A significant shift is underway in the UK consumer landscape. For the first time in a generation, Asian (primarily Chinese and Korean) culture, aesthetics and innovation are moving from niche to mainstream, particularly among Gen Z consumers who are driving a fundamental shift in what Britain buys, watches, and values.
Our new report, “Is Gen Z opening the UK door to Asia and China?”, explores this shift. Click on the image to access and download the full report, and read the introduction below.
The report highlights some of the consumer brands that are benefitting, from BYD cars and Labubu dolls to matcha and bubble tea, the factors behind changing UK consumer attitudes to Chinese and Asian brands and ideas and advice for Asian brands targeting UK Gen Z.
Continue reading for a short synopsis.
Walk through any British city and the evidence is unmistakable. BYD electric vehicles command attention on roads once dominated by European marques. Bubble tea shops anchor high streets. Korean skincare regimens have become daily rituals.
K-Pop concert tickets sell out in minutes (and K-Pop Demon Hunters dominates the Netflix feeds of teens and pre-teens across the country). And Labubu – the quirky Thai-Chinese character – has achieved cult status, with British teens queuing for hours to secure limited-edition collectibles.
Gen Z is boosting Chinese online marketplaces: research shows 82% of British Gen Z have shopped at Chinese marketplaces Temu, Shein, TikTok Shop, and AliExpress in the past year. 23% shop there once a week. Younger people tend to have more favorable opinions of China than older people do.
And while surveys continue to report that older British consumers remain politically suspicious of China, the actual behaviour of those consumers suggests that they are more open to Chinese brands than ever. Chinese car making giant BYD, for example, says the UK has become its biggest market outside China, after sales surged by 880% compared to 2024.
This represents more than a trend. It signals – potentially – a generational recalibration of cultural influence. Younger UK consumers are engaging with Asian culture on its own terms. They appreciate Chinese aesthetics not as exotic novelty but as contemporary and aspirational. They embrace Asian innovation not despite its origin but, increasingly, because of it.
For Chinese and Asian businesses, this creates an unprecedented window of opportunity.
The UK market, long perceived as challenging territory requiring cultural compromise, is now demonstrating genuine appetite for authentic Asian brand expression.
Yet opportunity is paired with complexity. Government scrutiny around data security has intensified, particularly for technology platforms and connected devices. Political pressure regarding human rights practices creates reputational risk. Sustainability regulations, from supply chain due diligence to circular economy requirements, demand compliance that many Asian businesses find unfamiliar.
This is where understanding context becomes commercially imperative. Success in this blurred corporate and consumer landscape requires more than great products. It requires an approach that leans into the enthusiasm of Gen Z consumers while responding clearly to the concerns of policymakers, regulators and advocacy groups.
In practice, this means demonstrating the pragmatism that is deeply rooted in Asian historical, cultural, and philosophical traditions. Rather than focus on what could be performative ‘brand purpose’, focus on creative execution that honours cultural authenticity. Gen Z consumers possess sophisticated cultural radars; they detect and reject superficial adaptation. They respond to brands confident in their Asian identity, whether that’s design language rooted in traditional aesthetics reimagined for contemporary contexts, or innovation narratives that celebrate rather than obscure geographical origin.
To operate and sell in the UK, Asian businesses will of course need to comply with local environmental laws and demonstrate supply chain transparency. Build meaningful local partnerships. And communicate these efforts authentically, without greenwashing or oversimplification. That won’t change.
But changing attitudes and the Gen Z appetite for Chinese and Asian brands and cultural trends suggests that, when it comes to corporate and brand communications and storytelling, UK consumers may be interested in hearing about Chinese or Asian values and ideas, such as harmony with nature, focus on traditions and intergenerational living.
The pathway forward requires balancing acts. Lean into what makes your brand distinctively Asian while understanding British consumer expectations. Embrace the creative opportunity while navigating the regulatory reality. Build cultural connections while addressing political sensitivities.
The brands that will win in this new era are those that recognise the UK market’s complexity as strategic advantage rather than obstacle. They understand that Gen Z’s openness creates permission for authentic Asian brand expression—but that permission must be earned through transparency, responsibility and cultural intelligence.
This is the blurred reality of modern market entry: unprecedented opportunity shadowed by significant challenge. The question for Asian businesses is not whether to engage the UK market, but whether they’re prepared to engage it strategically.
Photo by Pearse O’Halloran on Unsplash