Survey: 41% of Chinese consumers mull spending more on health-related products

Chinese consumers are adapting to a “new normal” and shifting their spending priorities in 2025, with 41% of consumers planning to spend more on health-related products, according to a recent Chinese consumer survey by AlixPartners, the global consulting firm. 

The report, based on a survey of over 3,000 respondents across China, reveals strong appetite for quality, wellness and meaningful experiences despite an overall cautious sentiment.  

The report found that 41% of consumers intend to spend more on health-related products such as supplements and Chinese medicine, while more than 30% plan to increase their spending on groceries, clothing, and travel as consumers continue to prioritise wellness and practicality. 

Travel and holiday spending leads the way in consumer confidence growth from 2024 to 2025, fueled by a shift toward meaningful, experience-driven consumption. Notably, more than 40% of young consumers plan to spend more on travel in 2025, said the report.  

Such focus on self-care and quality of life is also reflected in the moderate confidence growth for spending related to entertainment, dining out, sporting goods, toys, books, and cosmetics. 

On the other hand, the luxury sector is seeing renewed confidence among high-income consumers in high-tier cities, with short-term spending growth remaining cautious as shoppers prioritize quality, value, and sustainable options over impulsive high-ticket purchases. 

Gen Z consumers are redefining aspirations, while affluent seniors and middle-income urbanites are driving demand for essential and discretionary goods, said the report. This presents vast growth opportunities for businesses that can adapt their strategy, execution, and engagement with precision amid the evolving consumer landscape. 

Brand loyalty has emerged as a critical pillar for business success as shifting purchasing behaviours, increasing price sensitivity, and evolving trust dynamics disrupt long-standing loyalty patterns. Price sensitivity and product functionality are the two biggest drivers behind brand-switching behaviours, followed by recommendations from friends and family, whereas the origin of a product has become less important as a brand-switching driver. 

Categories with longer lifespans including home refurbishment and luxury goods or higher repurchase rates including pet-related items and toys tend to enjoy stronger brand loyalty. However, for saturated categories such as food and beverages and apparel, loyalty tends to be more fleeting – 18% of consumers are likely to switch clothing brands. 

Key to retail success

According to AlixPartners’ survey, online channels remain the dominant purchasing avenue for most categories, especially for interest-related goods such as travel, entertainment, clothing, beauty and cosmetics, toys and books for which over 60% of purchases are conducted online.  

An integrated approach remains key to customer engagement as shoppers utilise a variety of online and offline channels to research and make purchases. For example, for beauty and cosmetics products, 21% and 14% of consumers most frequently gather information via Tmall/Taobao and Xiaohongshu respectively, while 13% turn to offline stores. 

"China's economy has entered a transformative phase of slower but more sustainable growth. While consumers are generally more cautious with their spending, our survey reveals that perceptions of economic prospects vary significantly by geography, income, and age group – differences that have profound implications for their spending," said Lisa Hu, partner and managing director, Greater China lead for the consumer & retail practice at AlixPartners. 

"To thrive in this new era, businesses must go beyond a broad-based approach and demonstrate agility, innovation, and a sophisticated understanding of target customer behaviour across categories,” she added. 

"China continues to set the global benchmark for eCommerce innovation thanks to its expansive ecosystem with an abundance of choices," added Hu. "However, getting that choice right is pivotal to success. Retailers need to frequently and consistently monitor consumer behaviour to navigate this complex landscape effectively."

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