(Yicai Global) Feb. 14 -- China's 220 million unmarried consumers could pave the way for future consumption trends in the world's second-largest economy, according to a recent Sinolink Securities research report.

Some 15 percent of the population was single as of 2017, the Chengdu-based firm said. Most unwed consumers earn between CNY6,000 (USD888) and CNY8,000 a month and shop willingly as they are free from the economic pressures of marriage, allowing them to prioritize self-satisfaction and not worry about running up an overdraft, according to the report.

Young singletons are most willing to spend on convenience, entertainment and self-improvement, the data shows, with corner shops and take-out restaurants as their preferred merchants.

These consumers are more influenced by key opinion leaders on social media, which are important marketing tools for brands, according to the report. They also have high requirements that boost the cosmetics, tourism, small appliances, pet and vocational education sectors, and turn to e-sports and short videos for non-material consumption.

This provides opportunities for the likes of China's app for everything Meituan-Dianping, video sharing website Bilibili and pet supplies provider Petpal, Sinolink said, advising these listed firms hone in on young, single consumers. There are also openings for companies looking to go public, like snackmaker Three Squirrels, the report added.

"Many consumer goods companies' revenues and profits qualify them for a stock market listing, thanks to young people's spending power," said Tang Chuan, a Sinolink researcher. "More and more IPOs are coming to the consumer goods sector."

"The single economy already exists in the US, Europe, Japan and South Korea," Tang added, saying China's consumer sector will become much more similar to Japan's. The population will keep concentrating in large cities, and more and more people will choose to be single, he said.

Editor: James Boynton