City Observer – "Documents"

I accidentally came across Documents, a niche Chinese fragrance brand that has recently amassed a huge fan base. It is a boutique store in Shanghai’s Kerry Center mall. I have heard of this brand for some time, and it has always been associated with other similar Chinese beauty brands, famous for their brand tones, blending contemporary aesthetics with Chinese heritage and elements.

As a brand strategist and trend spotter, I was fully aware that Chinese beauty brands like Documents have outperformed international brands and are well-recognized and accepted by the Chinese audience. But I was still stunned by what I saw with my own eyes in this store. Within only 10 minutes, more than 3 sales were finished. If you have checked their price, you will understand why my jaw dropped when I captured this scene. It is because each bottle costs 980 for 30ml, a price far surpassing Dior’s same-size fragrance bottle. 

While the salesperson was too occupied with completing the deal by inputting the customers’ mobile phone numbers on the iPad, a queue of youngsters in their 20s was enthusiastically trying different flavors and spontaneously announcing how much they loved each bottle with exclamations, adding exciting and detailed comments.

I tried to talk with the salesperson for more information about which flavor might fit me or which was the hot sale. But unfortunately, the salesperson seemed too exhausted to answer my questions, and directly gave me the free mini sample to try by myself. I was a bit disappointed, but I understand how reluctant she was to spend the rest of her energy to communicate with a customer like me, while she had dealt with too many crazy youngsters who make purchases without considering the price.

Here are my takeaways for this observation:

First, it is not that all youngsters are tightening their belts for purchase, or doesn't mean they are always doing so amid such a challenging economic situation and gloomy employment market prospects. Generation Zers are still willing to pay for costly products if the brand can satisfy them emotionally and help them build social bonding and status. For Documents, it is their unique aesthetics blending with traditional Chinese elements to fuel the appetite for cultural consumption driven by Guochao, warmly embraced by Gen Zers to build their individuality and personality.

Second, it is too early to say how long this craze for a brand will last, as the competition is becoming so intense with more and more new brands joining the wave with their own niche and unique brand positioning. Therefore, brands must stay humble when it comes to building a connection with new consumers. They should never miss any chance to communicate their brand message, reinforce the brand momentum, and attract new fans in their offline stores, which serve as a perfect window for effective brand.

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