Network China
Qualitative market research in China
China has 1.42 billion people and 1.30 billion internet users, 91.6 per cent of the population (DataReportal, Digital 2026), on platforms that are not the ones your team uses at home. Qualitative research there works when recruitment, scheduling and interviews run on the tools people use every day, moderated in Mandarin by someone who lives in the city. MindMarket runs focus groups, in-depth interviews and shop-alongs in China with local moderators and one project manager for your whole study, and has run many spirits and alcohol studies there, from luxury tequila in Shanghai's bars to bartender interviews.
AT A GLANCE
China at a glance for researchers
- Population. 1.42 billion people, median age 40.1, two thirds of them in cities (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen each count more people than many countries.
- Languages. Mandarin is the national language and the language of most interviews. Cantonese is everyday speech in Guangzhou and much of Guangdong, Shanghainese and other dialects live on in homes. Our moderators live in the city of the study and switch when a participant does.
- Internet and mobile. 1.30 billion internet users and 1.83 billion mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Everything runs on WeChat, from recruitment messages to incentives, and foreign video tools do not work reliably inside the country.
- Where fieldwork happens. Most of our studies in China run in Shanghai and Beijing, with Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Chengdu added when your audience lives there.
- Data protection. The Personal Information Protection Law of 2021, with the Data Security Law and the Cybersecurity Law: separate consent for sensitive data, and rules before any personal data leaves the country. Recordings and transcripts stay in China unless the transfer is cleared.
- Timing. Chinese New Year (January or February) empties cities for two weeks, and Golden Week in early October is a national holiday. Book fieldwork around both.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in China?
In Europe, you send a Zoom link and a calendar invite. In China, the invite, the reminder, the session and the thank-you all travel through WeChat, and the conversation follows rules of politeness a visiting moderator would miss.
- Recruited and scheduled on WeChat. Our local partners find participants through their own networks and WeChat groups, confirm by voice message and send reminders the way Chinese participants expect.
- Platforms that work inside the country. Online sessions run on Tencent Meeting or another platform that works without a VPN, so nobody drops out because the tool is blocked.
- Moderators who live in China. Direct criticism is rare and silence does not mean agreement. A moderator who lives in Shanghai reads the pause, the compliment that hides a no, and the moment to ask again.
- Venues chosen for the topic. Premium spirits are discussed in a private room of a high-end bar; a skincare routine in a studio with good light; a family purchase at home. The setting changes what people say.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in China?
- We recruit through local partners in each city, who find the people your brief describes, from affluent bar guests to first-time car buyers.
- Every participant is screened in Mandarin by phone or voice message, and confirmed again the day before.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in China?
Most studies in China run as focus groups and in-depth interviews in Shanghai and Beijing, with shop-alongs, ethnographic visits and online interviews when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Focus groups | You want to hear how a category is talked about among peers, such as premium spirits or skincare | Six to eight people, one social level per group; status differences silence the room |
| In-depth interviews | Sensitive or personal decisions, B2B buyers and senior professionals | Open with rapport, not with the stimulus; allow time for indirect answers |
| Shop-alongs in bars and shops | You need to see the choice happen, as in our luxury tequila work in Shanghai's high-end bars | Venue permission and discreet note-taking |
| Online in-depth interviews | Participants spread across cities, or a quick read before a launch | Use a platform that works without a VPN; test it with each participant |
| Ethnographic home visits | Food, drink and family purchases, where the home tells the story | Recruit through trusted networks; hosting a stranger is a favour |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in China
How much does market research cost in China?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and China added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Affluent and professional audiences cost more to recruit than general consumers, and simultaneous translation adds a line when your team wants to watch live. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
Do I need a local moderator in China?
Yes. Meaning is often implicit, direct criticism is rare and silence does not mean disagreement, so a moderator who lives in Shanghai or Beijing hears what a visitor misses. MindMarket's moderators in China live there and work in Mandarin, with Cantonese in Guangzhou when the audience asks for it.
Can I watch the sessions live from Europe or the US?
Yes, with simultaneous translation and a platform that works on both sides of the firewall. We set it up and test it before the first session, and you receive the recordings with translated transcripts afterwards.
Can I run online interviews in China?
Yes. 91.6 per cent of Chinese people use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), and participants are comfortable on video. The session runs on a platform that works inside China, such as Tencent Meeting, not on tools that need a VPN, and recruitment and reminders go through WeChat.
Which cities should I cover in China?
Start with the cities where your buyers live. Most of our studies run in Shanghai and Beijing, and we add Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Chengdu when your category is strong there. Two or three cities read well tell you more than ten read thinly, because the differences between tiers matter more than the number of dots on the map.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in China told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
NEXT