Who Are Xiaohongshu's Users? China's New Consumer Generation After the "Daigou" Era
What comes to mind when you think of Chinese tourists and shoppers?
Perhaps the image of "daigou" (爆買い) — suitcases packed to the brim with electronics, cosmetics, and luxury goods. This phenomenon was widely talked about around 2015, and many people still carry that image.
But the generation behind that spending boom is now approaching their forties. The people using Xiaohongshu today — shaping their consumer decisions through the platform — are an entirely different generation with entirely different values.
This article digs into the data on who exactly Xiaohongshu's users are.
The Numbers: A Basic Profile
According to Qiangua Data's "2025 Active User Research Report (Xiaohongshu Platform)," Xiaohongshu's monthly active users now exceed 300 million. Their profile is remarkably clear.
Gender split: 70% female, 30% male
Age breakdown: 18–34 year-olds account for approximately 80% of the total user base
Born in the 2000s (Gen Z): 43%
Born in the 1990s (early Millennials): 36%
Location: Users in Tier 1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen) and New Tier 1 cities account for 66% of the total
Worth noting is how deeply embedded the platform is in daily life. Average daily usage time on Xiaohongshu grew 12% year-over-year, and some reports suggest the average user opens the app 8–10 times per day.
The accurate picture isn't simply "lots of young women." It's: young, urban Chinese women with disposable income, high information sensitivity, and a daily habit of using this platform.
What's Different from the Daigou Generation?
Comparing the spending behavior of the "daigou" generation with today's Xiaohongshu users reveals a fundamental shift in how they consume.
The daigou generation:
"Buy famous brands in bulk"
Brand name took priority over price
"Made in Japan = high quality" — a blanket assumption
Today's Xiaohongshu users:
"Choose things that fit my lifestyle, then buy them"
Thoroughly research both price and quality (known as "性价比" — value for money)
Want to understand why a brand is good before purchasing
For something as simple as buying a skincare product, today's Xiaohongshu user reads reviews on the platform, researches ingredients, checks the experience of people with the same skin type — and only then decides. This careful research process will feel familiar to anyone who has observed Japanese consumer behavior.
This is precisely why content that explains "why this is right for you" performs far better on Xiaohongshu than simply pushing a brand name.
Six Faces of the Xiaohongshu User
Xiaohongshu's user base is not monolithic. Here are some of the most commonly discussed segments within the platform.
Why Japanese Brands Resonate
Within Xiaohongshu, interest in Japanese products and culture remains consistently strong. Several reasons explain this.
The quality reputation of Japanese products remains intact. Clear ingredient lists, rigorous quality control, and meticulous manufacturing — these associations still hold persuasive power with Xiaohongshu's information-hungry users.
Japan's "life aesthetics" align with Xiaohongshu's taste. "Simple beauty," "everyday items crafted with care," "a quiet, considered lifestyle" — these distinctly Japanese qualities overlap significantly with current trends on Xiaohongshu, including "low-desire living," "slow life," and "inner richness."
A growing base of users who have personally visited Japan. Travelers who have experienced Japan firsthand post their impressions on Xiaohongshu. Those posts inspire the next wave of interested users. This organic cycle of word-of-mouth is naturally self-sustaining.
Wednesday and Sunday: What the Data Reveals
According to Qiangua Data, the days with the highest traffic on Xiaohongshu are Wednesday (15.43% of weekly activity) and Sunday (15.20%).
Wednesday sits in the middle of the work week — a moment for a mental break. Sunday is for planning, leisure shopping, and indulging curiosity.
This pattern reveals something important: Xiaohongshu is no longer a "special occasion" app. It is woven into daily life. For brands, this represents an opportunity to occupy space in the everyday routines of exactly the consumers they want to reach.
Knowing Who You're Talking To Changes Everything
Having read this far, a natural question should be forming: "Which of these segments is the right fit for our product?"
That is exactly the right question to ask. Xiaohongshu has 300 million users — but the brands succeeding on the platform are not trying to talk to all 300 million. They design their content to resonate deeply with a specific five million.
When the target is clear, the words to use, the scenes to show, and the problems to solve all follow naturally.
