About the Research
McKinsey is compiling and analyzing data from the market to understand what drives the behavior of Chinese consumers and how they compare with shoppers in other countries. Last year we interviewed about 6,000 people in 30 cities, from sprawling Shanghai to semirural towns and cities, covering all income levels except the poorest households. The breadth of cities and consumer segments represented in the survey accounts for about 90 percent of the country's gross domestic product, 80 percent of its disposable income, and 60 percent of its population. In addition, to gather comparable data from developed countries, we conducted an online survey of consumer attitudes in the United Kingdom and the United States, representing a full range of ages, incomes, and regions.
At first glance, urban teenagers in China mirror their peers around the world: they embrace what's new and racy and walk around in branded clothes. But this first impression is deceptive, for a closer look reveals a consumer group that's a unique mix of modern tastes and traditional values, with behavior very different from that of its Western counterparts. Marketers lulled by similarities between Chinese teens and those in developed countries could fail to connect with...