Young Hong Kongers go gaga for US brands

For the youth in Hong Kong, the popularity of brands have shifted from European to American, brands that typically stand for freedom, independence and personal style.A new Ipsos study shows that of 1,000 consumers, 22% aged 15 to 34 preferred American casual wear for its stylishness, wholesomeness, comfort (89%), and fit (48%); while only 10% of consumers aged 35 and above shared the same feeling.American brands most popular segments are educated, working class girls and women who earn or use their parents’ money.On average, Hong Kong youth are willing to pay 14% more for American brands compared to local labels like Bossini or Giordano; given their wages, however, shoppers either say they’re funded by parents or part-time work or purchase only with discounts, during seasonal sales or after borrowing a friend’s VIP membership card.Given the young target audience, it’d behoove American labels to have online platforms in order to build a closer relationship with consumers by either partaking in active conversations on blogs, online forums or discussion groups, or sending them push notifications.