"The boundaries of purchasing channels are fading out," said Yu. "Some channels themselves have become powerful media to grab attentions of customers." Coffee tycoon Starbucks and Eleme delivery cooperated to offer new experience of coffee delivery; pop-up stores trigger fun offline experience; supermarket plus catering services such as Alibaba's Hema Fresh store have created a whole new scene of consumption...all these are successful trials worth noticing, said Yu.

Besides, online sales jumped 30.3 percent in H1 2018, while 57 percent of consumers purchased goods both online and offline, indicating an omni-channel purchasing trend.

As consumption evolves, CTR suggests brands to reconsider the relations between brands and consumers, to reexamine the ties between social contact and purchase, and redefine the value that a brand could bring to customers. Cross-scene communication and omni-channel integration capacity are key in building perfect consumption experience, said the consultancy.

Besides consumption trends, CTR Market Research, a joint venture between China International Television Corporation (CITVC) and Kantar Group, a leading data, insight and consultancy company, also unveiled the latest trends in advertising and media development in China at its CTR Insight Summit.

It is the 15th consecutive years that CTR Market Research held the Insight Summit, with 500 attendees from media, corporate, and advertising agencies attending the summit. It will also go to Guangzhou and Shanghai this autumn for more releases.