The new generation of migrant workers becomes a new group of "appearance transformation"
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Hair transplants, eyebrows, eyelash extensions, facial treatments... The new generation of migrant workers are gradually integrating into the city, and they have also joined the "transformed consumer" group in appearance.
The reason is that the interviewee believes that, on the one hand, the freedom of consumption brought about by wage increases, and work needs have also become a driving force.
Experts remind that improving appearance is a kind of "consumer integration" of the new generation of migrant workers into urban life, but it is also necessary to pay attention to irrational consumption behaviors and financial risks. Strengthening comprehensive skills is the foundation for further integration into the city.
"Writing eyebrows, eyelash extensions, and facial treatments are no longer exclusive to the people in the city. Many migrant workers, including me, will also come to our store to do these items." Just after the spring equinox, a beauty shop in a shopping mall in Shijingshan District, Beijing The store manager, Dong Qian, clearly felt that the passenger flow in the store has gradually increased, and migrant workers have become a new crowd for new consumption this spring.
In the "China New White-collar Consumer Behavior Research Report" in 2020, self-improvement consumption represented by light luxury, skin care, beauty and fitness is called "transformed consumption".
The reporter found that in the process of gradually integrating into the city, the new generation of migrant workers is also joining the "transformed consumption" group, and the content of consumption is also richer and more diverse.
Experts remind that it is necessary to pay attention to irrational consumer behaviors and financial risks, and to enhance comprehensive skills is the foundation for further integration into the city.
"Consumer integration" to enhance appearance
In August last year, Dong Qian became the manager of the company's Shijingshan branch. At this time, it has been 10 years since she first went out to work in a rural village in Dangchang County, Longnan City, Gansu Province.
At the beginning, Dong Qian followed her cousin's advice and went to a hairdressing shop in Lanzhou as an apprentice.
In 2015, Dong Qian was introduced by a friend to work in a beauty shop in Beijing. That month, he spent money to experience all the facial masks, creams and massage treatments in the shop.
She told reporters, “Only by lying on the massage table, can you understand what they really care about from the customer’s point of view, and you can also find that the skin condition of the sale will be observed closely. This is the most convincing product. evidence."
When the company later launched projects such as eyebrows and skin care, Dong Qian became the first batch of customers with the help of staff discounts.
While the salary is rising year by year, she has become the manager of the new branch with her sales performance.
Dong Qian said that after becoming a store manager, she pays more attention to the overall sales planning of the store and the characteristics of the consumer group.
Through business inventory, Dong Qian found that the young migrant workers who came to consume were mainly women, and they often chose basic skin care, eyebrow writing, eyelash planting and other items.
She believes, "These projects can be completed at one time, the price is relatively cheap, the platform group purchase is more favorable, and customers can see the effect immediately, so they are very popular."
Guo Yuankai, an assistant researcher at the China Youth Research Center, pointed out that the consumer behavior and consumer culture of the new generation of migrant workers represent their strong desire to integrate into urban life. It can be defined as "consumer integration". "Compared with their parents, the new generation of migrant workers Their consumption is bolder, more avant-garde, and more quality and connotation." From the perspective of psychological trends, their consumption concepts and consumption actions have become more active, and their characteristics of citizenship have become more obvious. They have become an important consumer group and consumption in the city. power.
Income increase, work needs to be a boost
According to the tracking and monitoring data of migrant workers by the National Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of migrant workers engaged in the tertiary industry reached 51% in 2019.
The reporter found that the new generation of migrant workers pay attention to appearance consumption, which is not unrelated to the distribution characteristics of their concentration in the tertiary industry.
Waiters, salesmen, business brokers and other positions that have direct contact with customers all have higher requirements for the image and temperament of the practitioners. Ling Tong began to pay attention to his appearance because of his work.
In November last year, Ling Tong changed his career to become a real estate agency, engaged in the sale of second-hand housing.
The company's new employees emphasized that they must wear a full set of formal attire and tie every day, and their faces must be clean and tidy. "In terms of details, male employees are also required to cut hair and nails as often as possible."
The high requirements in appearance made him a little uncomfortable for a while. For this reason, Ling Tong applied for a membership card for a barbershop near where he lived. He had to cut his hair every two to three weeks and do a facial cleanse by the way.
Ling Tong recharged 2,000 yuan in his haircut membership card, which is the minimum amount of stored value in the store.
He told reporters that in order to reflect the professionalism of sales and the image of the company, it is also necessary for salespeople to maintain their appearance, "but sales skills and mastery of the housing situation are the last word, so there is no need to top up too much."
Guo Yuankai believes that the consumption of the new generation of migrant workers in self-image enhancement categories such as appearance is a way and method to enhance human capital. "Their appearance consumption is more experiential and hierarchical rather than routine." Ling Tong Will increase the consumption items of haircut and skin care out of job demand. On the one hand, his salary income can be afforded, and on the other hand, it involves fewer consumption items.
However, for Ling Tong's colleague Wang Xiao, more capital investment is needed.
According to Wang Xiao, his baldness has certain genetic factors. In recent years, it has become more serious due to staying up late at work and working overtime. Recently, he is considering going to the hospital for hair transplant surgery.
"If I don't work in the sales business, the effect of baldness may be small. It's just that it's more difficult to switch jobs for a while, and I still hope to cure it." According to Wang Xiao's investigation, the cost of hair transplantation basically costs tens of thousands of yuan, and he is working on it. This plan is used as a fund reserve.
"A good appearance is just a stepping stone"
Wang Xiao mentioned in the interview that part of his consideration of hair transplantation in recent years was due to seeing too many advertisements for hair transplantation.
"Now many elevators, buses, and websites have hair transplant advertisements. Everyone usually talks about the problem of young people's hair loss. I think it should be treated."
Guo Yuankai believes that the various glamour visualized in the new media era and the urban peers in daily life will affect the consumption decisions of the new generation of migrant workers.
"A good appearance is only a stepping stone. Strengthening comprehensive skills is the foundation for further integration into the city."
As a practitioner in the beauty industry, Dong Qian not only made a considerable amount of investment in appearance improvement, but also became a provider of appearance consumption.
Seeing the recent news about "post-95 beauticians settled in Shanghai as an introduction talent", Dong Qian also felt deeply. "Everyone has a heart for beauty. Appropriate attempts and investment are understandable. But for many For the migrant workers from the countryside, they still have to consume moderately, like that post-95 beautician working hard to practice their skills is the long-term solution."
Su Ling, who works as a waiter in a milk tea shop in Dongcheng District, Beijing, has experienced irrational consumption for a period of time.
"When you see those exquisite skin care products and cosmetics, you will want to buy them. There are many products such as eye primer, mascara, eyeliner, etc., and sometimes they will study the medical beauty of removing eye bags and opening the corners of the eyes. Surgery.” It was not until she saw the summary of the consumption bill at the end of the year that her beauty consumption had unknowingly reached tens of thousands of yuan, and Su Ling realized that she needed to control it in time.
Guo Yuankai reminded that the changes in the appearance and consumption behavior of the new generation of migrant workers are gradually formed along with the process of citizenization of their identity. "For this kind of behavior, the new generation of migrant workers must be actively guided to establish correct values and to improve At the same time of beauty, more attention is paid to the cultivation and accumulation of internal abilities, especially the cultivation of "soft skills" such as social interaction, expression communication, psychological quality, and legal awareness that are needed in the process of urban integration."
Liu Xiaoyan