As deposit interest rates decline and the volatility of financial products increases, some investors have turned to “accumulating gold beans” and have been showcasing their achievements on social media. Unlike the previous gold hoarding trend, this current trend of “accumulating gold beans” on social media is mainly popular among young people aged 25 to 35. They are more interested in purchasing low-weight physical gold products at a higher frequency rather than large quantities of gold.
One such person is Li Lei (alias) who works at a real estate company in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Previously, she used to put one-third of her salary into time deposit products every month. But starting from May this year, with the decline in deposit interest rates, she began using some of her idle funds to purchase 2-3 gold beans every month. By October, she had accumulated about 15 gold beans.
With the popularity of “accumulating gold beans” among young people, some platforms and institutions have seized the “gold bean concept” and packaged it to market related products and services. However, it is important to note that there are still risks behind the trend of “accumulating gold beans” which is being associated with value preservation and the concept of “small gains make great fortune”. Industry insiders have pointed out that “accumulating gold beans” itself is an investment in physical gold and has certain price fluctuations. Investors should not blindly follow the trend and should consider their own investment needs.
The influx of young people into the trend of “accumulating gold beans” is evident. Li Lei’s interest in “accumulating gold beans” began with the various “strategies” and “experiences” shared on social media. The two main attractions for her to join the trend were the value preservation and the concept of small gains. In her opinion, compared to other luxury goods, gold is relatively more valuable and has strong market liquidity, making it an alternative way to save money. Additionally, the lowest weight of a gold bean is around 1 gram, and the cost of buying one is only around 400-500 yuan. It is relatively easy for her to purchase them when she has extra money. “The process of accumulating gold beans brings a sense of certainty in the midst of various uncertainties in life by reducing the risk of price fluctuations through stable investments,” Li Lei added.
The trend of “accumulating gold beans” among young people is also reflected in the business side. A gold shop owner in Shenzhen mentioned that the best-selling product in their online store is the “gold beans”, and the monthly sales volume has almost doubled compared to last year. The cumulative sales of a 1 gram gold bean product have exceeded 200,000, and the cumulative sales of a 5 gram gold bean product have exceeded