Editor’s Note
This article discusses the recent surge in gold prices and the online popularity of “Shuibei Gold.” While the information is based on market data, readers should be aware that gold prices are highly volatile. This is not financial advice. Always conduct your own research and consult a professional before making any investment decisions.
On April 1st, the international gold price broke through $3,162 per ounce, setting a new historical record. The domestic gold price in China reached 735.68 yuan per gram, marking an increase of over 19% since the beginning of the year. The price of gold jewelry from major brands like Chow Tai Fook, Chow Sang Sang, and Lao Feng Xiang has exceeded or is nearing 950 yuan per gram.
Amidst this wave of surging gold prices, “Shuibei Gold” has rapidly gained popularity on social media. As the largest manufacturing, processing, and trading hub for gold jewelry in China, merchants from the Shuibei Gold Wholesale Market in Shenzhen are capturing the market with their “spot price + low processing fee” model. These merchants are now flooding into platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu to attract customers and sell nationwide.
The Shuibei gold wholesale market, which has been developing in Shenzhen for over 30 years, has become a top trend in the online gold and jewelry category in recent years. On Douyin, the #ShuibeiGold topic has attracted 354,000 participants with over 3.25 billion total views. On Xiaohongshu, users have published over 1.95 million notes discussing Shuibei Gold, with topic views exceeding 2.45 billion.
This consumer enthusiasm has even spawned the profession of “Shuibei Gold Purchasing Agents.” According to reports, some part-time agents can earn over 30,000 yuan per month, with those targeting wedding needs selling over 1,000 grams of gold jewelry monthly, generating transaction volumes exceeding one million yuan.
Seeing this opportunity, Shuibei gold merchants are not to be outdone. They are filming videos, hosting live streams, and rushing online to compete for customers.
The combination of “beauty + large quantities of gold” has proven to be a successful traffic formula for Shuibei shop owners on Douyin. In short videos, attractive female shop owners showcase trays of gold jewelry or wear heavy necklaces and bracelets, “serving dishes to the sisters” and promoting popular styles.
Beyond display, close-up shots highlight product craftsmanship details, with shop owners thoughtfully introducing weight, design, and price to fans. Accounts like @肖梦黄金 (Shuibei Yihao B1) have garnered up to 1.259 million fans.
In addition to shop owners promoting their own stalls, some Shuibei merchants collaborate with online influencers for引流. For example, Douyin blogger @我满脑子都是司凤, who does not show her face but displays various gold accessories, has attracted 512,000 fans, primarily women aged 24-40 with purchasing power.
Merchants also actively comment under videos, hinting that the products shown are theirs, precisely directing traffic to their accounts.
Since 2024, continuously fluctuating gold prices have been constant news, providing Shuibei merchants with natural short video material. Discussing and analyzing gold price trends has become a key traffic strategy for many.
Accounts like @水贝巧玲黄金 consistently focus their video covers and opening lines on “gold price rises and falls,” quickly transitioning to scenes of a bustling Shuibei wholesale market.
Qiaoling’s live streaming sales strategy involves using trending short videos about gold price fluctuations for引流. During live streams, she uses flash sales,福利prices, and processing fee discounts to increase user watch time, creates紧张atmosphere through rapid product showcases and limited库存, and刺激conversion.
Data shows that the two accounts @水贝巧玲黄金 and @水贝巧玲黄金批发 have achieved total live stream sales exceeding 100 million yuan for three consecutive months, outperforming知名brands like Chow Tai Fook. Their average live stream viewership consistently exceeds 500,000, with over 70%来自recommended traffic.
Xiaohongshu,汇聚众多爱美女孩, is another key platform for Shuibei merchants. Merchant Miaoyu Gold has adopted an operational model of matrix account引流 on Xiaohongshu, guiding users to add customer service WeChat accounts for深度member operations and conversion in the private domain.
To maintain these willing customers, Miaoyu Gold has implemented a membership system in its WeChat private domain. Consumers can pay 299 yuan to become a member, enjoying benefits like processing fee discounts, member day events, birthday福利, and exclusive group flash sales.
Continuously rising gold prices have made gold a保值investment, but the high prices have also weakened consumer demand for gold jewelry, making the business increasingly difficult. Statistics from the China Gold Association show that in 2024, China’s gold jewelry consumption量同比下降24.69%.
Observations reveal three major trends in the current gold jewelry consumer market:
1. A shift from实体retail to online transactions.
2. A明显的trend of黄金消费年轻化, with lightweight gold products gaining popularity.
3. A merchant转型from “selling gold” to “selling culture,” leveraging traditional craftsmanship and culture for premium pricing.
With持续上涨的gold prices叠加changes in demand and channels, the gold jewelry industry has reached a转型crossroads. A battle for traffic and efficiency has already begun online.
