In summer, the combination of river-tracing shoes and water-repellent jackets represents the pragmatism of some young people; The popularity of military coats and flower cotton jackets is a true portrayal of their "rectification of the down jacket market" in winter; More young people are no longer keen on pursuing "big names", they prefer "national tide", and believe that "everything can be replaced...... Nowadays, the clothing preferences of young people are quietly changing.
Behind this is a great change in the consumption concept of the younger generation, who no longer pursue illusory brand symbols, reject consumerism, and return to rational consumption. Behind the so-called consumption downgrade, it is actually the upgrading of consumption concepts - pay more attention to cost performance and the real value of clothing, pursue their own interests and hobbies, pay attention to spiritual satisfaction, and pay attention to self-realization and personality expression. And this is where the value behind this change of outfit lies.
"Pragmatism" worn on the body
A light luxury brand recently released a financial report saying that in the first three months of this year, sales in the Chinese market fell by 17% year-on-year. Based on the financial reports of a number of luxury companies, it is not difficult to find that the top luxury brands have bid farewell to high growth, and the performance of some second-tier luxury brands has also shown a trend of regression. This is in stark contrast to the increasing sales of new Chinese and other national style clothing in the same period.
On the Douyin platform, a video titled "I bought clothes in the Guangzhou wholesale market and went crazy" received more than 200 million views, making the Guangzhou clothing wholesale market rush to the hot search. And in winter, military coats and flower cotton jackets are also rushing to the forefront of the trend under the guidance of "eclectic" young people. On the short video platform, groups of college students and high school students collectively wore army green cotton coats and colorful cotton jackets to walk around the campus, classrooms, and markets. Some students even wore military coats and floral cotton jackets to appear in school sports meetings.
These coats and padded jackets, which cost tens of yuan, are simply too competitive compared with down jackets that cost thousands of yuan a piece. Merchants selling and producing military coats and cotton jackets ushered in "pouring wealth and wealth". According to the data of the source factory goods direct sales platform 1688, from November 1 to December 12 last year alone, the number of searches for military coats on the platform increased by 236% year-on-year, the number of searches increased by 216% year-on-year, and the number of buyers increased by 50% year-on-year. During the same period, the number of searches for Hua cotton jackets increased by 163% year-on-year, the number of searches increased by 159% year-on-year, and the number of buyers increased by 49% year-on-year.
Following the counter-killing of "Ice Cream Assassin", "Fruit Assassin" and "Beauty Assassin", young people voted with their feet, starting from college campuses, setting off a craze for buying military coats and flower cotton jackets. Many netizens sighed: The post-00s began to rectify the down jacket market. "It's not that you can't afford down jackets, but it's that cotton jackets and cotton coats are more cost-effective", a sentence that has been widely circulated on social platforms has resonated with many people.
Big brands have been packaged as a symbol of identity and taste under the marketing of words such as "curing all diseases", "being kind to yourself", and "if you don't buy it, the price will rise". But now, rational young people are beginning to reflect, "Do I, now, really need big names?" In the decades since it became the "world's factory", "Made in China" has already won the world's reputation with its strength.
Born after the reform and opening up, the young generation who grew up in the 21st century has witnessed the rapid development, prosperity and strength of the motherland, and they have become a generation that looks at the world with a flat eye, no longer blindly superstitious about foreign big names, "only buy the right ones, not expensive ones", and will no longer be like "big injustices", but do not buy unless they are just needed. Young people have realized that "anti-big brands" does not mean blindly slamming the door and suppressing their own consumption demand, even if they don't buy big brands, they have not wronged themselves.
According to a survey on the money outlook of Chinese youth, 82.4% of young people have begun to "intensive consumption", that is, from "show-off and symbolic consumption" to "self-seeking consumption". This means that young people are no longer blindly pursuing big brands and are no longer willing to pay for the "brand tax", but seriously consider the price-performance ratio of goods, and make smart consumption choices between different brands, quality and price.
"Everything can be replaced"
The change of dressing preferences actually carries some of the emotional values of young people at present, and the down jackets that cost thousands of yuan at every turn have caused crazy complaints from young people, and "consumption downgrade" has become a hot word on the Internet. When Xiaohongshu users, who used to be known for "sharing exquisite life", generously shouted that "consumption downgrade is really not ashamed", such a change is really impossible to ignore.
There are also 170,000 users on Douban who gather in the consumption downgrade group. They are discussing the downgrading of the consumption structure and hoping to reduce unnecessary consumption categories; It is also discussed that the downgrading of consumer desires and only choose clothing brands with higher cost performance; They no longer feel inferior to the cheap clothes, but instead take pride in their savings and shrewdness. Without reducing the quality of consumption, finding cheaper and more cost-effective sources of goods or purchase channels has become the main appeal through multi-platform price comparison, and some niche tracks are full of cheap substitution categories, which have become a popular choice for young people's consumption downgrade.
The new consumer group has woken up from "impulsive consumption" and turned to "demand-oriented" consumption, with too many premium prices for big brands, and "everything can be replaced" has become the consumption declaration of many young people. In Xiaohongshu, there are more than 2 million notes about replacement, and the content is varied, all of which put cost performance in the first place. "There is no shame in consumption downgrade", "real happiness does not require a lot of money", and refusing to "slap a swollen face and become fat" style of advanced consumption, young people have begun to return to moderate consumption and take the initiative to embrace consumption downgrade.
Urban youths dress up in ancient styles, and learn begging folk customs
With the diversification of consumer information acquisition channels, purchase channels, and experience channels, the demand for "replacement" has also ushered in explosive growth, and even B-end platforms like 1688 have been excavated by young consumers. Pinduoduo's soaring revenue and market value also reflect the public's gradual trend towards rational, affordable and practical consumption choices.
In fact, the simple low price is not the real reason for attracting consumers to pay for "replacement", "replacement" is popular, more or compared with the performance and efficacy of big-name products, "the quality is almost the same", "the effect is the same" and "it is not bad to use". Spending a little money can get the same style of a big brand, isn't it fragrant?
"Be the master of money"
Consumption downgrade is essentially an upgrade of consumption concepts, consumption behaviors, and consumption structures. From conspicuous consumption to mature consumption, more and more young people are beginning to realize that self-identity does not come from the outside world, but more from the inner experience. As a result, they no longer rely on an external brand to prove themselves, but discern which lifestyle is more suitable for them.
"Spending less" is not equal to "not consuming", but the free choice and rational domination after recognizing the essence of consumption. In the Douban "Low Consumption Research Institute" group, a group of young people began to rethink their consumption patterns, they understand that consumption downgrading is not to be an ascetic, but to take every consumption seriously, become the "master of money", and try to make every penny we spend worthwhile. Some young people have started to keep accounts, and some have even started a plan on social platforms to "buy again when they use it up this year", updating their spending bills every week, and asking netizens to monitor themselves.
Consumption downgrading is not the goal, rational consumption is. Young people will take the initiative to choose more cost-effective and better clothing and services, and they are more willing to spend money on improving their skills, expanding their horizons, and enriching their lives. It can be said that along with the downgrade of consumption, there is an upgrade of the mind and thinking. When we step out of impulse spending and try to look at ourselves as outsiders, we are more inclined to spend our money in places that are more useful, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective.
This change in dressing and this sober way of living is the real meaning behind the consumption downgrade. The delicate life is first and foremost sober, not ignorant, that is, aware of one's own existence.
Half Moon Talk Reporter: Li Xiaoling / Editor: Li Jianfa
Original title: "Anti-killing "Costume Assassin", Consumption Mind Upgrade"
*This article is the content of the 6th issue of "Half Moon Talk" in 2024