Women driving spending surge in China

Chinese women are emerging as increasingly powerful and independent consumer forces, with a rising preference for emotional value, self-care, and collectible trends such as Pop Mart's Labubu, according to a survey.

The "618 Women's Consumption Survey," jointly published by Women of China magazine, Huakun Women's Lifestyle Survey Center, and Huakun Women's Consumption Center, offers a close look at women's spending behaviors during the 618 festival and over the past year.

Among this year's most notable findings: more than one-third of women (33.1 percent) bought collectible dolls or figurines over the past year, including trendy items from brands like Pop Mart and Jellycat, reflecting a growing trend of "cute consumption". Some 5.8 percent of women purchased more than 10 figurines within a year.

Women exhibited rational spending behavior, with 60 percent comparing prices across multiple platforms before placing orders. The most popular e-commerce platform was Taobao, used by 59.5 percent of respondents, followed by JD.com (36.4 percent), Douyin (32.2 percent), Pinduoduo (21.5 percent), and Meituan (10.7 percent).

The survey underscores women's growing influence not just as consumers, but as household financial decision-makers. A staggering 96.7 percent of all women surveyed manage their finances.

Children remain the top spending priority, with 50 percent of women citing them as the biggest expenditure category, followed by self-care (43.3 percent), parents, and even pets (2.5 percent)—which ranked higher than spending on partners or lovers.

In the past year, 57.9 percent of women invested in self-growth, while 82.5 percent made health-related purchases outside of medical costs.

Outdoor sports—hiking, running, cycling—proved especially popular, with 42.1 percent spending in this category. Sports like badminton and table tennis attracted 26.4 percent, while 25.6 percent spent on yoga, Pilates, or dance.