In 2025, these trends translate into growing enthusiasm for discovering and practicing outdoor sports, a quest for well-being at home, and a healthier lifestyle. Here is a look at the major market changes and the opportunities for brands.
A Changing Market: From Ownership to Experience
COVID marked a turning point in how Chinese consumers approach their daily lives. Three major dynamics are shaping the market in 2025:
- A search for escape and adventure: Outdoor leisure and sports are becoming a priority for a large part of the population.
- A renewed focus on well-being at home: The home is becoming a space of comfort and relaxation thanks to smart homes and a more sensory approach to living spaces.
- A desire to be healthier: Food, sports and physical and mental well-being are taking center stage in consumption habits.
The Rise of Outdoor Activities: Adventure and Reconnecting With Nature
More Chinese people than ever are leaving home to get active and explore new horizons.
Glamping: Luxury Camping Wins Over City Dwellers
Glamping, a blend of "glamour" and "camping", has exploded in recent years, offering a chic and comfortable alternative for stays in the great outdoors.
- Growth in premium accommodation set in natural landscapes.
- Development of immersive experiences, such as stays in yurts or eco-friendly cabins.
Outdoor Sports Are Booming
Outdoor leisure is seeing renewed interest with the emergence of new sports trends:
- Skiing: The rise of ski resorts and the democratization of the sport in China.
- Tennis and climbing: Growing popularity thanks to the Olympics and promotion on social media. Tennis is growing exponentially and attracting many young Chinese people.
- Hiking & cycling: A return to nature activities that combine physical performance and disconnection.
Opportunity for brands: Sports, tourism and outdoor equipment brands have fertile ground for offering new experiences and engaging consumers through immersive content and social media campaigns.
Foreign brands are on a roll, notably Head, Wilson, Babolat, Burton…
Well-Being at Home: A Connected, Sensory Cocoon
Since the pandemic, the home has become a refuge, a space where people take care of themselves and try to create a soothing, inspiring atmosphere.
Smart Homes: When Technology Improves Well-Being
Young consumers and the middle class are investing heavily in solutions that optimize their comfort and simplify their daily lives:
- Smart air purifiers and devices to improve indoor air quality.
- Smart lighting and home automation to create atmospheres suited to different times of day.
- Security and automation for complete peace of mind at home.
Atmosphere and the Senses: Home Fragrances and Scented Candles
Well-being also comes through an immersive sensory experience:
- High-end home fragrances inspired by luxury perfumery appeal to customers looking for exclusivity.
- The rise of scented candles and essential oils as elements of decoration and relaxation.
Opportunity for brands: Tech and home decor brands should capitalize on this trend by offering products that combine innovation and well-being, with storytelling focused on emotion and comfort.
A Healthier Lifestyle: Health as a Top Priority
In 2025, taking care of yourself is becoming a social norm. Food, sports and mental well-being are at the heart of Chinese consumers' concerns.
Fitness Is Booming
Consumers are turning to sports that combine performance and mental well-being:
- Yoga and meditation classes, growing strongly in big cities.
- Gyms and personalized coaching, with an emphasis on new technologies (AI and augmented reality).
- Running and outdoor training, as part of a holistic approach to well-being.
Healthier, More Natural Food
- Growth in superfoods and dietary supplements to boost energy and strengthen immunity.
- The rise of matcha tea and functional drinks, combining pleasure and health benefits.
- Fewer ultra-processed foods, more organic and local food.
Opportunity for brands: Companies in nutrition and well-being can take advantage of these trends by highlighting the health and natural benefits of their products.
Opportunities for Brands: How to Succeed in China in 2025?
Brands must adapt their approach to capture this new demand focused on experience, well-being and a healthier lifestyle.
- Focus on emotion and experience: Consumers are looking for brands that give them a real connection.
- Highlight well-being and sustainability: Quality, transparency and natural ingredients are key purchase criteria.
- Use digital and social commerce: WeChat, Douyin and Xiaohongshu are essential for engaging consumers through immersive, interactive content.
An Evolving Economy: Between Curiosity and Rationality
China's economy, although dynamic, is more recent than those of Western countries such as France. This translates into a great thirst for discovery and openness to new experiences among Chinese consumers. Their curiosity drives them to explore new products, trends and ways of consuming faster than in other markets.
However, this phase of exploration is gradually giving way to more rational needs, increasingly close to those of other developed countries. The search for quality, sustainability and well-being is becoming a priority, with more thoughtful consumption focused on what matters.
For brands, and Western brands in particular, this means both stimulating Chinese consumers' curiosity with unique, innovative experiences and meeting their growing demands for quality and added value. This strategic balance will make the difference on the Chinese market in 2025 and beyond.
Consumption in Full Transformation
The new consumer trend in China is based on a balance between experience, well-being and nature, supported by rapid growth in sectors such as outdoor leisure and smart homes. This momentum is encouraged by consumer confidence: despite a fluctuating economic context, consumers continue to favor major purchases in areas such as technology, sports and health.
The Chinese government also plays a key role in stimulating domestic consumption, notably through incentive policies and subsidies aimed at supporting domestic demand. In 2025, these trends are expected to generate billions of dollars of opportunities for brands able to adapt to the new expectations of Chinese consumers.
OUR EXPERTISEDigital marketing agency in China
Thibault has been living in Beijing since 2014 and has quickly established himself as one of the leading international digital experts in China. With his extensive expertise, he assists large corporations, institutions, and high-end brands in their digital development by offering strategic solutions tailored to the Chinese market.
