New consumer trends spur market vitality

A store of a local fashion brand at "LANG Ave" pedestrian fashion street. Wang Haolan

Emerging consumer trends have become a new driving force for economic growth in Shenzhen, stimulating market vitality and promoting consumer spending during the five-day May Day holiday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

At 10 a.m. Monday, long queues were already seen at the door of Wenheyou, a new catering complex located in Luohu District. Many customers came all the way from out of town to try out delicacies that have gained much popularity among foodies.

The catering complex, with a construction area of around 20,000 square meters, houses more than 100 catering brands. Wenheyou highlights a retro vibe that brings the diners back to the 1980s and a diversity of Internet-famous food. Wenheyou has now become a must-visit place in the city for food lovers.

According to Weng Donghua, co-founder of Wenheyou, the catering complex has gathered a wide range of locally famous delicacies such as Guangming roasted pigeon and Shajing oyster, paying a homage to Shenzhen’s catering culture.

Weng said that Wenheyou had extended its business hours to cater to a diner surge during the holiday, as the catering complex saw a daily average of 30,000 to 50,000 customers.

During the holiday, stores and restaurants in the city’s major shopping malls have also seen more foot traffic, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.

A manager with a restaurant in Ping An Finance Center told the Daily that the number of diners during the holiday had increased by 20 to 30 percent than usual.

The recently opened “LANG Ave” fashion pedestrian street in Dalang Fashion Town, Longhua District, has emerged as a great place for shoppers who look for high-quality and branded items, Xinhua reported.

Over years of development, Dalang Fashion Town has gathered some locally developed renowned brands including Yinger, Marisfrolg and Kaltendin.

Cao Yuxin, director of the fashion town’s construction and management center, said that “LANG Ave” fashion pedestrian street will become a comprehensive exhibition space for the garment industry through exhibitions and fashion weeks.

The street culture that has been gaining traction in recent years has also been a main driver of consumption growth for trending toys.

“For many born in the 1980s and 1990s, cultural and entertainment spending has become very common,” Wang Bin, chairman of a local animation company, was quoted as saying.

Some industry insiders said that whether it is catering, fashion or toys, these new consumer trends indicate that businesses have shown more readiness to enhance consumers’ purchasing desire with rich, multidimensional and novel consumption experiences.