China's young shoppers embrace 'ugly' products worth millions in sales

A surge in demand for unconventional merchandise is reshaping consumer preferences on China's largest shopping platforms, with products once deemed unsellable now generating tens of millions in revenue.

Since 2020, when Taobao introduced its Uglies Award to recognize creatively unusual goods, cumulative sales of such items have exceeded 230 million yuan (US$34.3 million), according to the Alibaba Group Holding e-commerce platform. The company has not specified exact criteria for what qualifies as an "ugly" product, but millions of young consumers are drawn to their quirky humor and distinctive character.

Exhibition celebrates nonconformist design

Taobao is staging its second Treasured Uglies Art Exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, under the theme "Ugly, But Mine". The event, nearly double the size of last year's inaugural showcase, runs from Saturday through September 27 at the company's headquarters city.

"Consumers are not just buying oddly shaped goods, but the emotions, stories and self-expression they carry," said Hu Yu, project lead for the Uglies Award. Items serve multiple purposes beyond their functional use, some buyers display them on work desks while others incorporate them into personal style statements.

"These offbeat designs help consumers connect with similar people and express who they are," Hu added.

Platform's structure fuels niche markets

Small, medium and micro enterprises represent 85 per cent of all products sold on Taobao, according to the platform. This broad range of non-standard offerings, combined with a large young consumer base, enables niche aesthetics to find audiences that traditional retail channels might not support.

Cultural heritage has also entered the unconventional merchandise space. Legendary figures from ancient cave murals in Dunhuang, Gansu province, have been transformed into three-dimensional collectible figures by the Dunhuang Academy, which oversees the Unesco World Heritage site.

The trend marks a shift away from conventional aesthetics, with shoppers prioritizing novelty and quirkiness over traditional standards of marketability.

Source: South China Morning Post