Little Red Book, has emerged as a pivotal platform for beauty enthusiasts in China, with 87% of them considering it their primary source for discovering new brands and products.
This app has been a major Discovery phase in China.
Xiaohongshu/RED is revered in Chinese digital culture for its sophistication, distinguishing itself from other mainstream social media platforms like Douyin and Weibo. It caters to an audience seeking niche and aesthetically pleasing trends, ranging from detailed skincare routines to chic brunch spots and luxurious experiences.
RED- Xiaohongshu was initially a resource for Chinese travelers buying luxury or skincare products in Hong Kong. It evolved into a platform offering user-generated recommendations for popular travel destinations like Thailand and Japan.
Today, most luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada, Celine, and Balenciaga, maintain a presence on Xiaohongshu. In 2022, Lancôme stood out as the most engaged luxury brand on the platform, with 1,963 posts in the first six months, attracting over 6.5 million user interactions.
The platform’s unique community model fosters a flow of authentic, user-generated content, blending social networking with e-commerce. This has given rise to the concept of “grass-planting”on Xiaohongshu, where users develop a desire for products seen in posts.
This term is part of a consumer journey lexicon, including “growing grass”for developing product longing, and “plucking grass” for fulfilling this desire.
User recommendations are vital in this process.
Xiaohongshu user, trusts the platform’s recommendations, equating them to advice from a friend. The app has popularized beauty slang like “routine C” (same as Korean Routine)
Trends such as “skin fasting,” and fashion movements like Asian Baby Girl, barbiecore, or cleanfit.
RED- Xiaohongshu fosters a vibrant community where users frequently ask for product purchase links, highlighting the platform’s authenticity and influence over traditional advertising. It has formed partnerships with organizations like Tourism New Zealand and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, promoting destinations among its users.
The app has seen remarkable growth, with a user base exceeding 200 million, predominantly women under 30 from affluent tier 1 cities. Its e-commerce sector has expanded dramatically, with a 27-fold increase in buyers and sellers, a 10-fold rise in active merchants, and a 12-fold increase in purchasing users. In 2023, Xiaohongshu reportedly achieved a net profit of $500 million, significantly exceeding its initial forecast.
Many users, relies on RED-Xiaohongshu for reviews before purchasing high-cost products, using the app for “everything.”