Spending on specific categories is being reduced.

For example, in Shanghai over 20% of household grocery decision makers have reduced the amount which they spend on groceries for the household. Sweet items, such as desserts and snacks, top the list of the categories which have been cut back, however, spending is also being reduced on everyday items such as seafood and fish and milk and dairy produce. The food categories that spending is being reduced on varies across the five markets and different demographic sub groups included in this study.

Consumer behavior is also changing. Consumers are either
looking for bargains or changing where they shop.

In the city of Guangzhou, almost 24% of those that buy grocery for
the household have reduced their spending. Shopping patterns are also changing across categories as grocery shoppers become more price sensitive. A relatively high portion of shoppers are now delaying purchases in certain categories to wait for special offers and discounts, while a relatively high proportion of grocery shoppers have moved their customer to cheaper stores as they try to save money. For example, 9% of grocery shoppers in Guangzhou have reduced spending on Milk and Dairy. They have changed their shopping behavior for this category as follows:

The state of the economy now tops the list of concerns. Concerns about job security are also on the rise. Overall, 30% of respondents believe that jobs are now difficult to get, however, results vary greatly across the five cities included in the study.