Consumer favor drives panda economy

A staff member packs souvenir panda plush toys for customers at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)

Chinese e-commerce platforms have seen strong sales of simulation panda dolls. According to data from a manufacturer, more than 6,000 panda dolls have been sold to over 50 countries and regions.

Data from the Taobao platform revealed that, compared to February, the search volume for the keyword "panda" in the toys category of Taobao Tmall increased by more than ten times by mid-March 2023. Panda toys were particularly popular on International Women's Day, with the market demand exceeding supply. One store's panda doll sales even surpassed one million yuan.

These dolls are advertised as being handcrafted using premium materials like wool and sheepskin to give them a more realistic feel.

Some merchants price their dolls based on the panda's virtual age. A "3-month-old panda," for instance, might cost 1,699 yuan, and "a 5-month-old panda," 1,899 yuan. Despite the high price, panda doll demand still outstrips supply. Some even called for adult-version dolls that weigh at least 150 kilograms.

Several manufacturers of panda dolls said that craftsmanship, high-end materials, original design, and strict quality control all affect pricing. "Making a panda doll usually takes three days and involves 30 steps of entirely manual labor, including making accessories, cutting leather, sewing, assembling, and trimming," said a brand manager.

Some industry insiders noted that consumers' panda complex also plays a role in the success of panda doll sales, in addition to the dolls' good quality and texture.   

Analysis revealed that consumers often choose products based on their emotional value. Giant pandas, as China's "national treasure," have a special emotional bond with Chinese consumers. Besides, giant pandas' cute image also earns consumers' favor.

Liu Tao, the founder of a panda doll brand, said: "I wanted to send a foreign friend a panda doll as a symbol of Chengdu city, but it was hard to find a suitable one. Either the product was of poor quality or it didn't look like a panda. This motivated me to launch my own panda doll business."

 

Source: China News Service; trans-editing by Guo Yao