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Mao Zhenhua, a reporter from Banyuetan

Middle-aged men have never been unable to spend money. In the past, they often "did not" spend money because they had to shoulder the burden of the family and make large purchases one after another. Nowadays, middle-aged "uncles" have gradually become "hot cakes" in the consumer market, and businesses hope to get a share of their consumption upgrades. For rational and face-conscious middle-aged men, spending should be done wisely and when it is time to spend.

Fishing, cycling, video games... the main focus is on being free and easy

Middle-aged men pursue careers, take care of the elderly and children, and their lives are not easy. The arrangements of superiors, the calls of children, and the expectations of parents determine that the word "laziness" is hard to find in their dictionary. But men have both a career-oriented side and a free and easy side. Especially when facing hobbies, taking off the fatigue, taking a break from the busy schedule, immersing themselves in it, and being at ease is the joy of life.

Former US President Hoover once wrote a book titled "The Joy of Fishing", in which he described fishing like this: "Everyone is equal in front of the fish." Indeed, no matter whether you are poor or rich, spending money lavishly or riding a bicycle to the bar - save when you should and spend when you should, in front of the fish, only skills and experience count.

Mr. Yue, a white-collar worker in his early 40s, is addicted to fishing. "I started by watching short videos, and after a while I became envious, so I bought a full set of equipment to try it out. I fell into the trap and couldn't stop." What he loves most is the sense of relaxation when fishing. If you look at it from the perspective of a "fisherman", Mr. Yue is at most a beginner, but he has all kinds of equipment.

In the eyes of professionals, fishing is an outdoor activity that costs a lot of money. A complete fishing activity requires at least 10 pieces of equipment, including fishing rods, fishing lines, fish hooks, bait, landing nets, fishing chairs, parasols, quick-drying sun protection clothing, fishing boxes, etc. However, compared with hobbies, price is never a problem. For this reason, fishing consumption generally has a high average customer price and a high repurchase rate.

In addition to fishing, cycling and video games have become popular among middle-aged men, proving the saying that "a man is a boy until he dies". These hobbies have directly boosted related consumption. Taking cycling as an example, since the start of the "618" sale on Tmall, searches for "cycling clothes" on Tmall have increased by 176% year-on-year, and the overall sales of cycling clothes have increased by 390% year-on-year. Cycling has become an effective way for people to relax after a busy urban life, and a short trip that can be taken at any time can best relieve worries.

Many middle-aged men believe that they can think twice before spending on daily necessities, but they should not hesitate to spend on hobbies. After all, "life is worth living", and only when you have the face of hobbies can you have the inner world of the spirit.

Protect liver, knees, face... Focus on health

In traditional concepts, skin care is the domain of women and the elderly. Women love beauty, and the elderly care about their bodies. However, the awareness of skin care has also become popular among middle-aged men.

On the eve of JD.com's "618" this year, a liver-protecting health product achieved a single-day sales of 1,000 bottles, with a market growth rate of 200%. JD.com's business intelligence data shows that middle-aged male customers aged 35 to 55 contributed 60% of the orders for the store where the product is located. The introduction shows that the core concept of this liver-protecting product is to reduce the burden of toxins and intervene in liver fat. The main characteristics of the target population are abdominal obesity, abnormal indicators, staying up late to work overtime, drinking alcohol for social events, etc. These characteristics correspond to the middle-aged male group.

With the stabilization of social status and the accumulation of wealth, many middle-aged men are paying more and more attention to their "face" and showing vitality in skin care. "Male beauty" has become a new consumption growth point recently. Song Yongxin, a psychology professor at Korea University, said: "The rise of the male makeup trend is the product of the dual needs of this group to satisfy their own aesthetics and to please others with a good image."

At the suggestion of a female friend, Mr. Sun, who is now middle-aged, went to a beauty salon for the first time and had an acne-removing injection. After the treatment, he looked much younger. "I feel more confident and more willing to participate in social activities." Now, he has begun to pay attention to skin care on a daily basis. Every morning, he must "clean up" with cleanser, natural cream, toner, etc. "In fact, this is the same principle as fitness. I hope I can stay in better shape so that I can devote myself to work and life." Mr. Sun said.

A closer look reveals that what middle-aged men are pursuing is not stimulating consumption, but quality consumption. Behind the upgrade of men's self-image and health management, there are changes in aesthetic awareness and social needs.

Respect elders, protect children, care about family... focus on caring

When people reach middle age, they are nearly halfway through their lives. They have a more thorough understanding of life and value their families more and more. Therefore, they pay more attention to the health products of the elderly, the cosmetics of their spouses, and the school supplies of their children. Spending money for their families is worth it no matter how much.

Lexin big data shows that nearly 40% of the delivery addresses of outdoor sports equipment, which has seen a rapid increase in sales recently, are not commonly used delivery addresses. Through analysis, it was found that young and middle-aged people in first- and second-tier cities often use online shopping to show filial piety to their parents and to promote a healthier lifestyle.

The change in the mentality of middle-aged men can be seen from their car purchase choices. In the sales rankings of DoCar.com in May, SUV models accounted for more than one-third of the top 30 models, and MPV models are gradually becoming popular. A relevant person in charge of DoCar.com explained that with the relaxation of the birth policy, middle-aged men are increasingly fond of SUV or MPV models, which are mostly six- or seven-seater models and suitable for family travel. Compared with similar configurations, these two models are slightly more expensive, but for middle-aged men, as long as their family is satisfied, the consumption is worth it.

Raising children is also a big expense. As a middle-level manager of the company with an annual salary of more than 500,000 yuan, Liu Ping is willing to invest in this aspect. Liu Ping's eldest daughter attends a private elementary school, and the annual tuition is 30,000 yuan. With various interest classes, the annual investment in education alone exceeds 100,000 yuan. Liu Ping also has a son who was born not long ago. The monthly expenditure on milk powder and diapers is also several thousand yuan. His wife became a full-time housewife to take care of the children, and Liu Ping naturally became the backbone of the family. "I haven't really calculated how much money I have to spend every month. Isn't the meaning of struggle for this family?" Liu Ping's eyes were firm while talking and laughing.

For the sake of family, one can give up hobbies and keep the dream of going anywhere at any time in the heart. Seeing the smiles on the faces of family members makes all the efforts meaningful. At this time, "uncles" are worthy of the word "men".

(Source: Banyuetan)

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