With a population topping 17 million and an average age of 32, Shenzhen is singular in its demographics when it comes to consumerism and shopping.
The city is dotted with shopping malls appealing to different sectors–high end and higher end it looked like to me on a recent trip. Shopping is a major form of entertainment for residents of the city, and the malls are showcases of international brands, many of them luxury brands.
What fascinated me on my recent trip there for the Toy & Hobby China show was how many stores were dedicated to toys. And when I say toys, I mean toys for the kidults. I spent time at both the Uniwalk and Elephant malls, and both deliver dramatic, engaging experiences. For those of you who don’t have time to make the trip (or leave the fairgrounds), here’s a look at some of the fun we had.
It wasn’t just kidult toys that caught our attention. As in the U.S., the water bottle has become a fashion accessory. There are stores devoted to selling just water bottles. Bottled Joy even has a celebrity spokesperson–Wang Yibo former star of the Korean boy band Uniq.
The other trend we saw was in makeup. Makeup for young men is rising in popularity, with promotions emphasizing the ability to make skin whiter. Many of these products are merchandised next to sunscreen. What you don’t see in this picture are the number of men drawn into the store.
The question is always: will these trends come to the U.S. The answer is yes. As Mini So opens stores in the Flatiron and Times Square neighborhoods in New York (always crowded), as Pop Mart continues to open stores here with 26 physical stores, a couple of pop ups and the latest trend Robo Shops (aka vending machines), the brand is more established than ever and a fairly confident prediction is that it will only continue to grow.
As for the desire to wear white foundation and look more and more like Queen Elizabeth I, well, that’s not my area of expertise.
However, I can say that there are no longer localized trends, wherever there is online access, young people are connected to the world and have the potential to see it all.
