my country's emotional consumption market has grown rapidly, from 1.63 trillion yuan in 2022 to 2.31 trillion yuan in 2024, and is expected to reach 2.72 trillion yuan in 2025, exceeding 4.5 trillion yuan in 2029. Both its current size and future growth expectations demonstrate strong growth momentum, making it a significant growth engine for my country's consumer market.
From tourist attractions where visitors simply check off their stops to "self-indulgent travel" that prioritizes emotional value; from conspicuous consumption focused on material possessions to experiential consumption emphasizing spiritual fulfillment, the consumption upgrade towards "self-love and self-gratification" has shifted the consumption benchmark from "glory in the eyes of others" to "joy in one's own heart." The abundance of material life has changed people's needs for emotional belonging, respect, and self-actualization, gradually leading to a return to consumption that pleases the self and heals the soul. This has injected lasting and robust new vitality into the consumer market, outlining a vivid picture of high-quality development in consumption.
From "cost-effectiveness" to "emotional value," the rise of the emotional economy is revitalizing consumption. The fast pace and high pressure of modern society have made emotional comfort a necessity, gradually replacing the once "face-saving" consumption logic with "self-satisfaction." Trendy toys and blind boxes have become a national stress-relieving engine, and immersive experiences are bridging the virtual and real worlds… Compared to the practical value of material goods, consumers are more willing to pay for emotional experiences and resonance. This shift from "outward pursuit" to "inward care" is a change in consumption orientation and an inevitable result of economic development and social progress. The rise of the emotional economy has transformed consumption from a simple exchange of goods into an important way to nourish the mind and regulate emotions, opening up a vast blue ocean for the emotional economy.
Products and services that resonate with consumers fully unleash the potential of emotional consumption. Emotional consumption aims to satisfy personalized psychological needs, and the emotional pain points differ drastically across different groups and scenarios. Therefore, only products and services that truly resonate with consumers can unlock the enormous potential of emotional consumption. As an adapter that precisely matches supply and demand, emotional consumption can maximize consumption potential. Intangible cultural heritage, national trends, cuisine, local specialties… It is essential to fully explore one's own strengths and potential, accurately capture segmented emotional needs, create immersive emotional experience scenarios, and build warm emotional connections, allowing consumers to find their own unique way to please themselves among diverse choices, thus continuously unleashing the vitality of self-love and self-gratification consumption.
Infrastructure development and supportive policies have made "self-indulgent consumption" more convenient and satisfying. Upgraded transportation has made the dream of "poetry and distant places" more accessible, with high-speed rail's dynamic scheduling ("one schedule per day") precisely matching passenger flow demand, making convenient travel the starting point for a better consumer experience. Substantial policy support has directly ignited consumer enthusiasm, with the continuous expansion of trade-in programs and targeted measures such as holiday bonuses and vouchers giving consumers more confidence to treat themselves. The dual guarantee of policy benefits and infrastructure ensures that consumers no longer hesitate due to inconvenient travel, price barriers, or substandard experiences, transforming emotional consumption from "optional" to "accessible," and from "niche trends" to "everyday life," fully unleashing the demand for "self-indulgent consumption." This dual improvement in the convenience and satisfaction of "self-indulgent consumption" warms countless households and injects continuous momentum into high-quality economic development.
Emotional consumption possesses dual attributes: it encompasses both material and spiritual consumption; it concerns both market vitality and social psychology. From the herd mentality of "I was here" to the autonomous choice of "self-love and self-gratification," the consumption pattern has changed, but the pursuit of a quality life remains constant. The key to sustaining the enthusiasm for "self-love and self-gratification" lies in a virtuous cycle where demand drives supply, and supply creates demand, injecting vitality into economic growth and ensuring that every expression of love for life receives a warm response.
( Special Commentator/Jing Lan )
