Christopher Bodeen
May 26, 2005
Chinese tourists are spending an average of US$987 apiece, mostly on clothes and cosmetics, on overseas shopping trips. REUTERS
Retailers take note: you might want to brush up on your Putonghua.
Chinese are now outspending Japanese on overseas shopping trips, blowing an average of US$987 (HK$7,699) on designer clothes, cosmetics and other items each time they go abroad, according to a recent survey.
Rising incomes and loosened government restrictions allowed 29 million Chinese to travel overseas in 2004, a 43 percent increase over the year before, according to the survey by market research firms ACNielsen and Tax Free World Association.
Although Chinese spend less altogether on their overseas trips than Japanese travelers, they splurge more at the shops, accounting for about 30 percent of their total spending, according to the survey.
"With increased disposable incomes, the Chinese are turning to overseas travel and exploring new and interesting places," said Glen Murphy, ACNielsen's managing director for China.
While the spending figures may be good news for foreign retailers, they are far from representative of China's 1.3 billion people as a whole.
Even in China's three wealthiest cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, where the survey was conducted, only about one in 10 residents has traveled abroad. Of those who do, 69 percent are women and 36 percent are in their 20s - groups with the largest disposable incomes and the most extravagant spending habits of all Chinese.
Asian countries and regions are most favored by Chinese shoppers, with Hong Kong the top destination by far. Over 70 percent of those surveyed who visited Hong Kong said they did so mainly for shopping.
However, those visiting European countries that were opened as official tourism destinations last year spent the most - an average of US$1,781 per person per trip, the survey said.
It said fashion, cosmetics and candies were the top three purchases by Chinese visitors, a contrast to European travelers who spend the most on alcohol, perfume and tobacco products.
Industry experts say Chinese travelers tend to economize on hotel rooms and food.
ASSOCIATED PRESS>
No comments:
Post a Comment