Photo: Sina Weibo

Chinese brands are becoming more popular and are expected to continue to gain ground among young Chinese, according to a survey launched by China Youth Daily.

China Youth Daily released the survey results on Wednesday showing that 79.83 percent of a total of 998 surveyed college students are willing to support Chinese products and have expectations for the further development of domestic brands. 

The survey also shows that 41.42 percent of surveyed students will give priority to domestic products when purchasing products.

“I think domestic brands have achieved a lot of improvements these past few years. I really like some domestic cosmetics brands such as Perfect Dairy, Florasis, Chando and Pechoin,” Gong Teng, a 25-year-old woman who just graduated from university and has worked in Beijing for half a year, told the Global Times, explaining that local products are less expensive than foreign brands, but that the quality of cosmetics are very similar, which is quite suitable for students and former students looking for jobs after graduation

“When I use skincare products made in China, I feel very safe because many of the ingredients are from traditional Chinese medicine and the efficacy of these materials can be found in ancient Chinese medicine books,” Tingting, a woman living in East China’s Tianjin Municipality told the Global Times, claiming that she is using Readyoung, a brand originated from ingredients that Empress Dowager Cixi used during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

According to the report, young people 20-29 years old are the biggest consumption group for purchasing domestic brands, especially for 25-29 year olds, whose consumption accounted for more than 25.8 percent. 

Gong added that domestic goods are not only increasingly popular in China but also overseas. “I have a British friend who came to Beijing for a tour, and she bought a pair of Warrior brand sneakers before returning home.” 

In recent years, domestic brands have also been trying to explore overseas markets.

For example, Chinese brand Li Ning have held shows during the New York and Paris international fashion weeks since 2018; the Bosideng down jacket has been worn by many foreign stars and bloggers; and Lao Gan Ma Chilli Sauce has achieved five-star reviews from 88 percent of customers on Amazon’s US official website…

The soaring popularity of Chinese domestic brands is also related to celebrity power. 

John Cena, the protagonist of the film Bumblebee, often posts cooking videos to express his fondness for Lao Gan Ma on social media, which has gained a lot of likes.

A photo of a skateboard printed with designs from the Mogao Grottoes, a World Heritage Site, that the Dunhuang Museum sent to Chinese star Wang Yibo once swept the internet, with sales of the skateboard later reaching 3.9 million yuan ($580,824), according to reports. 

“Many brands of domestic products are bound with traditional Chinese culture, like designs from some representative Chinese scenic spots including the Summer Palace, the Palace Museum and the Great Wall. It can instill national pride and a sense of identity and patriotism in young people,” Sun Haoran, a 22-year-old postgraduate student told the Global Times.