How China’s tier cities affect UX research？

China’s city tier system is a classification of Chinese cities widely used in business, marketing, and the media.

• People in different tiers of cities have their own distinctive buying habits & user behavior.
• Users are considered more sophisticated and having higher expectations of products in higher tier cities.

People from Tier 1 & 2 cities are becoming more rational in terms of purchases.

• These people have higher income levels, but the cost of living is also rocket high in their cities.

People from Tier 3, 4 & 5 cities are more willing & able to make purchases due to the lower costs of living.

• They are buying more & more imported fruits, beauty & skincare products and electronic products.
• Users from Tier 3 & 4 cities spend more time on the phone than higher tier cities.

1. Tik Tok is much more popular in Tier 3 cities than in other tiers.
2.  Young people in Tier 3 and lower cities spend much more on beauty products.  
3. Tier 3 city luxury consumers spend more on luxury products than those in high city tiers.