The “self-love economy” is shifting Valentine’s Day from gifting others to rewarding oneself and making more practical purchases.情人节也要爱你老己 - Love Yourself on Valentine’s Day Too [HSK 6]Download the app here:Chinese Short Dialogue | App StoreChinese Short Dialogue | Google PlayAvailable in 8 languages on the app:Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية《English Translation》赵强: 老黄, Valentine’s Day is coming. Have you noticed? This year, many people aren’t buying gifts for their partners—they’re choosing to ‘love their old self’ and buying gifts for themselves instead.黄刚: I’ve noticed. A significant portion of single people are buying for themselves, and even married people are valuing ‘practicality’ and ‘experiences’ more, instead of just roses and chocolate.赵强: From my perspective in marketing, it’s obvious: it’s getting harder to justify the premium on flowers and jewelry, while games, skincare, and sports gear are selling more steadily.黄刚: That’s related to changing consumer attitudes. With more pressure in life, people would rather spend money on things that ‘make me better’ instead of being led by holiday rituals.赵强: But that’s not very friendly to brands. Holiday-driven sales rely on explosive growth, while self-reward consumption is frequent and scattered—it’s harder to boost sales in just one day.黄刚: Not necessarily. If cities, cultural tourism, and the restaurant industry turn ‘self-reward’ into an experience-based scenario, they can actually draw people out to spend.赵强: To put it plainly, stop saying ‘you must give something to your lover’ and switch to ‘you deserve it.’ Then make solid products—that’s how you get conversions.黄刚: Yeah, maybe the meaning of holidays is changing—from proving something to others to being more honest with yourself and your relationships.

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