Intersect Communications Explains the Latest 2026 Trends of China's Popular SNS 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' Amidst Changing Consumption Patterns of Chinese Gen Z
Intersect Communications announced the latest trends of China's popular SNS 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' for 2026, based on a survey conducted by Fuzhou Guoji Technology Co., Ltd. This comes against the backdrop of changing consumption patterns among Chinese Generation Z. The report details new cross-border e-commerce strategies for generating sales, focusing on apparel, cosmetics & healthcare, and travel & leisure sectors.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 11, 2026 at 13:59 (27 min after Collected)
Intersect Communications Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Tam Mine, hereinafter referred to as "the Company") announces the latest trends based on the results of the 2026 trend survey (※1) on 'Xiaohongshu (RED)', a highly popular SNS in China, conducted by Fuzhou Guoji Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China; Legal Representative: Hu Dong), which analyzes data from 'Xiaohongshu (RED)', against the backdrop of changing consumption patterns among China's Generation Z.
Amidst 'Xiaohongshu (RED)', a highly popular SNS primarily among Generation Z residing in China, there has been a recent shift in consumer values and behavior, necessitating new brand designs compared to conventional trends. This release explains the latest trends revealed by the 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' survey and new cross-border e-commerce strategies that generate sales.
(※1) This survey is based on samples extracted from the influencer database of the social media analysis platform "Qian Gua Data" (sample data used for reference only), and is the result of a trend analysis conducted on estimated data of Xiaohongshu (RED) industry and brand-related posts from January 1 to November 20, 2025.
■ Background of the 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' Trend Survey
In recent years, consumption behavior in the Chinese market has undergone significant changes, especially among Generation Z, with a prominent shift from "material consumption" to "lifestyle and empathy consumption." Consequently, traditional advertising-led marketing is becoming less effective in driving purchases.
In this context, 'Xiaohongshu (hereinafter, RED)', a Chinese SNS, is rapidly growing as a "lifestyle platform" where users share their daily lives and experiences, forming a new consumption funnel that integrates information gathering with purchasing.
Indeed, on RED, the context of "how it is used in what lifestyle scene" and "who uses it and how" significantly influences purchasing decisions, rather than just the product's functions. Even for Japanese brands with low recognition, an environment is in place where sales can be generated through appropriate approaches.
■ Latest Trends by Industry
This survey analyzes trends in six major industries (apparel, cosmetics, food, parenting, housing, pets) on RED. From these, we will introduce the latest trends in the following three particularly important areas, based on our company's support achievements and sales composition.
＜Industry-specific Trends 2026＞
① Apparel and Coordination Sector:
In the apparel sector of RED, monthly interactions related to "purchase motivation" maintain a scale of hundreds of millions, and commercial advertising investment is on an upward trend. Furthermore, the number of brands posting monthly has increased by over 56% year-on-year, indicating continued market expansion.
By category, apparel accounts for over 40%, jewelry and accessories for over 30%, followed by bags (18.3%) and shoes (8.6%). In particular, sports bags/casual bags (+55%), diamonds/jade/gold (+47%), and knitwear/sweaters (+36%) show growth exceeding the market average.
In terms of trends, styles such as "light spring type" and "bohemian x hippie" are spreading, and expressions like "basic yet luxurious-looking" are gaining popularity. In this trend, users are seeking coordination that balances "comfort" and "individuality" rather than just products, and the demand for items that enhance style, such as accessories and knitwear, is expanding.
As a result, apparel consumption has evolved into a means of expressing lifestyle and worldview, and "story-driven styling" and "items that express one's individuality" are becoming important factors driving purchasing decisions.
② Cosmetics & Healthcare Sector:
In the cosmetics and healthcare sector, "sensitive skin" has become a key annual keyword, with related interactions reaching tens of millions. In particular, subdivided skin type needs such as "oily sensitive skin," "dry sensitive skin," "redness sensitive skin," and "acne sensitive skin" have recorded growth of over 123% year-on-year.
Interest in "scalp care" is also rapidly increasing, with interactions related to concerns such as "oily scalp" and "hair loss" increasing by over 285%. The number of views for related hashtags exceeds 1.3 billion, indicating the increasing sophistication and subdivision of skin and scalp care needs.
Users are not merely seeking problem solutions but are emphasizing a "healthy and vibrant impression," and there is a strong tendency to express a positive state through skincare and makeup. Beauty content is shifting from functional appeals to value appeals such as "healthy beauty" and "vitality," with color and expressiveness becoming new competitive axes.
Amidst 'Xiaohongshu (RED)', a highly popular SNS primarily among Generation Z residing in China, there has been a recent shift in consumer values and behavior, necessitating new brand designs compared to conventional trends. This release explains the latest trends revealed by the 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' survey and new cross-border e-commerce strategies that generate sales.
(※1) This survey is based on samples extracted from the influencer database of the social media analysis platform "Qian Gua Data" (sample data used for reference only), and is the result of a trend analysis conducted on estimated data of Xiaohongshu (RED) industry and brand-related posts from January 1 to November 20, 2025.
■ Background of the 'Xiaohongshu (RED)' Trend Survey
In recent years, consumption behavior in the Chinese market has undergone significant changes, especially among Generation Z, with a prominent shift from "material consumption" to "lifestyle and empathy consumption." Consequently, traditional advertising-led marketing is becoming less effective in driving purchases.
In this context, 'Xiaohongshu (hereinafter, RED)', a Chinese SNS, is rapidly growing as a "lifestyle platform" where users share their daily lives and experiences, forming a new consumption funnel that integrates information gathering with purchasing.
Indeed, on RED, the context of "how it is used in what lifestyle scene" and "who uses it and how" significantly influences purchasing decisions, rather than just the product's functions. Even for Japanese brands with low recognition, an environment is in place where sales can be generated through appropriate approaches.
■ Latest Trends by Industry
This survey analyzes trends in six major industries (apparel, cosmetics, food, parenting, housing, pets) on RED. From these, we will introduce the latest trends in the following three particularly important areas, based on our company's support achievements and sales composition.
＜Industry-specific Trends 2026＞
① Apparel and Coordination Sector:
In the apparel sector of RED, monthly interactions related to "purchase motivation" maintain a scale of hundreds of millions, and commercial advertising investment is on an upward trend. Furthermore, the number of brands posting monthly has increased by over 56% year-on-year, indicating continued market expansion.
By category, apparel accounts for over 40%, jewelry and accessories for over 30%, followed by bags (18.3%) and shoes (8.6%). In particular, sports bags/casual bags (+55%), diamonds/jade/gold (+47%), and knitwear/sweaters (+36%) show growth exceeding the market average.
In terms of trends, styles such as "light spring type" and "bohemian x hippie" are spreading, and expressions like "basic yet luxurious-looking" are gaining popularity. In this trend, users are seeking coordination that balances "comfort" and "individuality" rather than just products, and the demand for items that enhance style, such as accessories and knitwear, is expanding.
As a result, apparel consumption has evolved into a means of expressing lifestyle and worldview, and "story-driven styling" and "items that express one's individuality" are becoming important factors driving purchasing decisions.
② Cosmetics & Healthcare Sector:
In the cosmetics and healthcare sector, "sensitive skin" has become a key annual keyword, with related interactions reaching tens of millions. In particular, subdivided skin type needs such as "oily sensitive skin," "dry sensitive skin," "redness sensitive skin," and "acne sensitive skin" have recorded growth of over 123% year-on-year.
Interest in "scalp care" is also rapidly increasing, with interactions related to concerns such as "oily scalp" and "hair loss" increasing by over 285%. The number of views for related hashtags exceeds 1.3 billion, indicating the increasing sophistication and subdivision of skin and scalp care needs.
Users are not merely seeking problem solutions but are emphasizing a "healthy and vibrant impression," and there is a strong tendency to express a positive state through skincare and makeup. Beauty content is shifting from functional appeals to value appeals such as "healthy beauty" and "vitality," with color and expressiveness becoming new competitive axes.