This year, ACGN (Animation, Comic, Game, and Novel) derivative products shopping has surged significantly, and become a new consumer phenomenon – “goods economy”.
“Goods” usually represent ACGN merchandise, including pins, posters, cards, stand-ups, hand puppets, dolls, and more. Young Chinese people, including those born after 1990 and 2000, are more interested in purchasing merchandise related to their favorite games, animations, novels, and even movies, pop stars. Some are sold in blind boxes, with prices ranging from 12 to hundreds of yuan.
Meet emotional demand in anime culture
There was a relatively small group of young ACGN fans about 10 years ago, but the group has been growing in recent years, with more and more ACGN culture enthusiasts willing to pay for peripheral products out of hobby or to satisfy their emotional attachment.
Chen Peng, secretary-general of the Wuhan Digital Creative and Game Industry Association, said young consumers are attracted to personalized goods that can meet their emotional demands. Additionally, the “goods” have distinctive social attributes encouraged by social media. For example, young people who are keen to buy peripheral products also love to post on social media to display their goods, which become a way to make friends.
What’s more, the emergence of anime-culture shopping mall gives young people opportunities to buy goods and meet with friends with the same interests.
16-year-old Qi Li is a cosplayer. She once wore makeup, wigs and costumes, drawing her inspiration from the character in the popular Japanese anime and manga series Haikyu!!. When she walked around Ciyuan Xiagu, one of the most popular “goods” store in Beijing’s Wangfujing Xiyue Shopping Center, other shoppers stopped her and asked to take selfies.
“I often come here because the goods are updated frequently,” said Qi Li, as she explains the emotional joy the items bring her, especially when she returns to her cozy room adorned with her tiny treasures after school.
Qi Li said she loves going to goods shops dressed as her favorite characters, and feels proud and confident when people ask to take selfies with her. Her mother supports her hobby and often drives her to digital entertainment and gaming expos such as ChinaJoy, one of the biggest ones in the country, “as long as I finish my homework”.
Huge demand and robust supply
The boom of the “goods economy” is also the unremitting efforts of the supply side. In recent years, the animation, game, and related industries have developed rapidly, and the influence of well-known IPs has been expanding, attracting a large number of fans through cross-border cooperation and diversified product development.
Core business districts of first- and second-tier cities across China have created city landmarks for ACGN consumption, with more than 1,000 shops opening around the country.
First-tier cities with a large population are more inclusive, stimulating the flourishing development of the ACGN economy, said Chen. Meanwhile, they have attracted more and more young people to start businesses or live there. For example, Beijing’s Wangfujing Xiyue Shopping Center and Shanghai’s Bailian ZX are typical anime-culture shopping malls that attract many cultural related stores and hold activities, becoming a gathering place for young people.
The huge demand, diverse product categories, and robust supply, have given rise to price competition as well as a large market for secondhand goods, he added. Some enthusiasts can earn a stable income by reselling secondhand merchandise.
“For the young people, these things are their spiritual nourishment. They’re cultivating financial acumen through this hobby, which I find quite positive,” the parent of 24-year-old Wang Gefei said.
Written and photos taken by Yetao Gu, additional reporting by Ecns and China Daily.
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