Will You Pay for Your Emotions? Unveiling the Trillion-Dollar "Emotion Consumption" Market

Looking back at the consumer market in 2025, one of the most striking phenomena is the widespread explosion of emotional consumption.

From Shanghai white-collar workers spending an average of 1,000 yuan per month on stress-relief blind boxes, to elderly people in Chengdu queuing for two hours for nostalgic afternoon tea; from young people passionately追看 concerts across provinces to the surge in sales of AI companionship products… Unintentionally, emotional consumption has crossed age groups and social circles, becoming a new form of consumption that permeates various life scenes and demonstrates strong growth momentum. According to iiMedia Research, the scale of emotional consumption in China reached 2 trillion yuan in 2024, and is expected to surpass 4.5 trillion yuan by 2029.

It can be said that this wave of consumption is fierce, not only reshaping market supply logic but also reflecting the spiritual landscape of contemporary society, warranting in-depth study.

What is emotional consumption?

Emotional consumption, also known as “affective consumption,” generally refers to consumers focusing more on the emotional experience and psychological satisfaction brought by products or services beyond basic material needs. Through purchasing behaviors, they achieve emotional release, spiritual enjoyment, and psychological compensation. In scenes of emotional consumption, products or services are not just utilitarian items but also mediums for conveying emotional value.

From a macro perspective, the rise of emotional consumption is closely related to the development stage of social and economic progress.

As society moves from material scarcity to abundance, people’s consumption levels continue to rise. During periods of material shortage, consumption mainly aimed to meet basic survival needs such as food, clothing, and housing; as material life becomes increasingly rich, people begin to pursue higher levels of spiritual fulfillment, giving rise to emotional consumption.

Today, examples of emotional consumption are everywhere. Especially in the 2025 consumer market, emotional consumption has formed a diversified, all-encompassing penetration.

Take blind boxes as an example. The dolls inside are usually cute, varied in style, and have collectible value and randomness. Consumers buy blind boxes not just to get the doll itself but more to enjoy the surprise and anticipation during opening, as well as the sense of achievement and satisfaction from collecting different styles. Data shows that Pop Mart, a leading brand in the blind box industry, continues to expand its market influence, reflecting the popularity of blind box consumption in the emotional consumption market. The second-hand premium for LABUBU series blind boxes can reach several times the original price, and limited hidden versions can be traded for thousands of yuan.

Similarly, young people’s enthusiasm for “Guzu” (anime, gaming, and related products) also exemplifies emotional consumption. These peripherals carry consumers’ love and emotional attachment to anime, games, and characters. Buying “Guzu” products provides emotional satisfaction and resonance.

Various emotional consumption services on online platforms also attract attention. For example, “Wake-up and sleep aid” services offer emotional care to those feeling lonely or lacking companionship in fast-paced life. When purchasing these services, consumers value the warmth and thoughtful companionship provided by service providers, making emotional value the core driving force.

Another example is “Breakup comfort” services. When consumers experience emotional setbacks or low moods, professionals listen and guide them to help alleviate pain and gain psychological comfort. These services precisely capture consumers’ needs in specific emotional states, focusing on emotional value, and creating unique consumption scenarios.

Four driving forces behind the explosion of emotional consumption

The comprehensive surge of emotional consumption in 2025 is not accidental but the result of multiple intertwined factors. Its deep-rooted causes can be summarized into four dimensions.

● Economic foundation: Material abundance fosters spiritual needs

After decades of development, China’s residents’ per capita disposable income has continued to rise, and basic material needs are fully met. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, once physiological and safety needs are secured, higher-level needs such as belonging, respect, and self-actualization become dominant. In practice, when people no longer worry about basic living expenses, they tend to allocate more funds to consumption that brings spiritual joy.

For example, tourism used to be a luxury for many, but now, with increased income, more people choose to travel during holidays, experiencing local customs and relaxing—an embodiment of emotional consumption.

Notably, Generation Z, as a new main force of consumption, has a unique consumption mindset that greatly promotes emotional consumption. Growing up in the internet era with broad access to information, they emphasize self-expression and individuality, seeking unique experiences. For them, consumption is not just about satisfying material needs but also about showcasing themselves and expressing attitudes. Consequently, they are keen on purchasing products with unique IP images, such as anime peripherals and gaming collaborations, which carry emotional and cultural values aligned with their interests and personalities, enabling strong emotional resonance and satisfaction.

● Social context: Pressure and loneliness generate emotional compensation needs

The fast pace and fierce competition of modern society cause people of all ages to face multiple pressures. Young people deal with academic, employment, and romantic anxieties; middle-aged groups shoulder family responsibilities and face career crises; the elderly experience loneliness and intergenerational gaps. Surveys show that over 80% of respondents report feeling pressure, with more than half feeling significant stress.

In such an environment, emotional consumption becomes an important way to relieve pressure and seek psychological comfort. When facing setbacks at work or overwhelmed by daily trivialities, buying a beloved figurine or attending a relaxing meditation class can provide momentary relief. These behaviors are no longer just about material gain but also about fulfilling inner desires for tranquility and happiness.

Moreover, changes in social interaction methods further deepen emotional needs. While online socialization greatly improves communication efficiency, it also leads to social alienation, with “group loneliness” becoming a common societal mindset. In this context, emotional consumption can fill the gap by providing virtual companionship and community recognition.

● Technological support: Digital and scene-based innovations expand consumption boundaries

The rapid development of the internet and social media makes information dissemination extremely fast. Influencer recommendations and sharing on social platforms can quickly stimulate consumers’ desire to buy. For example, when an influencer shares their experience with a stress-relief toy and describes its relaxing effects, it often triggers followers to imitate and purchase. Social media has become a vital platform for consumers to access information and share experiences, making them susceptible to influence and emotional consumption.

E-commerce platforms and the convenience of online shopping also provide vast market space for emotional consumption. Consumers can easily search for products and services that meet emotional needs—be it blind boxes, figurines, or online companionship services—with just a few clicks. Big data analysis allows platforms to recommend personalized products aligned with consumers’ interests and emotional states, further promoting emotional consumption. For instance, Taobao’s personalized recommendations based on browsing and purchase history greatly enhance shopping efficiency and satisfaction.

Additionally, new technologies like VR and AR offer immersive shopping experiences, heightening emotional engagement. Some home furnishing platforms enable consumers to virtually experience furniture placement via VR, as if in a real scene, making decision-making easier and more emotionally engaging.

● Cultural drivers: Self-pleasure and community culture empower emotional consumption

The transformation of consumer culture provides ideological support for emotional consumption. Specifically, the traditional “frugal” consumption mindset is gradually shifting toward “moderate self-indulgence,” especially among young consumers, who are more willing to spend on personal feelings and regard emotional consumption as an important form of self-care. According to a 2025 report on Generation Z’s emotional consumption, nearly 60% of young people are willing to pay for emotional value; 56.3% prefer “happy consumption” for emotional or interest-based reasons, a 16.2 percentage point increase from 2024; 44.8% focus on “upgrading quality,” indicating that young people are not blindly indulging but pursuing better experiences driven by emotions.

Meanwhile, the rise of community cultures amplifies the spread of emotional consumption. In潮玩 (trend toys), anime, and fan circles, emotional consumption becomes a means of identity and social interaction. Consumers purchase similar products and participate in shared experiences to gain a sense of belonging and recognition within their circles. This emotional resonance further stimulates repeat purchases and word-of-mouth promotion, driving the development of emotional consumption.

The dual aspects of emotional consumption: opportunities and challenges

As an emerging economic form, emotional consumption drives economic growth and accurately connects with public emotional needs, but it also brings various risks and social governance concerns, presenting a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges.

● Opportunities

On the positive side, emotional consumption naturally acts as a new economic driver, a social emotion regulator, and an innovation accelerator.

Firstly, at the economic level, emotional consumption has become a key engine for stimulating domestic demand. Its trillion-yuan market scale not only directly promotes the development of niche industries like trendy toys, cultural tourism, and digital services but also gives rise to new tracks such as “healing economy” and “nostalgia economy,” creating numerous jobs.

For example, during the 2025 Taobao Tmall “618” shopping festival, over 2,400 trendy toy stores saw triple-digit sales growth, mainly driven by the爆发 of blind boxes, figurines, and the rising popularity of national潮IP and gaming peripherals. This vividly demonstrates the strong economic pull of emotional consumption.

Secondly, at the social level, emotional consumption plays an important role as a “social emotion regulator.” It helps people release stress, alleviate anxiety, and gain emotional comfort, which benefits individual mental health and reduces the risk of social emotional conflicts. From the “Breakup Museum” that carries emotional memories to theme venues offering stress relief experiences, these scenes transform negative emotions into constructive experiences, gently healing emotional wounds. Elderly people engaging in nostalgic consumption relive past memories and enrich spiritual life, effectively alleviating loneliness and improving late-life quality.

Finally, at the industry level, emotional consumption pushes supply-side innovation. Companies shift from traditional “functionality” to “emotional enhancement” and “value-added supply,” through product innovation, scene creation, and service upgrades, to enhance competitiveness and promote high-quality development. The emergence of products like “breakup-themed cakes” and “healing boutique inns” exemplifies supply-side responses to public emotional needs.

● Challenges

On the other hand, the rapid expansion of emotional consumption also exposes many issues, with a series of negative impacts warranting attention.

First, the risk of overconsumption and impulsive buying increases.

Some consumers, especially young people, under the influence of carefully crafted emotional marketing, easily fall into the misconception of “using consumption to fill emotional voids,” leading to irrational behaviors. For example, some women spend heavily on乙女 (otome) games, male players spend thousands on virtual skins, and some even use daily expenses for emotional consumption, increasing personal financial burdens and possibly causing family conflicts.

Second, industry chaos and uneven service quality.

The emotional consumption sector generally has low entry barriers, with unregulated personnel qualifications and no unified standards for many services. For instance, on certain e-commerce platforms, prices for emotional services like陪聊 (companionship chat) and慰问 (comfort) vary widely without clear descriptions of content, duration, or personnel credentials; some vendors exaggerate or use false marketing, offering “emotional goods” with no real value, leading to frequent consumer rights violations.

Third, privacy leaks and legal risks.

Services like anonymous confession and voice chats often require collecting personal data. If platform data security is weak, it can lead to privacy breaches and scams. Some emotional companionship services also contain soft色情 (soft porn) content, violating social norms and possibly breaking laws, negatively impacting social morality.

Fourth, emotional dependence and social skills decline.

Over-reliance on emotional consumption may cause individuals to lose self-regulation abilities, developing “consumption dependence.” The widespread use of virtual companionship services may further weaken real social interactions, increasing interpersonal alienation and deepening emotional deficits.

All these issues deserve our serious attention and reflection.

How can emotional consumption go further?

To fully harness the positive value of emotional consumption while avoiding potential risks, it requires coordinated efforts from government, enterprises, consumers, and society to build a healthy, orderly development environment.

● Government level

Relevant departments should accelerate the formulation of industry standards for emotional consumption, clarifying service content, personnel qualifications, platform operation rules, and establishing strict access mechanisms. For institutions providing psychological counseling and emotional companionship, mandatory qualification requirements should be enforced; third-party evaluation agencies should assess platform service quality and data security, forming supervision loops. Additionally, laws and regulations should be improved, law enforcement strengthened, and illegal activities like false advertising, soft色情, and privacy violations strictly cracked down. Consumer rights channels should be optimized, dispute resolution simplified, and data privacy laws clarified to prevent leaks.

● Enterprise level

Businesses should abandon short-term profit motives, incorporate social responsibility into their core strategies, and avoid over-marketing and emotional manipulation. They should innovate products and services to improve emotional value quality, shifting from “emotional刺激” to “long-term empowerment,” such as developing scientifically based emotional regulation products incorporating mental health knowledge.

Moreover, companies should establish training and assessment systems for staff, enhance service professionalism, strengthen data security with encryption and access controls, and set privacy alerts in high-risk scenarios. For users with high spending or frequent activity, gentle reminders and rational guidance should be provided.

● Consumer level

Consumers should recognize that emotional consumption is meant to assist emotions, not replace them, and avoid using it as the sole way to fill emotional gaps. Young consumers need to establish a “spending within means” mindset, choosing appropriate products based on their financial situation, and beware of impulsive or comparative spending.

They should also enhance awareness of personal information protection, be cautious when sharing sensitive data, and improve rights awareness—report false advertising or service issues promptly. Actively cultivating healthy emotional regulation methods, such as exercise, reading, and real social interactions, can help reduce over-reliance on consumption.

● Society level

Educational institutions and social organizations should strengthen emotional education, helping the public, especially youth, improve emotional management and cultivate healthy emotional literacy. Offline activities and public lectures can build real social platforms to reduce loneliness. Meanwhile, media should play a guiding role, objectively reporting the pros and cons of emotional consumption, exposing bad merchants and scams, and promoting rational consumption concepts. Community-based emotional support services for the elderly and youth can provide psychological counseling, building diverse emotional support networks.

In summary, the phenomenon of emotional consumption in 2025 is a product of the times. It reflects China’s economic achievements and consumption upgrades, as well as the inner emotional needs of modern people. As a trillion-yuan new economy, it injects vitality into the market and becomes a new engine for economic growth. However, the hidden risks and social pitfalls behind it require us to remain vigilant.

Ultimately, the healthy development of emotional consumption depends on balancing “rationality” and “warmth.”

Author: Qu Zhi
Source: Financial Expo · Wealth, 2026 Issue 2
Original Title: “The Rise of Emotional Consumption: A New Wave Sweeping 2025”