair transplantation. Meituan data shows that as of November, young people aged 25-30 accounted for 53% of the hair transplant population, far exceeding the 5% proportion of the "post-70s" population. In addition to rejuvenation, hair transplantation also shows the characteristics of non-gender, it is no longer the label of middle-aged and male groups, and the proportion of female group consumption is gradually increasing. Meituan data shows that the proportion of female users in hair transplant consumption has increased to 49.35%.

The rise of the "silver economy"

Data from the Seventh National Population Census show that the elderly population over the age of 60 has exceeded 260 million. The development of the "silver economy" and the enrichment of the supply of products and services suitable for the elderly are of great significance to actively cope with the aging of the population and cultivate and expand the new momentum of the economy.

At present, silver-haired people are crossing the "digital divide" and becoming an important growth force for online consumption. According to Meituan data, as of November 2021, the online order volume of The Silver Hair Family increased by 247.8% year-on-year, and the order amount increased by 111.9% year-on-year. They have a wide range of online shopping categories, including daily necessities such as rice noodle oil, paper towels, and medical care, as well as snacks such as grilled burgers and ice cream drinks.

At the same time, the entertainment of silver-haired people is not only square dance, they are also lovers of various sports and new forms. Meituan data shows that in 2021, the online order volume of indoor table tennis, badminton and other balls of the silver-haired people increased by 257% year-on-year; the online order volume of emerging sports such as ice skating, shooting, and archery increased by 174.1% year-on-year.

Looking back at these new forms at the end of 2021, there is a characteristic - consumers pay more attention to their own feelings and experiences, and their yearning and expectations for a better life are constantly escalating. Pan Helin, executive dean of the Digital Economy Research Institute of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said: "In the people's pursuit of a better life environment, consumer demand has become one of the important driving forces for the expansion of the local life service industry, and the online docking method can promote the dynamic optimization of supply and demand, achieve efficient docking of resources, further meet the diversified and personalized needs of the people, and provide impetus for promoting industrial transformation and upgrading and high-quality economic development." ”

Text/Prince Young

Edited by Zhu Fenglan Proofreader Liu Yue