Before boarding her flight to Shanghai in east China, Saudi tourist Fay had already planned exactly where she wanted to shop.

Saved on her phone was a curated list of Chinese brands she had discovered on social media. Instead of luxury boutiques, her itinerary featured homegrown brands such as handbag label MUVA, and she hoped to see the products in person before making a purchase.

“I came here this time specifically to shop,” Fay said while browsing handbags at the Shanghai store. “I saw these Chinese brands on social media and really liked them. I wanted to check them out one by one and buy their products.”

Fay is among a growing number of overseas visitors arriving in China with shopping lists centred on homegrown Chinese brands.

Over the past decades, the shopping baskets of international tourists in China have undergone a clear shift: once filled with traditional souvenirs like silk scarves and jasmine tea, they later gave way to budget-friendly cosmetics and digital gadgets prized for affordability and utility.

Today, however, more visitors are shopping for homegrown designer handbags, oriental fragrances and handcrafted eyewear. These products carry higher price tags, with summer collections from homegrown fashion label SHUSHU/TONG retailing for more than 2,000 yuan (about 294.6 U.S. dollars), while basic shoes from PANE, a footwear brand, start at 880 yuan. Despite the higher cost, consumers are increasingly willing to pay for distinctive designs and brand value.