From October to December 2006，Huakun Women Consumption Guidance Center conducted a survey on city women’s consumption in 20 big and middle-sized cities. The cities include Beijing，Changsha，Chengdu，Dalian，Guangzhou，Harbin，Hangzhou，Kunming，Lanzhou，Nanchang，Nanjing，Nanning，Ningbo，Qingdao，Shanghai，Tianjin，Wuhan，Xi’an，Zhengzhou and Chongqing. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent out. Among 1991 returned，1955 were valid and the return rate is 97.8 per cent.

Ⅰ. Basic facts and figures

Age：The interviewed women are 20 to 60 years old，and the average age is 35.

Marriage status：70.6 per cent are married，18.8 per cent single，and 4.6 per cent cohabit.

Family structure：About 30 per cent live with their parents，53.9 per cent live with their children.

Education：39.7 per cent are college graduates，27.2 per cent have college diploma，and 19.3 per cent are high school graduates.

Profession：Mostly administrators，public servants，technicians，business and service workers，and company managers.

Personal income：56.8 per cent respondents have a monthly income of 1000-3000 yuan，21.7 per cent 3001-5000 yuan，15.8 per cent below 1000 yuan，and 5.6 per cent above 5001 yuan.

Family income：6.2 per cent respondents’ family annual income is below 10000 yuan，39.7 per cent between 30000-60000 yuan，and 29.9 per cent above 60000 yuan.

Ⅱ. City women consumption situation

1. Children’s education，housing and travel are the biggest spending items for women’s families

The biggest spending （24.1%） in 2006 is on their children’s education. Next is house payment （21.3%），and third is holiday travel （11.2%）.

2. Women’s consumption potential is huge

On average women’s biggest spending for their families was 63414 yuan in 2006. 50.9 per cent respondents’ families had one big spending over 10000 yuan. Their children’s spending was 31.3 per cent of their annual family income.

3. Beauty consumption has become women’s priority

Women interviewed said money spent on clothes，hair and beauty was the biggest part of their personal consumption，3618 yuan on average.

4. Communication and transportation budget is necessary for city women’s life

On average 26.6 per cent respondents spent 51-100 yuan on transport，26.1 per cent below 50 yuan，and 3.7 per cent 601-1000 yuan.

5. Women love to spend money to “recharge” themselves

Women who “recharged” in 2006 spent 3160 yuan on average. One woman spent 30000 yuan.

6. Leisure and cultural consumption is on the rise

On average，2006 saw 22.1 per cent women spend below 50 yuan on leisure，21.1 per cent 51-100 yuan，1.8 per cent over 1001 yuan.

7. Travel has made women’s life more colorful

Over 70 per cent women interviewed has travel plans for 2007. In 2006，however，23.9 per cent spent 501-2500 yuan on travel，19.3 per cent below 500 yuan，4.4 per cent over 10001 yuan，and 28.2 per cent did not spend any money on travel.

8. Brand consumption is no long a fashion，but a way of life

Brands women buy include home appliances （63%），digital products （60.2%），cosmetics （58.3%），food and beverage （58%），medicine （57.9%），daily necessities （52%），clothes （48.1%），health products （46.1%），jewelry （41.6%），leisure and culture （40.7%），and accessories （34%）.

9. New ways of purchasing are on the rise among woman consumers

There are 36.9 per cent women often using credit card，40.9 per cent seldom using it，11.4 per cent rarely using it，and 10.8 per cent never using it. 98.7 per cent go to supermarkets for shopping，19.3 per cent buy online，3.9 per cent go for TV shopping，5.5 per cent post shopping，and 1.9 per cent other ways.

10. Women still worry about consumption safety

They worry most about food （53.2%），medicine （12.2），cosmetics （10.5%），beauty and plastic surgery （10%），home decoration （8.2%），health products （3.3%），home appliance （2.2%），and the rest （4.0%）.

11. What women plan to purchase next year

Next year women plan to buy clothes （38.2%），cosmetics （31%），house （19.3%），digital camera （19.2%），computer （18.5%），mobile phone （16.5%），car （15.8%），jewelry （12.5%），and video camera （12.1%）.

12. Women learn to invest and manage their wealth

Women interviewed say they divide their income into three parts，30 per cent for saving，55 per cent for consumption and 15 per cent for investment.

Ⅲ. Reflections and suggestions on city women’s consumption

1. Six features characterizing 2006 city women’s consumption

（1）Family consumption has become quite harmonious since family members usually decide big spending together.

（2）Beauty consumption has become a series of consumption items and it is on the way to become an industry.

（3）Quality consumption aiming to improve women’s caliber is on the rise.

（4）The mode of consumption has become varied，and this sh