Entering ChinaThe sigh of the auntie working at the vegetable market expressed the thoughts of many people.
Store owners are gloomy, young people are afraid to get married and have children, and housing prices are still out of reach… Is this magical realism? Or are ordinary people really “out of money”?
Recently, a joke has been popular on the Internet : I didn’t have money before and couldn’t afford to buy things; now I have no money and dare not buy things.
Although it was a joke, it hit the pain points of many people today.
Haven’t you seen that the shopping malls that were once crowded with people are now deserted, and restaurant owners lamented that “there used to be queues, but now you can only swat flies”, and even the uncle selling pancakes on the street said that business is not as good as before.
This is not a joke, it is real “consumption downgrade”!
To put it bluntly, consumption downgrade means tightening the belt and living a frugal life.
In the past, people bought things for novelty and brand names, but now? “Substitutes” are everywhere! Pinduoduo and Taobao’s special editions have become popular, and the live broadcast room is shouting “9.9 yuan, free shipping”.
This is not stinginess, but the wisdom of careful budgeting! After all, even if your wallet is empty, you still have to live, right?
In addition to consumption downgrade, young people’s “not getting married and not having children” has also become a social hot topic.
Back then, getting married and having children were major life events, but nowadays, many young people choose to “lay down”. Why? Isn’t it because of the huge pressure?
House prices are rising like a rocket, and the bride price is making people feel suffocated.
How much does it cost to raise a child from kindergarten to college?
It makes my scalp tingle just thinking about it! Rather than being burdened with huge debts, it is better to be single and free, this has become the voice of many people.
Of course, some people also say that young people nowadays are too pretentious and where is the spirit of hard work and perseverance? Does this sound familiar?
The older generation always likes to teach young people to “work hard”. But times have changed, and the pressures and challenges faced by young people today are unimaginable to the older generation.
High housing prices, high commodity prices, and fierce competition have put pressure on young people. Rather than saying that they are hypocritical, it is better to say that they are more rational and pragmatic.
Let’s talk about the plight of physical stores.
It is an indisputable fact that the rise of e-commerce has had a huge impact on physical stores. But can physical stores really just sit back and wait for death? I don’t think so!
Instead of complaining about e-commerce stealing business, it is better to think about how to improve your own competitiveness.
For example, create a more comfortable shopping environment, provide more personalized services, develop more unique products, etc. Instead of “waiting to die”, it is better to “seek change”!
Of course, behind all these “abnormal” phenomena, there is a core problem: downward pressure on the economy. The economic growth rate is slowing down, the employment situation is severe, and the people’s income expectations are declining, which will naturally affect their willingness to consume.
From a macro perspective, the country needs to take effective measures to stimulate economic growth and stabilize the employment market.
From a micro perspective, individuals must also improve their skills and enhance their competitiveness in order to remain invincible in the fierce market competition.
Some people say that this is an era of “involution” where everyone is competing desperately but not getting the corresponding rewards. This is true to a certain extent, but “lying flat” is not the solution to the problem.
Instead of complaining about “involution”, it is better to actively look for breakthroughs. Improving your own skills, learning new knowledge, and expanding your network resources are all good choices.
Times are changing, society is changing, and we must change with them.
Instead of just lying down and complaining, it is better to take positive action, strive to adapt to the new environment and look for new opportunities.
