【英语中国】中国人愿意花钱亦不忘储蓄

Chinese consumers are ready to shop but remain cautious in their spending, according to a recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group.

Chinese consumers are ready to shop but remain cautious in their spending, according to a recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group.

The survey, which looked at consumer spending world-wide, found Chinese respondents relatively upbeat, with high levels of optimism about the economy and their individual job security, though rising living costs and a weak social-safety net have prompted a continued focus on saving.

Consumers in China's northeast and southwest regions were less affected by the global economic crisis and remain eager to spend. 'They enjoy the process, the result,' when it comes to shopping, said Carol Liao, a partner and managing director at Boston Consulting.

In contrast, Chinese consumers in southeastern cities, where Pearl River Delta factories were shuttered, were hit hard by the downturn and registered more pessimistic sentiments.

Given those regional differences, 'there won't be a standard formula for brands to take home and replicate and follow,' said Kuo Youchi, a project leader for the research firm.

Overall, salaries are highest in China's biggest cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, but previous Boston Consulting research has shown that relative wages are growing faster in smaller urban centers like Chengdu.

Reaching these increasingly middle-class and affluent consumers, however, continues to be a challenge, Liao said. Landlocked regions are hard to get goods to, though infrastructure improvements have eased some of those pressures.

Branding is also important to this demographic. Consumers indicated that they are willing to 'trade up' to brands that they perceive as healthier. In addition, half of those surveyed said they would pay more for dairy products, a nod to the Sanlu Group milk scandal in 2008.

'Big brands are equal to an assurance for quality,' Liao said.

AFP/Getty Images波士顿咨询公司(Boston Consulting Group)最近一项调查显示，中国人愿意购物，但花钱仍旧慎重。

这次调查考察了全世界的消费者支出情况，发现中国受调查者相对乐观，对整体经济和个人就业稳定有很高的信心，但不断上涨的生活成本和薄弱的社会保障网络，让他们一如既往地关注于储蓄。

中国东北、西南地区的消费者受全球经济危机的影响较小，仍然很愿意花钱。波士顿咨询公司合伙人、董事总经理廖天舒(Carol Liao)说，他们喜欢购物的过程和结果。

相比之下，由于珠江三角洲许多工厂关门歇业，东南部城市的中国消费者受到经济危机的严重打击，表现出了更加悲观的情绪。

波士顿咨询公司项目带头人Kuo Youchi说，考虑到这些地区差异，并不存在一个标准公式让品牌拿过去照搬。

总体上来看，北京、上海等大城市的薪资水平是最高的，但波士顿咨询公司以往的研究曾显示，像成都这样规模稍小的城市，其相对工资增长速度更快。

但廖天舒说，接触这些越来越富裕、越来越成为中产阶级的消费者，仍然是一个挑战。商品很难运往内陆地区，尽管基础设施的改善已经部分缓解了这种压力。

品牌推广对这个人群同样重要。消费者表示，他们愿意“更新换代”，购买他们认为更加健康的品牌。另外，半数受调查者说，他们将为奶制品花费更多的钱。这是2008年三鹿奶粉丑闻的一个反映。

廖天舒说，大品牌等同于质量保证。