In recent years, the anime derivatives represented by "millet" are accelerating from a niche to a public perspective, becoming a new hotspot in the field of cultural consumption. The word 'guzi' is a homophone of the English word 'goods', mainly referring to peripheral products with popular cultural elements such as anime and games as the main theme. From traditional IP peripheral collections to trendy "guzi" purchases and customizations such as badges and standing cards, the sustained popularity of the "guzi economy" not only reflects the upgrading of consumer demand among young people, but also outlines a new trend of diversified development of cultural consumption in China. Data shows that the market size of China's "foxtail millet economy" will reach 168.9 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 40.63%, and is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan in 2029. Behind the enormous market potential, there are both opportunities for the rise of domestic IP and the upgrading of consumer demand, as well as challenges such as unstable supply chains and short-sighted IP operations. The rise of domestic IP "such anime derivatives as' millet 'cannot be simply regarded as imported products, and' millet economy 'cannot be simply summarized as the emotional consumption of young people. Purchasing related products based on cultural elements and community interaction has been a long-standing cultural consumption habit in China. ”Lin Wei, the executive vice president of the Institute of Leisure Science and Art Philosophy of Zhejiang University, believes that China's "millet economy" is more like the localization of "cultural games" and "anime" since ancient times, and has accumulated in the cultural market through China-Chic art and cultural heritage, which is essentially an innovative expression of long-standing cultural consumption habits in the new era. How to buy "guzi"? Zhang Qi, a doctoral student who has been "eating grain" for more than 10 years, will choose her favorite "grain" while shopping, and also purchase through online channels such as Taobao Tmall official store, Xianyu personal resale, and overseas Taobao forwarding website. The sale of 'guzi' usually has a time limit, and once missed, the Xianyu platform becomes the main purchasing channel. Some second-hand scarce items are even priced far beyond the original price. Zhang Qi's experience confirms the collection value and circle recognition brought by the scarcity of 'guzi' consumption. The rise of domestic IP is changing the market landscape of "guzi". In recent years, the sales of various domestic anime and game peripheral products have continued to rise, and more and more domestic "guzi" have been placed in the "C" position of stores. At the same time, the "guzi economy" is accelerating its deep integration with commercial districts and cultural tourism scenes, further expanding the consumer market. The "Eastern Suburb Memory" Park in Chengdu, Sichuan Province held a 10th anniversary comic original art exhibition of "Under One Person", which stimulated the consumption of "guzi" through immersive scenes. Fuxing Island, Yangpu District, Shanghai, and Little Red Book jointly held the "Adventure Island" activity, which gathered Genshin Impact, King Glory and other IPs to stimulate the vitality of urban cultural consumption. The increasing cultural confidence is the background for the hot sales of 'guzi'. ”Associate Professor Liu Yaqiong from the School of Marxism at Central University of Finance and Economics believes that in order to make consumers accept and pay, continuous efforts are needed in areas such as IP content and supply chain. The consumption of 'Guogu' is driven by emotions and characterized by role projection. The presence of domestically produced IP characters and original stories that are continuously sought after is an important condition for the rise of 'Guogu'. ”Liu Yaqiong said. There are still shortcomings in operation. While the harvest of "guzi" is coming, it also faces new challenges. Zhang Qi found that many "guzi" overseas Taobao forwarding websites have unstable supply, and some pre ordered goods cannot be shipped and refunds are difficult. The trend of "eating grain" in the past two years has calmed down, and many consumers have returned to rational shopping. The average price of second-hand "grain" has generally fallen, and previously rapidly expanding offline stores have also closed one after another. In the eyes of industry insiders, the underlying reason for the "hot and cold alternation" in the industry lies in the short sightedness of IP operations. Liu Yaqiong pointed out that the sales and value of some domestic IP "guzi" products have fluctuated greatly, and the fundamental reason is the lack of sustained content supply and immersive ecology. IP is not operated as a long-term asset, but as a one-time traffic monetization tool. Only by promoting the IP industry to shift from traffic monetization to long-term asset operation can 'guzi' Changxing succeed. ”Liu Yaqiong said. Liang Shuheng, the store manager of the "Gu Zi" store in Beijing's dimensional capital, believes that although the domestic "Gu Zi" industry is developing rapidly, it is still in a "chaotic era". The previous wave of "Gu Zi" store closures was the result of the survival of the fittest in the market, eliminating a group of entrants who were riding on the heat and lacked core competitiveness. The core driving force of the "guzi economy" has always been IP, and the prosperity of domestic animation and gaming industries is the foundation for the future development of "guzi" stores in China. In the past two years, Beijing, Shenzhen, Sichuan, Shanghai and other places have introduced policies to support the development of the "millet economy". Dongcheng District of Beijing proposes to tap into the potential of the "guzi economy" and encourage the development and scene creation of anime, film and television IP derivatives. Provide a maximum of 3 million yuan in financial support based on no more than 30% of the actual investment amount of the project. Shenzhen will vigorously develop the "millet economy" and include it in the government work report. For the first time, Sichuan has included the concept of "guzi economy" in a provincial-level policy document, guiding well-known IPs to develop new cultural and creative products such as trendy figurines and digital collectibles. It can be seen from the local policy orientation that "millet economy" has been regarded as an important track to stimulate new consumption, promote China-Chic culture and expand cultural trade. The relevant policies will provide important support for "Guogu" to move from a popular product to long-term prosperity. The practice of accelerating towards global leading enterprises provides useful reference for the development of "Guogu". Data shows that the total trading volume of IP derivatives business products of Yuewen Group will exceed 1.1 billion yuan in 2025, which is more than twice that of 2024. Hou Ding, General Manager of the Derivatives Department of Yuewen Group, introduced that the group has completed a systematic layout in terms of IP diversification, full product categories, and integrated online and offline construction, and will continue to explore new categories. The innovative practices of folk creators have also injected new vitality into "Guogu". The creator of the "Xianghu" brand gourd water kettle, Zhang Tao, combines the intangible cultural heritage "lacquer" craftsmanship with modern design and collaborates with domestic IP to make "Guogu" a timeless object. Zhang Tao believes that "guzi" is not a simple commodity, but a link that connects individuals who resonate with intellectual property. It should rely on creativity and quality to continuously increase consumer groups and connect domestic and foreign markets. Technological innovation is becoming a new driving force for upgrading the "millet economy". Liu Yaqiong observed that the "guzi economy" is undergoing a technological upgrade, with "one type being artificial intelligence (AI) generated" guzi ", which focuses on personalized customization; The other type is the AI interactive hardware 'guzi', which can simulate character personalities and engage in conversations with users after being implanted with large models, providing emotional companionship experiences. Liu Yaqiong also reminded that "AI guzi" involves very complex copyright issues, and suggested accelerating the construction of supporting systems such as IP authorization registration and traceability certification. In terms of "Guogu" going global, Liu Yaqiong believes that "Guogu" going global is not simply about exporting products, but rather the entire industrial chain of design, manufacturing, logistics, and copyright services, and is a new track for China's cultural trade. Targeted support should be provided in overseas IP promotion, exhibitions, and cross-border e-commerce channel construction to help 'Guogu' enter the global market and spread Chinese culture. ”Liu Yaqiong said. When young people hold 'guzi' in their hands and share it with like-minded friends in the 'guzi community', they not only gain the pleasure of consumption, but also the recognition of related culture. ”Lin Wei believes that the development of the "millet economy" should be based on adhering to product quality, integrating China's unique cultural attributes, and promoting China's transformation from a "millet" consuming country to a "millet" creating country, adding vitality to the high-quality development of the cultural industry. (New Society)