Exploiting the goldmine: a lifestyle analysis of affluent Chinese consumers

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to investigate the lifestyles of contemporary Chinese affluent consumers and their influences on a number of consumption variables such as brand preference (local versus foreign), attitudes toward innovative products, luxury consumption, impulse purchases, etc. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 1,317 consumers across 17 cities in China. Five lifestyle factors were identified and further verified through a confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple regression analyses were performed to explore the relationships between lifestyles and consumption patterns. Findings – The results showed that affluent Chinese consumers, though apparently similar in terms of wealth possession, exhibited very different patterns in their purchase and consumption behaviors. For instance, consumers with a salient “need‐for‐uniqueness” trait were found to be quite contingent on consuming goods for being distinctive. The price conscious consumers were somehow over‐confident in their purchase decisions, resulting sometimes in impulse buying. A third group of people were found to often disguise their consumption behaviors with an explicit orientation for public interests, e.g. environmental protection. Compared with those who seek respect from others, consumers with strong needs for achievement were found to be more pragmatic and tended to be self‐oriented. Practical implications – Findings from this study provides a useful framework for marketers to link their products to various lifestyle groups of affluent Chinese consumers, thus enhancing their marketing productivity and profitability in the Chinese market. Originality/value – Despite the large body of lifestyle studies, very little research has focused on the Asia Pacific region. The current study provides an extensive empirical investigation, on which marketers may better approach affluent Chinese consumers with various lifestyles.