China’s consumer market is showing a clear move towards participation-led spending, with products and services increasingly judged by the personal value they create rather than function alone.
The trend is visible across several categories, including designer toys, collectible goods, exhibitions, retail activations, sports, cultural tourism and technology-led services. For visitor experience operators, attraction developers, brand owners and cultural venues, the data points to a market where audiences are placing greater importance on involvement, memory, social connection and personal meaning.
China’s designer and collectible toy sector offers a useful indicator. Retail sales in the category reached 67.69bn yuan in 2025, equivalent to about $9.4bn, representing year-on-year growth of 45.4 percent, according to the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association. This performance reflects more than product demand. It shows the commercial strength of formats that allow consumers to personalise, style, collect, display and participate.
From Ownership To Participation
The popularity of doll outfits, collectible displays and related exhibitions reflects a wider behavioural change among younger consumers. The purchase is often only one part of the value chain. The surrounding activity, including styling, sharing, attending themed events and forming social connections, is becoming equally important.
For businesses in the visitor experience sector, this has direct relevance. Audiences are responding to settings that allow them to take part, make choices and form a personal relationship with content. This applies across retail experiences, family entertainment centres, museums, brand activations and cultural events.
The experience economy is therefore becoming a way to extend commercial value beyond the point of sale. A product can support attendance, repeat visits, community activity, content creation and paid upgrades when placed within a well-designed participation model.
This is particularly important for brands seeking stronger loyalty. When consumers feel involved in the process, rather than simply purchasing an item, the relationship with the brand becomes more durable and more likely to generate advocacy.
Services Spending Supports Market Growth
China’s broader consumption data supports this direction. Service retail sales rose 5.5 percent year on year in 2025, growing faster than goods retail sales by 1.7 percentage points. Spending on services accounted for 46.1 percent of per-capita consumer expenditure, according to figures referenced by the National Bureau of Statistics.
This move towards a more balanced mix of goods and services creates opportunities for operators across culture, sport, retail, entertainment and tourism. It also supports business models that combine physical products with events, workshops, exhibitions, live content and membership activity.
For attraction developers, the strongest opportunities may sit at the point where sectors meet. Cultural tourism can connect with retail. Sporting events can connect with hospitality and digital engagement. Collectible products can support exhibitions and fan gatherings. Technology can add participation, personalisation and measurable audience insight.
Policy Support For New Consumption Models
China’s State Council has also identified services consumption as a growth priority. Its recent work plan calls for stronger services supply, new consumption scenarios, talent development, safety management, brand building and supporting platforms.
Performance services, sporting event services and experience-oriented services have been highlighted as potential growth areas. For international businesses, this signals a more structured market environment for operators able to provide high-quality content, production skills, service design and scalable visitor formats.
For Experience UK’s audience, China’s experience economy offers an important commercial lesson. The strongest visitor offers are no longer built around access alone. They are built around participation, identity, social connection and memorable value.
