Changes in consumption patterns and media environments have been particularly marked among men. For instance, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers can cost from 1,500 yuan to 2,000 yuan ($283), which means most young men wanting these shoes would have to scrimp and save over a considerable time to be able to afford them. But if you think that this is going to deter these male buyers, think again. They are as lustful as any bunch of young women hankering after a swanky Birkin or Hermes handbag and who will no doubt eventually find a way of buying it.

In the case of limited editions, it is not uncommon for men to preorder online or to queue to draw lots in a retail store, and to be willing to pay a hefty premium for overseas purchases.

XCin, a popular sneaker evaluation channel with more than 500,000 followers on Bilibili, a Chinese video sharing website based in Shanghai, is among many channels that targets the market populated by straight men, in which it sees almost unlimited potential.

"Men essentially want to spend money, but there are not many items on the market that they can take an instant liking to that is powerful enough for them to be able to afford to buy it, says Xu Chi, founder of XCin.

"If they've embarked on some hobby or have a particular area of interest they'll spend more. On the face of it, when it comes to consumption men seem to be very rational, but in fact it's all relative, and they're willing to pay a lot of money on things they really like."

The key to gaining the attention of such men is to give them a reason that matches their judgment of things and values, and they will then be willing to open their pockets widely.