Guaranteed satisfaction

Young people with increasing purchasing power are willing to reward themselves with gifts instead of receiving unpleasant presents from their loved ones. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

In an age of rising consumption levels, singles in China have found the best way to receive presents they would definitely appreciate - gifting themselves what they desire

The best presents Fang Yueting received for her recent 30th birthday in September were a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of sparkling wine that cost about 1,000 yuan ($154), or 10 percent of her monthly income.

She bought these gifts for herself.

"It's really annoying to have to fake a smile when you receive something you don't like for your birthdays and anniversaries," lamented Fang.

"I still remember how disappointed I was on my 10th and 20th birthdays when my parents bought me math exercise books and English test preparation packages as gifts."

Also on her list of disappointing gifts is a water purifier which her ex-boyfriend bought for her as a Valentine's Day present many years ago.

"People miss the point of gifting by sending things like that. Items that are good for your studies, career and well-being are usually unsurprising and don't make you feel special. Gifts do not have to be practical and useful all the time," she added.

In addition to the flowers and wine, Fang also purchased a massage package, subscribed to a flower-delivery service and signed up with a cosmetics company that sends her beauty kits on a monthly basis.

The trend of self-gifting is growing as unmarried consumers with increasing purchasing power are becoming more willing to spend on themselves and are focusing on "feeling" and "experience", according to market research and information services provider Mintel.

"Single consumers would not think that buying something for themselves is selfish or 'pathetic'," said Ma Zichun, a lifestyle analyst with Mintel China. "They are now focusing on the experience and there is perhaps nobody else who could understand their preferences more than themselves."

Chen Yi, a 34-year-old lawyer from Shanghai, said he often buys gifts for himself to celebrate a promotion, the completion of a complicated case, or after receiving his bonus. Some of the gifts he bought include leather goods, a head set, a wristwatch and a cruise trip to Europe.

"These things just make me feel happy after long and hectic work days," he said.

"I believe that self-gifting is a necessity and it lights up your busy and exhausting life. Self-gifting does not mean that we only focus on ourselves. Instead, it means we are more honest about our desires and are willing to realize rather than suppress them," he added.

Zhou Xiaoyan, a professor of psychology at Chongqing University, said that as gifting is a display of affections and love, self-gifting illustrates that the younger generation today are more willing to publicly show that they care about themselves.

"As long as self-gifting is not self-indulgent, wasteful and showing off, the practice is healthy," said Zhou.

Shao Qi, a columnist of One Psychology, said that people can prevent being self-indulgent if they take into consideration the affordability and frequency of the gifts. She also advised that consumers could consider setting a budget to prevent excessive spending.

"Self-gifting should be about delivering love instead of pressure. Excessive self-gifting could cause financial pressure. The joy of receiving a gift will be ruined when you receive a credit card bill that you would struggle to pay," she wrote.

To Stephanie Lee, a Shanghai-based fashion blogger who has more than 200,000 followers on social network platforms, self-gifting is a symbol of independence.

"Cool girls buy things they like for themselves and don't need to give hints to their boyfriends or husbands," she said.

"You can get really upset if your partner doesn't get the message. Independent girls just pop up in a store, grab the stuff they like and pay for it."

One of Lee's stories which explains why girls should buy gifts for themselves instead of demanding for or expecting a gift received thousands of "likes" from her followers.

"If a person who you love and loves you too presents you with a gift, you can be thankful and happily receive it. But if you don't have a partner, or your partner is not a 'gift-person', you don't have to feel as if you're not being loved. Gifts is about fun and joy, not pressure and burden," she said.

For brands, the growing trend of self-gifting means that they now need to rethink and redesign their services and products. Wu Anqi, a sales manager with Love of Life, a lifestyle store in Shanghai, said that their wine glasses used to be sold in packs of six but are now available individually.

"The message we want to send is clear - you don't have to share a bottle of wine with families or friends. You can sip it with your own glass which is a gift to yourself. You can enjoy being single," she said.

Wu added that the products which are most popular for self-gifting include scented candles, assorted chocolates and jewelry. Items that are considered too "intimate" to be presented as gifts, such as lingerie, are also among the bestsellers.

"Some consumers take pictures of their self-gifting procedures and share them on social networks. They are quite proud to show that they have gifts for themselves - it's like exhibiting their tastes," noted Wu.

wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn