China News Service, Jinhua, March 23: "Pleasant economy" drives women's sports consumption boom
Author Qian Chenfei Dong Yixin
Introducing yoga wear styles to customers, organizing products on the shelves... In Zhejiang Yiwu International Trade City, merchant Wu Meifang is very busy.
"Today's young people wear yoga clothes as casual wear, and they have even become a fashion item for 'Generation Z'. In order to cater to the trend, we have also designed new yoga clothes suitable for a variety of scenarios, which are welcomed by buyers at home and abroad." Wu Meifang said.
As the weather gets warmer, yoga, boxing and other sports are "sought after" by women, driving sales of related clothing to "skyrocket". Data from "Yiwu Gou" (Yiwu International Trade City online platform) show that from January 1 to March 15 this year, the transaction volume of yoga pants in Yiwu International Trade City and Huangyuan Clothing Market increased by 13% year-on-year, and the transaction volume of yoga clothes increased year-on-year. up 10.5%.
A store in Yiwu International Trade City displays various styles of yoga clothes. Photo by Qian Chenfei
Behind the booming sales of yoga clothes, it reflects the rise of the consumption power of China's "other movement" and the rise of the "self-pleasant concept".
Zhang Lili, who works in finance in Shanghai, is a sports expert. “I have been wearing yoga clothes to work recently and go straight to the gym downstairs of the company after work. For me, fitness is as essential as eating and sleeping. Although I My fitness will not involve too much weight, it is a health-preserving fitness, but moderate exercise can enhance my immunity and make me more energetic."
"The popularity of the movie "Hot Hot" inspired my fighting spirit. I wanted to take advantage of the spring to exercise and meet a better version of myself. When I was studying abroad, I often wore yoga pants when going out. Simple and comfortable yoga pants are the best choice. My daily items, I am very happy to see that there are more and more "like-minded" girls on the street. This is also a reflection of Yueji. Confident girls are the most beautiful." said Bao Weibo, a girl from Hangzhou.
Gyms, large and small, are vivid carriers that reflect the above changes. Zhou Bofei, a coach at a fitness private training studio in Hangzhou, said in an interview, “Recently, there has been an obvious increase in the number of girls coming to consult for fitness. For example, 19:00 to 21:00 is a popular fitness period, and my private training classes at this time every day are fully booked. And all girls book classes. When people come to work out, they not only wear yoga clothes and sportswear, but they even use other more professional fitness products."
The recently released "2023 China Fitness Industry Data Report" shows that as of December 2023, there were 69.75 million offline paid fitness members in China, and women are still the main force in the fitness consumer market, accounting for 55.41%; "2023 China Fitness Industry "Urban Prosperity Index Ranking" shows that the number of fitness venues in the Yangtze River Delta region ranks first in the country.
Feng Xiaolu, a doctoral supervisor at the Department of Physical Education of Zhejiang University, believes that the upsurge in women’s sports consumption reflects the changes in contemporary women’s health concepts and consumption concepts. As an important way to improve health and quality of life, exercise is favored by more and more women.
It pointed out that with the growth of women’s fitness groups and the advancement of modern sports technology, women’s demand for fitness products and services has become increasingly diversified and personalized, and the scale of women’s sports consumption driven by women’s “self-pleasant economy” is growing, which is important for cultivating sports. It is of great significance to create new growth points for the industry and stimulate domestic demand and economic vitality. (over)