Chinese women are now self-reliant and have more stable incomes and higher purchasing power, making them an important market engine.

A class of young women dubbed the "little sisters" are quickly becoming an important spending engine in China, fueling the business prospects of all companies that trade in every item, from beer.

They are all educated, relatively stable income, delaying or giving up the idea of marriage and motherhood, helping them to have more money and more confidence in spending for themselves.

"Little Sister" is a phrase that is gaining popularity in China, widely used in movies and reality TV shows.

"The growing power of educated urban women between the ages of 20 and 40 is becoming a hit topic in dramas and variety shows," says Wendy Liu, strategist at

"In general, their growing disposable income coupled with their desire for a 'good life' have a strong impact on demand for cosmetics, duty-free goods, health care, and mobile games.

The underclass will lead to an explosion in spending in areas ranging from beauty to sports, food, beverage, and home appliances, according to UBS and HSBC Holdings, which also released a report.

"Women are working harder, having a bigger say in household spending decisions and buying more for themselves," said Herald van der Linde, head of asset strategy at HSBC Hong Kong,

The importance of pocket money is not only confirmed in traditional markets such as cosmetics, but now also spread to many other fields.

Spending from women accounts for 60% of China's $ 662.7 billion food market, according to Industrial Securities.

They even became increasingly fond of China's famous Guizhou Mao Dai wine, which was previously popular among men only.

Financial management companies have started to jump in.

Behavior change is helping women have higher income and greater decision-making power in society, according to HSBC.

"For families with few people, the increase in income makes them better off and they can spend money on the purchase of less essential items like beer or sportswear," said van der Linde of HSBC.

Female consumer spending power began to gain attention as China was seeking to revive its post-Covid-19 economy.

The government's recent move to loosen license controls on duty-free franchises, especially luxury goods, will further boost women's consumption, according to Orient Securities.

"Women are taking on many different roles in social life and they are also consumers who are eager to pursue better brands, designs, experiences, services, even products.