The Chinese Men's Cosmetic Market: Guangzhou, Hong Kong and ...

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Products used:
65 percent of Chinese men who use cosmetics are using skin-cleaning products,
with milks and scrubs among the most popular among shoppers.
However, while sales of moisturizers and lotions may be on the rise, few men are buying
facial masks. They also are purchasing skin lotions, whitening agents, face cleansing
cream, deodorant spray, mud masks and anti-aging beauty creams made especially for
them. (Hays)
However, the habits and products used are changing rapidly. The male cosmetics
are a new market and the tastes are constantly changing. Innovation is the key to success
in this market. Chinese men are ready to use more and more new products.
Primary Research
Primary research was conducted in order to supplement the data presented in this
research. A survey was sent to 28 young people with an average age of 21 years old, the
optimal age demographic for predicting future market behavior in the cosmetic industry.
20 of these young people were men and 8 women. The sample was drawn from youth
with permanent residence in or originally from Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, our
target cities. We have summarized the results below.
Within the survey population, in terms of products, the most common product
men chose were moisturizing cream, shaving foam, hair style produts, deodorant, and
cologne. The majority of men indicated that they normally buy men’s cosmetics by
themselves, and they rarely buy it through their friends or family, or are given cosmetics
as gifts. The average pocket money per month (in dollar) that our Chinese respondents
have is about $560 dollars, and the average amount of money they would spend on
cosmetic products per month is about $65 dollars, which is roughly 12 percent of their
disposable income.
The survey results show that men are more concerned about their appearances
than ever before, and they believe cosmetic products will make them look younger.
Especially in the business world, appearance is important in achieving success, and most
of the students pointed out that they would be somewhat embarrassed if they were around
people and did not look their best. Essentially, students use cosmetic products not only to
boost up their confidence, but also for medical treatment purposes. In the men’s survey,
13 out of 20 students indicated cosmetic products were necessary in every aspect of life,
and past experiences have significant impact on their decision of what brands they should
purchase.
Most of them would rather purchase cosmetic products through stores because it
normally takes 2-3 days for delivery in China. Also, people want to try the products
before purchasing them in order to avoid risk of purchasing poor quality products.
Interestingly, we discovered that the men who are married or in a relationship tend to
spend more money on cosmetic products than those who are single. From the women’s
survey, responses showed that women expect men to use cosmetic products.
Additionally, these women have indicated that it is normal for them to see men purchase
cosmetic products at the store.