L'Oreal looking pretty in the Chinese market

Global brands target affluent shoppers in third- and fourth-tier cities, as more people are attracted to luxury products

Before celebrating her 34th birthday with her husband in a Japanese restaurant, Yang Yi went to the nearby Yaohan shopping mall.

"I wanted to buy a set of Lancome eye cream and serum products as a gift to myself," said Yang, the owner of an advertising company in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.