Chinese youth embrace ACG merch

On New Year’s Eve, Cui Zhijun and his friends visited “guzi” shops in Beijing’s Wangfujing Xiyue Shopping Center, dressed in anime-character costumes. As a fan of the anime series “Naruto,” this was his way of welcoming the New Year.

The Chinese characters “guzi,” a homonym for the English word “goods,” refers to badges, acrylic figure stands, cards and other merchandise featuring ACG (animation, comic and game) culture elements.

Like Cui, many young Chinese people are attracted to ACG merch and are willing to pay for their hobbies and feel-good moments.

“The pleasure that guzi gives me is that it offers me a new way to interact with friends old and new, and it’s also a hobby that makes my life more fulfilling,” Cui said.

Most guzi cost no more than 100 yuan (US$13.9), and the most commonly seen ones are badges of around 15 yuan each. A few rare guzi may fetch more than 1,000 yuan.

In recent years, with the rise of the ACG sector, more and more young people, especially younger generations, have become keen on collecting guzi.

This emerging trend has created business opportunities. Dimension GO, a chain store selling guzi, opened its Wangfujing Xiyue store in November 2024. The store saw more than 1 million yuan in turnover during its first month.

“My favorite character is Imai Lisa. She is a character in a music game,” said Feng Gu, a cosplay enthusiast.

Feng said that, apart from collecting relevant guzi, she also likes to participate in cosplay activities, based around a particular franchise or story. At such events, everyone dresses up as different characters in the franchise, and takes photos or records videos together.

Dang Qiong, associate professor at the school of journalism and communication at Guangxi University, said ACG culture has a strong appeal to young people, especially teenagers, and guzi-related communities can meet their emotional needs for idols and shared interests.

According to a McKinsey survey, 64% of Chinese consumers attach more importance to emotional consumption, and this is evident among young consumers in particular.

According to data analysis provider iiMedia Research, the “guzi economy” will continue to grow in the next few years, with the overall market size expected to exceed 300 billion yuan in 2029.

According to a research report of Zheshang Securities, more than 60 business areas in more than 20 first- and second-tier Chinese cities in China have been creating landmarks for ACG-related consumption. (Xinhua)