The influence of tourists on the retail market continues to grow and China is destined to become the largest outbound-spending nation in the world; subsequently, the interest on Chinese tourists has increasingly grown. The advancement in information technology and increased usage of SNS allows Chinese tourists share a variety of information online before or after they embark on to others. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization indicates that, “shopping” is the most searched keyword for Korean tours in 2014. The main shopping item of Chinese tourists is fashion or beauty products and we need a better understanding of the consumption behavior of Chinese tourists in relation to Korean fashion. We should consider shared content by Chinese consumers to promptly respond to needs and concerns. This study researches actual attitude of Chinese consumers toward Korean fashion items and shopping tourism using content analysis based on Chinese SNS.
We investigate the representative portal search site Baidu (百度) and Weibo (微博) SNS primarily used by Chinese. Our investigation is limited to posts or comments one month before and after China’s National Day. Our analysis used translations of Chinese into Korean. A total of 70 words were selected based on the mentioned frequency by R Program forthe final analysis. Words were divided into groups based on content analysis similarity and word connectivity was researched using the Net Miner program.
A total of 70 words used for the analysis were divided into three groups: shopping item, shopping behavior, and shopping place. The relevance of content to shopping item accounted for 39% and most of the shared information was about where to find cheaper items, various styles, or the latest fashion products. Shopping behavior accounted for 17% and the shared information was about how to compare products before purchase, how to communicate with salespersons, and how to obtain refunds after purchase. Shopping places area dominant group with 43% and half of the words about retail trade. Significant information was available on the main characteristics of retail trade areas such as Dongdaemoon market or Myeongdong. More information was shared on underground shopping centers or general road shops than on traditional shopping places, department stores, or duty free shops. The trends are particularly notable and help in understanding how Chinese tourists are more interested in shopping places where they can have new experiences.
This study confirms the shopping behavior of Chinese tourists in Korea using content analysis of Chinese SNS. The shopping trend changes; the average Chinese tourist age drops and the Chinese tourist pattern shifts from large group tours to individualized small group tours. Appropriate responses to Chinese tourists must be based on understanding of their changing shopping needs. This study is useful to understand the actual attitudes and needs of Chinese consumers toward Korean fashion based on shared online content.