Trends and Consumer Characteristics in the Chinese Children’s Picture Book Market

Abstract

The Chinese children’s picture book market has experienced rapid growth in recent years, driven by increasing parental investment in early childhood education and rising household income levels. However, empirical research examining consumer characteristics and purchasing behavior in this market remains limited. This study aims to investigate trends and consumer characteristics in the Chinese children’s picture book market by examining the factors influencing parents’ purchase intentions. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and consumer value theory, this research proposes a conceptual model incorporating perceived educational value, emotional value, social influence, perceived affordability, attitude, and purchase intention. A quantitative research design was adopted using a cross-sectional survey method. Data were collected from 312 parents with children aged 0–8 years in China through an online questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses and examine the relationships among variables. The results indicate that perceived educational value and emotional value significantly influence parents’ attitudes toward children’s picture books, while attitude, social influence, and perceived affordability positively affect purchase intention. Among these factors, perceived educational value was found to be the strongest predictor. The model demonstrates strong explanatory power, accounting for 61% of the variance in purchase intention. This study contributes to the literature by extending the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to the context of children’s cultural consumption and provides practical implications for publishers, educators, and policymakers seeking to promote children’s reading and support the development of the picture book industry in China.