In 2023, both the economy and the consumer market are undergoing a "gradual recovery".
In what direction will the consumption trend in 2023 develop? For business innovation, brand planning and marketing, how should we grasp the new trend and better connect with consumers in 2023? We summarized and refined the trend keywords in 2023 and the top 10 consumption trends.
Consumption trends in 2023 Keywords: recovery and expectation
In 2023, striving for stability will remain the main tone of economic development. With the moderate recovery of the economy, consumers in China are also looking forward to and preparing for the return to normal work and life, and the consumer market will also realize a "gradual recovery" in 2023. In the description of key words in 2023, consumers hope that the epidemic will end soon, that they can have a better income, and that they and their families are in good health, and that returning to normal life has become a common demand. At the same time, consumers also hope to spend more time with family/friends, earn more money, live a healthier life and develop more hobbies in 2023.
Through these data, we can see that consumers are looking forward to putting the goals that have not been achieved in the past three years into practice as soon as possible this year, and transforming the dormant and thinking that has slowed down in these three years into new energy and direction. We firmly believe that these will stimulate the long-dormant consumption enthusiasm and become a new "undercurrent" of consumption in 2023 and present it to the consumer market. In 2023, consumers in China will advance in resilience and promote "gradual recovery".
Top Ten Consumption Trends in 2023
After in-depth research, Zhimeng Consulting predicted that 10 major consumption trends will be presented in 2023, namely, following the trend of reason, pleasant atmosphere, laziness and health, subtlety and extreme quality, purism, new national trend, green fashion, trust and compound interest, new agricultural products and virtual and real resonance.
Trend 1: Reason follows suit.
During the epidemic prevention and control period, people have more thoughts on life, consumers are no longer so easily encouraged as in the past, and consumption decisions have become more cautious. Rational logic guides "follow the trend" consumption, and purchasing products is not only functional value satisfaction, but also the sense of surprise, meaning, value and satisfaction that products bring to life.
The data shows that not blindly buying discounted promotional goods, controlling the desire for products that you love and regularly cleaning up unnecessary items have become the consumption concepts being practiced. Driven by such consumption concepts, consumers will rationally measure their consumption choices, carefully plan their expenditures, and pay more attention to the actual value of the products they buy and the changes they can bring to their lives.
In order to make better decisions, consumers are also actively learning consumer knowledge through the most popular short video platform at present, so as to make rational consumption decisions. According to the annual survey from a huge amount of calculation, 71.6% of people actively learn consumer knowledge to make rational decisions, and the proportion of respondents who use Tik Tok as the main platform for acquiring consumer knowledge has reached 83%.
Driven by the concept of rational consumption, consumers are also increasing their wisdom in consumption. In 2022, the temporary food will become the new favorite of consumption, all kinds of "replacement" content in Tik Tok will become increasingly hot, and the volume of trade-in orders in JD.COM will increase greatly. All these can show that consumers hope to get a better quality life at a more suitable price and find a new balance between saving money and exquisiteness.
Rational life doesn’t mean lowering the requirements for quality or abandoning personal preference to choose substitutes. On the contrary, consumers want to get better products at every price point, ensuring that every shopping is correct and reasonable, and what they buy is value for money. However, consumers don’t hesitate to spend a lot of money on the necessary consumption that they really need and have greater consumption satisfaction. "Rational consumption, perceptual life" has become the fundamental, from need, want to necessity, from pursuing material function satisfaction to pursuing material and necessity.
Trend 2: the atmosphere is pleasant
The focus of consumers’ life has turned to the inner small world, and the sense of atmosphere, emotional value and inner comfort have become particularly important for the consumer experience. Enhancing the product atmosphere and creating a new atmosphere space have become the entry points for product upgrading and opening up new tracks.
Consumers pay more attention to their own spiritual comfort, and they need the blessing of intangible atmosphere in the goods they buy and the space they live in. According to the survey data, 52.9% of consumers chose to enjoy themselves and relax themselves in 2022. As a result, a series of consumption for creating a "sense of atmosphere" has been born. According to a huge amount of statistics, 42.2% of Tik Tok users will take outdoor leisure activities as an important form of entertainment, such as relaxing by visiting parks, fishing, camping, hiking, mountain climbing and surfing, while 38.5% of users said that they would arrange outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain climbing and camping on weekends or in their leisure time for themselves more than six times a year.
Consumers also decorate their homes by buying items with a sense of atmosphere, creating a pleasant space, for example, buying creative ornaments, speakers, tea sets, cute dolls, table lamps, flower arrangements, candlesticks and other atmospheric items to create their own happy and comfortable little world.
Nowadays, the atmosphere constitutes the basis of life experience. Consumers always live, perceive, think and act in a specific atmosphere. The atmosphere is spatial, but it has emotion as its leading factor. Therefore, atmosphere creation is also a marketing strategy to create aesthetic value and new consumer interest.
Trend 3: Laziness is healthy.
From soaking Lycium barbarum in a thermos cup to actively putting on long trousers, from soaking feet before going to bed to eating vitamins and probiotics, consumers’ enthusiasm for health care is getting stronger and stronger, and consumers’ health needs are constantly changing, from passive health care to active health care, from homology of medicine and food to instant health care, the combination of "health care" and "prevention" is light, economical and scientific, which is opening a new prospect of "new school" lazy health care.
In the era of scientific health preservation, consumers will carry out combined health preservation according to the needs of different times, different symptoms and different occasions, and combine prevention and maintenance in an all-round and three-dimensional way to achieve "prevention" while "nurturing". At the same time, they hope to achieve the purpose of health preservation in "laziness". Convenient, simple and efficient fancy health preservation has become the pursuit of health preservation. The lazy system of medicine and food is "health-preserving", and the nourishing nutritional products that are ready to eat and have a good taste have become the first choice for consumers. Keeping in good health at any time, keeping in good health at low cost, keeping in good health with high efficiency and achieving "fragmentation" in eating, drinking and having fun are being favored by more and more young people.
In addition, the concept of lazy health has also entered the daily dining table of consumers, and the ready-to-eat food from prefabrication to instant cooking, instant heating and instant eating has entered many people’s kitchens. Therefore, for brands, it is necessary not only to focus on "laziness" but also to pay attention to "efficiency", and to pay more attention to simplicity, convenience and easy operation.
Consumers’ fast-paced lifestyle and self-concern, the way of healthy nourishment should not be too complicated, and the scene should be integrated into life. It is best to harvest health in the process of "opening bags for instant eating" and "daily eating and drinking", which has brought huge innovation space for pharmaceutical health and FMCG enterprises.
Trend 4: subtle polarity
Cost-effective and high-value brand products are no longer competitive weapons. We should observe consumers’ new lifestyles, life concepts and more subdivided scene needs carefully, and find the perceived differentiated value through technological innovation and extreme product experience, so as to become the leading password of "innovators of mature categories" and "definers of new categories".
If users want to have a better consumption experience, it is necessary to carry out consumption segmentation. With the improvement of people’s requirements for the internal quality of life, when people buy products, different people will have different needs in different scenarios with the same product function. Taking smart products as an example, data from JD.COM show that the search degree and purchase rate of smart products have increased greatly in 2022. Among them, the floor washer that can free people’s hands, the beauty instrument that can make people care exquisitely without leaving home, and the game TV that can be played at home have become consumers’ first choice, and at the same time, it also shows an intelligent, healthy and refined consumption trend.
Trend 5: Purism
In 2023, consumers’ pursuit of health and safety has been upgraded again. From ingredient list to ingredient list, from transparency to scientific consumption, consumers are pursuing better, more extreme, simpler and more controllable "purity".
Consumers’ pursuit of purism and concern about ingredients, ingredients and materials are first reflected in the expansion of safety and health concerns. From the "ingredient party" of cosmetics and skin care products to the "material party" of furniture decoration, and then to the concern about ingredients in the food and beverage field, consumers’ enthusiasm for studying ingredients and ingredients has only increased, and many processes, materials and ingredients have begun to cross the border. For example, food is put into makeup and food ingredients are added to cosmetics; Or "beauty food supplement" to increase the efficacy of beauty beauty for food; Or clothing composition, pay attention to plant-based fabrics. Secondly, consumers’ pursuit of purism is embodied in controllability and traceability. Controllability means that no matter the technology, materials and packaging need to be "pure", traceability means that every link of food from the place of origin to the table can be seen by consumers and can be supervised by consumers. Controllable and traceable means that consumers eat healthily and safely in the 3.0 era, that is, the era of naked ingredients. In the era of naked ingredients, materials should be pure, technology should be refined, and packaging should be simple.
Trend 6: the new situation of the national tide
In recent years, the innovative expression of traditional culture has also become an integral part of the "national tide" culture. Tradition is fashionable and classicism is popular. The content based on Chinese excellent traditional culture keeps appearing, which has aroused the overall resonance of the public, and the traditional cultural factors on which the national tide relies have stimulated strong internal emotional resonance and aesthetic recognition.
From the cross-border innovation and rejuvenation of the national tide to the design innovation of the national wind, the national tide has become a consumer culture and product fashion, and it also represents the overall leap of China brand in design, culture and technology, from aesthetic iteration to a new competitive field.
In 2022, China consumers’ enthusiasm for domestic products continued to rise. According to the survey data of Zhimeng trend, in the past year, 56.7% of consumers said that they had increased their consumption of domestic products, and the consumption enthusiasm of domestic products in all generations was relatively high, with the new generation represented by the generation after 00 having the highest enthusiasm.
At the same time, with the development of the national tide in recent years, the cultural elements of the national tide are also more recognized by consumers. Among these elements, Hanfu has the highest recognition. Hanfu not only shows the charm of China traditional culture, but also the products themselves are rich in oriental aesthetic elements. Besides, many traditional Chinese skills and elements are also recognized, such as Shuang Mianxiu and so on. The development of the national tide has in turn promoted young people’s interest in deeply understanding traditional culture, thus promoting the innovation of the national tide in reverse.
The national tide collides and integrates traditional excellent culture with contemporary advanced technology and aesthetic demand to create new domestic products and new brands. Today, the national tide has become a collection of technology, culture, aesthetics, fashion and life, and will usher in an era of technological innovation, technological empowerment and the rise of domestic aesthetics.
Trend 7: Green Fashion
Green and low-carbon will undoubtedly become a hot spot in the development of many industries in 2023. Both the supply side of enterprises and the demand side of consumers are paying more and more attention to green, low-carbon and sustainable behaviors.
Among consumers, with the strengthening of green and low-carbon propaganda, environmental protection consumption and minimalist consumption are constantly emerging. More and more consumers pay more attention to environmental protection actions and purchase decisions, choose simple and moderate consumption patterns, and meet the needs of life with fewer but better materials. According to a huge amount of annual survey data, 88.9% of Tik Tok users said that they are more willing to choose environmentally friendly purchase or disposal of goods; Zhimeng’s annual consumption trend survey shows that 81.1% of consumers are willing to be a practitioner of minimalism.
With the rapid development of green development concept and the rise of green lifestyle, consumers pay more attention to green products and brands and take the initiative to choose. Zhimeng’s annual consumption trend survey shows that 73.8% of consumers will give priority to green and environmentally friendly products or brands in their daily lives. Compared with ordinary products, green products are more in line with the pursuit of safe, healthy and environmentally friendly life. Therefore, when faced with the premium generated by green products, most consumers said that the price of green products was higher than that of ordinary products, accounting for 68.9%.
At present, green and low-carbon has become a common pursuit, and a green lifestyle has gradually entered the hearts of the people. If enterprises want to be able to develop for a long time and be recognized by consumers, they should upgrade green development to corporate strategy, increase the supply of green products, and meet the needs of consumers. In marketing, we should highlight the concepts of green and sustainable development and gain the recognition of consumers; In order to promote more green development, we can launch activities or plans such as product trade-in and packaging recycling to jointly promote green consumption with consumers; In addition, adding and highlighting green labels in product packaging makes it easier for consumers to quickly perceive the green characteristics of products and make choices conveniently.
Trend 8: Trust compound interest
The digital communication environment drives the awakening of consumers’ sovereignty. The brand has entered the era of creating trust dividend from grabbing cognitive dividend and popular dividend. The brand needs to build reputation barriers from cognitive reinforcement to trust reinforcement, and create the compound interest effect supported by consumers.
In such an era of noisy information, brand is still the key for consumers to obtain certain choices. The data shows that 78.1% of consumers attach importance to brands when buying, and believe in the strength of well-known brands. Nearly 70% of consumers think that when they are undecided, they will give priority to brands with high reputation, and 60% of consumers think that good brands should always remain energetic and continue to convey brand image to consumers.
In an uncertain environment, leading brands always lead the consumption trend. To be appreciated, loved or admired, a brand must establish trust, which is not only the cornerstone of brand building, but also the engine that can produce long-term effects. According to the survey, 51.3% of consumers believe that the brand with transparent information is worthy of long-term trust, 49.0% of consumers believe that the brand with stable brand image is worthy of long-term trust, and 48.9% of consumers believe that the brand that treats consumers sincerely deserves long-term trust.
Since the brand formed a differentiated image to seize consumers’ minds, the brand has made a commitment to consumers in terms of product quality, performance and integrity. With the expanding role of the brand in life and society, people’s expectations for the brand are also expanding, and the brand must provide reliable products and valuable customer experience.
With trust, the relationship between brands and consumers will be stronger and more lasting. In the era of information explosion, it is easy to transmit information but difficult to build trust. Even, trust, sometimes rock-solid, sometimes fragile as ice, only perseverance and sincere accumulation can strengthen the brand and form a stronger moat.
Trend 9: New trends in agricultural products
With the continuous development of the national economy, people’s living standards are constantly improving, and the phenomenon of consumption upgrading has spread to all walks of life. Everyone is more keen on high-quality consumption, the quality and grade of consumption are constantly improving, and differentiated needs are constantly emerging. In the consumption market of agricultural products, "having enough to eat" has become a thing of the past, and "having a balanced diet" has become the mainstream consensus. Nowadays, consumers are constantly expecting to release their consumption of agricultural products: consumers will want more products with diversified characteristics such as green and organic, beautifully packaged and well-known brands. Products are not only edible, but also need social gifts, features and connotations.
When consumers buy agricultural products, they will pay attention to indicators such as "no agricultural residue, relatively safe", fresh and direct, public brands of origin, etc., and natural zero addition, organic certification, brand awareness and endorsement by government authority are also important reference basis.
With the continuous improvement of infrastructure in rural areas and the help of digital technology, regional "landmark agricultural products" have become the upgrading direction of urban consumption. The positive cycle of increasing farmers’ income is accelerating through the consumption upgrading driven by high-quality agricultural products. From the time the industry is brought to mountain products to enter the city, and then the regional agricultural special products are bought by more consumers, more regional high-quality agricultural products are facing unprecedented hot market opportunities. How to make these regional agricultural special products into brands will become the key work in the next stage of agricultural product development.
However, if agricultural products want to get rid of homogenization competition, they need to actively embrace the consumer market and seize the new consumer demand. Only when products are digested quickly, brands are differentiated, marketing is circled, and images are trendy, can they get out of the region and realize value upgrading.
Trend 10: virtual-real resonance
2022 is a year in which the Meta-universe continues to be hot. Whether it is all kinds of products launched by Roblox, Meta, Microsoft, or AR/VR (augmented reality/virtual reality), NFT (non-homogeneous card) … The concepts and products of the meta-universe emerge one after another, and the commercial whirlwind blown by the meta-universe is accelerating from the upstream to the downstream, competing to land on the subdivided commercial track.
This year, the concept of metauniverse really began to face the market and entered people’s lives. More and more industry participants enter it, constantly enriching the industrial chain of the meta-universe, combining virtual and real scenes, and realizing the real landing of the concept of the meta-universe. Zhimeng survey shows that consumers have a wide range of interests in metacosmic application scenarios, including: immersive online learning, simulated tourism, online concerts, virtual scene visits, multi-person online gatherings, etc. With the concept of metauniverse entering consumers’ cognition, the combination of virtual technology and real scenes has become the expectation of the public. The perfect realization of these metauniverse application scenarios will bring new experience and convenience to consumers.
In a very diverse universe scene, users can create their own digital avatars, start online communication at any time, and synchronize virtual expressions in real time. The data shows that nearly 80% of consumers are looking forward to "digital avatar". Among them, the post-90 s and post-00 s are more looking forward to it. For the characteristics of digital avatars, nearly 60% hope to be the same as themselves in reality, and 40% of consumers hope to reset their roles.
With the gradual integration of virtuality and reality, people’s life focus is constantly shifting to the virtual world. People want the "online" world to be more real, need to enter a smarter digital space, and can do more things. The data shows that 70% of consumers want to build their own meta-universe digital space, and the post-90 s and post-00 s of the younger generation are the most anticipated groups. Therefore, how the Metauniverse can open up the physical world, the digital world and the human brain world, so that consumers can use digital identities and build their own digital assets will also become the development direction of the industry in the next stage.
Meta-Universe has experienced concept hype and exploration of some basic businesses. How to bring new experience value to consumers has become the key. Whether it is individual digital avatar, collaborative work and learning platform, immersive five-sense experience, brand digital space, etc., it needs further landing and deepening.
When consumption picks up, marketing will return to the essence, and we are entering an era of connecting the heart and value-driven. Only by treating products, brands and every conversation and communication with consumers with ingenuity can we win the first prize. At the same time, we need to grasp the new consumption trend, be brave to be the wave maker of consumption trend, and constantly create new consumption demand, so as to stay ahead of our competitors and the industry.
