HK generation Z to be a 'catalyst'

Despite lagging behind a nationwide guochao trend that makes Chinese aesthetics trendy and more relevant to the country's youths, Hong Kong looks to catch up in the post-pandemic era to cement its status as the city with the best of both worlds in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

"Unlike other major cities in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong consumers today have not followed the guochao trend," said Herbert Yum, research manager at market research provider Euromonitor International.

He attributed it to several factors — the special administrative region's global position helps it to adapt to a mixed-culture market; the reputation of Chinese brands still needs to be revamped; and the city's recent social unrest has had an adverse impact on mainland products.

However, he expects Hong Kong's speed of transforming itself into a city with a greater Chinese culture to accelerate after COVID-19 eases. Hong Kong consumers, especially Generation Z — those born from the mid-to-late 1990s to the early 2010s — are strongly influenced by social media videos from the mainland.

Generation Z consumers are thriving and more open to innovative products than other consumer groups, with a stronger desire to experiment and a fondness for niche purchases. "They're more open to purchasing Chinese brands that are aligned with the value they pursue," said Yum.

He said he believes the guochao fad will become the "catalyst" to help strengthen Chinese culture and influence Hong Kong and reposition the SAR as an international city with a stronger Chinese influence, in order to break down the existing cultural barriers between Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area.