It's an open secret that when shopping, women may be more willing to part with their money than men.

 

And here in China government agencies and entrepreneurs eager to rise from long-standing doldrums in consumer spending are fixing their eyes on women, especially those in rural areas, in hopes of attracting new groups prone to spending.

 

A recent national survey shows that women in China's rural areas, with a total population of more than 400 million, are the biggest potential group of new consumers, though they were among the least sought after due to their low earning power.

 

The survey, conducted by the Huakun Women Research Center affiliated with the All-China Women's Federation, included nearly 2,000 rural women selected randomly from 10 provinces around China. About 98 percent of the respondents have an average income of about 1,000 yuan per month.

 

Half of the respondents said they can decide how to spend their money, rather than relying on spousal approval. And most of the rural women surveyed have the final say on daily expenditures for necessities like food and clothes, said Han Xiangjing, head of the Huakun center.

 

She said daily necessities, medicine, clothes and food are the four biggest budget items for the rural women in 2006, but in 2007, the most desired goods for rural women include cell phones, cosmetics and jewelry.

 

The survey shows that rural women usually purchase goods at local fairs and small shops in their villages. Most of the respondents said they are not satisfied village-brought goods due to poor quality. And about 70 percent of the respondents said they have purchased fake and counterfeit goods, including cosmetics and medicine.

 

The survey also covers 1,500 rural women from 10 provinces who now work in cities. Differing from their village peers, migrant female workers most wanted goods in the year ahead include computers and digital cameras.

 

Cosmetics most used by migrant female workers are cleansing cream, skin lotion, lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Women in villages mostly use skin lotion, cleansing cream, hand cream and anti-chap cream, the survey found.

 

Huang Hai, assistant minister of commerce, said promoting consumption by rural women is among the top tasks that his agency will address in 2007.

 

(China Daily January 26, 2007)