Shenyang Market

April 2013

Executive Summary

Character and Behavior: Shenyang people are loud, blunt and friendly (sometimes getting too friendly too).They are down-to-earth (some say “unsophisticated”) and straight talkers. They love to drink and are proud of their drinking prowess. They also love eating big portions of heavy, salty food. Believing themselves to be masculine and strong, Shenyang people don’t really appreciate the sophisticated Shanghainese culture, cuisine or lifestyle.

Shopping and Leisure Habits: Shenyang people love to buy luxury goods. It is the third largest luxury market in China. It is also the largest secondhand luxury market in China. Most luxury consumers are female and their favorite brand is LV. Luxury handbags are the most popular item.

According to Dianping (the biggest review site in China), Shenyang people spent RMB 65 per person when they ate out in 2012. BBQ buffet is their favorite cuisine. Shenyang people love Chinese style spas and swim in their spare time. Wan Xiang Plaza and Joy City are the two most popular shopping malls in Shenyang.

Character and Behavior

Shenyang people are loud, blunt and friendly (sometimes getting too friendly too fast)

Shenyang people are classic Dongbeiren (“Northeasterners”). Scores of adjectives are routinely used to describe Dongbeiren: friendly, loud, drinkers, and straight-forward are just a few. Many of these stereotypes are accurate and they are titles in which Shenyang people take pride; however, residents love to point out their reputation for friendliness. It takes only a few encounters with strangers on the street to discover this stereotype holds true with most of the people one meets in the city.

Though Dongbeiren are also quite loud, locals prefer to describe themselves as being “reqing”, or “enthusiastic.” In most restaurants, Shenyang diners converse with intensity that takes visitors by surprise. Old friends who are in the midst of affable conversation can appear to outsiders to be in angry argument. This tendency towards loud and spirited conversation raises the decibel level in most public places, especially restaurants.

Shenyang people love to drink and are proud of their ability to imbibe

Beer!

Another phenomenon sure to be noticed in Shenyang restaurants is serious drinking. Dongbeiren are well known throughout China for their ability and willingness to drink. Again, they attribute this to their “reqing”. In restaurants shouts of “Ganbei!”, literally meaning “Dry your cup!”, can be heard from all directions. To Dongbeiren, a willingness of new acquaintances or potential business partners to get drunk can be an important first step in deepening a friendship or a business relationship. When people are dining together it is considered rude to take a sip of any alcoholic beverage without inviting at least one other person at the table to drink, which inevitably results in more shouts of “Ganbei!”

Check out this video: How do Shenyangersdrink beer for a casual dinner?!http://v.pps.tv/play_31N4LY.html

Shenyang people are down-to-earth (unsophisticated?) and straight talkers

The people in Shenyang also consider themselves to be down-to-earth and straight-talkers. Chinese culture is indirect – people often hint rather than directly state what they want. Residents of Shenyang claim that they are not this way. To westerners they still seem quite indirect, but compared to other regions of China, Shenyang residents are perhaps more to-the-point in their interactions. This is why many in Shenyang will claim that when it comes to business, the Northeastern Chinese aren’t as crafty, or as successful, as their counterparts to the south.

There is a “thing” between Shenyang and Shanghai people

In China, the stereotype of Northeasterners is that they are quick to resort to physical violence. Shanghainese, especially men, are stereotyped as people who may argue verbally but will rarely resort to physical violence. Some say this shows that they are more refined and civilized. Others say this shows they are soft and weak. People in Shenyang don’t really like Shanghai food because it is too sweet and portions are too small.

The male Shanghai stereotype

In Shanghai people’s mind, Dongbei is a placefilled with violentpeople.

Shenyang people love to eat heavy food (pork) and portions are huge

Er Ren Zhuan, also known as song-and-dance duet, is a folk art form popular in the northeast of China. It is characterized by the performances of a man and a woman who integrate speaking with dancing and singing. As the saying goes in Shenyang, "We'd rather give up our three meals than our song and dance duets." Local people enjoy going to these kinds of opera performances. The song-and-dance duet became popular in the early 18th century.

Shenyang people are proud of their own folk art: Er Ren Zhuan

Shopping and Leisure Habits

Shenyang people love to buy well-known luxury goods: style doesn’t matter, the logo does

Shenyang people love to spend money on luxury goods, mostly because owning luxury goods give them face. No matter rich or poor, Shenyang people won’t hesitate to buy luxury brands, normally with big logos.

Shenyang surpassed Hangzhou last year to become the third largest single luxury market in China with sales totaling 1.5 billion yuan (US$229 million), behind only Beijing and Shanghai. The most popular brands are Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Hermes and Dior, with with the most frequent transactions involving handbags, watches, sunglasses, jewelry, and scarves. Far and away, the most popular items are women’s handbags. The consumer base is predominantly female.

Shenyang people love to buy well-known luxury goods: secondhand items are popular

One factor that sets Shenyang apart from other fast-growing second-tier cities is its increasingly sophisticated second-hand luxury market.While Beijing and Dalian are seeing the number of luxury consignment shops increase rapidly, Shenyang is becoming a more popular shopping destination for consumers in Dalian or Harbin, who previously had to travel to Beijing or Hong Kong to get their second-hand luxury fix. According to Liu, manager of the biggest second hand shop, last year Shenyang’s 20 second-hand luxury shops saw turnover of more than 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million), making it, in Liu’s estimation, the undisputed second-hand luxury hub of northeastern China.

1,470,000,000 search results for “secondhand luxury bags in Shenyang” on Google

Shenyang people spend RMB 65 per person when they eat out, with BBQ buffets as their favorite

Cuisine Cost per person

Seafood RMB 101

Buffet RMB 95

Western RMB 83

Japanese and Korean RMB 77

Local (Dongbei) RMB 59

Local snacks RMB 23

Shenyang people love Chinese style spas and swimming in their spare time

Buffet 30% Chinese style spa 60%

Food Leisure

Sports

Swimming 40%

Wan Xiang Plaza and Joy City are the two most popular shopping malls in Shenyang

Wan Xiang Plaza Joy City

Wan Xiang Plaza is liked because of the luxurious feel, convenient location and agreat variety of F&B choices

108 out of 308 reviews about Wan Xiang Plaza areexcellent.

“So many people eat in the restaurants and food courts in the mall, but they are not noisy and messy, very clean.You can watch performances while eating, so many choices,very good! “