Why is Chengdu so receptive to luxury brands?

Stefano Venza

Chengdu leads in luxury among China’s “tier 1.5” cities. Why? It’s in large part due to the culture of the city. Chengdu is not one of the richest or most populous cities in China. With 10.6 million people, it is only the sixth largest city by population and its GDP of 1.39 trillion RMB comes in eighth. Yet it is the third largest luxury market in China, just behind Shanghai and Beijing.

This “obsession” with luxury is partly the result of the same culture of this region. Since ancient times Sichuan has been known by the epithet of 天府之国, the land of abundance. This region has always been one of the historical bases of production, even in the imperial age.

Rich lands, a temperate climate, good food and breathtaking scenery have in turn generated a culture dedicated to art, the pursuit of beauty, and the good life.

A recent survey showed that over 80% of local consumers buy luxury goods for their own use rather than for presents. Furthermore, most of the luxury products sold in Chengdu are bought by locals rather than tourists, as is the case with other commercial centers.

Plus Chengdu is a natural crossroads. The city is located exactly in the center of China. This is why many trains bound for Europe use Sichuan as a terminal hub.

The markets of large coastal cities such as Beijing or Shanghai are now saturated. Chengdu straddles categorization as a first or second tier city, making it the perfect testing ground for discovering new markets. The purchasing power of its inhabitants has significantly increased in recent years, making Chengdu the most dynamic emerging Chinese market.

"ow to get this booming market? CCEE will help you, that’s why the main player of e-commerce sector will attend Hangzhou China Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition

CCEE was established in 2017 to create a link between manufacturing and digital distribution at the global level. It registered over 45 thousand attendees in its first year, with three events in China. How Chinese e-commerce market is growing? How is possible to better understand chinese markets?CCEE is aimed at smoothing the transition from traditional retail to “New Retail”, bridging the gap between China and global markets – and the other way around.

Its events are dedicated to factories, buyers, e-commerce operators and third-party service providers from all over the world, covering the whole supply chain. That’s why next June thousands of industry professionals will attend the Hangzhou China Cross-border E-commerce Exhibition organized by Cifnews in Hangzhou, Chinese “Silicon Valley”.