(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s successful 5 %+ growth target in 2025 is not just macroeconomic news — it is directly translating into higher wallets, changing channel preferences, and new category winners. Here are the four biggest retail shifts driven by this growth cycle.
1. Premiumization 2.0 — From “Buy Expensive” to “Buy Better”
1.1 Health, Wellness, and Sustainability Now Command 50 %+ Premium
- Consumers willingly pay 80–150 % more for clean-label, eco-friendly, or functional products.
1.2 Domestic and Overseas Premium Brands Both Winning
2. County-Level Consumption Explodes with 700 Million New Digital Users 2.1 Lower-Tier Cities Grew 2.5× Faster Than Tier-1 in 2025
- Douyin and Pinduoduo traffic from county regions increased 120 % YoY.
2.2 Logistics Penetration Reaches 99.8 % of Towns
3. Silver Economy and Family-Centric Spending Surge
3.1 Consumers Aged 50+ Now Account for 38 % of Online Spending
- Maternal-baby, elderly care, and family travel became the hottest categories.
4. Cross-Border E-commerce Hits Record ¥2.8 Trillion
4.1 Positive Policy + Income Growth = Perfect Timing
- Overseas brands in beauty, health, and mother & baby saw 40–70 % growth.
Case Study: Swiss Luxury Watchmaker
A heritage Swiss watch brand engaged PLTFRM in mid-2024 to relaunch in China. We combined Xiaohongshu premium lifestyle content, WeChat private domain, and Tmall Luxury Pavilion timing the 2025 economic rebound. They recorded their highest-ever China sales with 412 % growth and waiting lists for limited editions.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
