XIAMEN, China, Oct. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “We grew weary of life’s monotony, so we embarked on a journey to find ‘EPWK Curated Goods.’ Each selected item must pass our stringent ‘Three Goods’ standard: Good-looking, Good-to-use, and Good-surprise. We believe that truly excellent products can illuminate every ordinary day.”
EPWK (stock code: EPWK), the first Chinese concept stock in creative design on the NASDAQ Global Market, that the company will launch a Chinese and English e-commerce platform for “EPWK Curated Goods” – a creative physical product marketplace – within the next three months.
Positioned as the “Wellspring of Neo-Pragmatic Living,” EPWK Curated Goods focuses on discovering and providing creative physical products that possess a trifecta of outstanding design, practical function, and emotional resonance. Its mission is to upgrade the ordinary routine of modern consumers who pursue quality of life into an experience filled with surprise and aesthetic delight.
In an era of highly developed material supply, consumers’ basic needs are fully met. The prevailing dilemma is no longer “can I buy it?” but rather the decision-making struggle of “what is truly worthwhile?” Concurrently, a consumption tendency that prioritizes emotional value and aesthetic expression—known as “Neo-Pragmatism”—is gradually becoming the core lifestyle philosophy of the younger generation. They expect products to not only fulfill their functions but also convey attitude, inspire resonance, and serve as an extension of their personal lifestyle.
Based on this profound insight into the trend, EPWK views the launch of the EPWK Curated Goods project as a crucial strategic upgrade—transitioning from a creative service ecosystem to the direct shaping of consumer lifestyles. Specifically, the future English version marks the starting point for building a global brand ecosystem.
Xiamen EPWK Network Technology Co., Ltd. (EPWK) was founded in March 2011. It is China’s leading digital and intelligent creative transaction service e-commerce platform and the first “Chinese Crowdsourcing Platform Stock” to be listed on the NASDAQ Global Market in the United States.
As of June 30, 2024, the platform has accumulated over 25.66 million registered users. Between 2019 and June 30, 2024, a total of 4.6 million projects were completed, with Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) exceeding USD $1.67 billion.
The profound resources and brand credibility the company has accumulated in the creative service industry will provide strong support for the product selection logic and supply chain construction of “EPWK Curated Goods.”
From “Tool” to “Companion”: The Evolution of Consumer Values
In the traditional sense, “utility” focuses on a product’s basic functional attributes, with its core purpose being to solve specific problems. However, for Generation Z and Millennials, who have become the dominant consuming force, the value of goods is expanding from a single functional dimension to encompass emotional connection and aesthetic expression.
This demographic grew up in an era of rapid economic development and high internet penetration, and they are accustomed to constructing their self-identity within an environment of information overload. Built upon a foundation of material affluence, they are more eager to achieve spiritual satisfaction and identity recognition through their consumption behaviors.
Specifically, their consumer motivation is reflected in two key dimensions:
Firstly, at the level of “Emotional Utility,” the product’s role shifts from a tool to a companion. For instance, an alarm clock used merely for waking up is functionally no different in essence from a wake-up light that simulates sunrise and plays natural sounds. However, the latter offers the user a more caring experience, establishing an emotional connection that transcends mere function. This concept of “Emotional Utility” is precisely the core screening criterion for “EPWK Curated Goods.”
As Feng Mei, EPWK’s Head of Product Technology, stated, the “utility” defined by EPWK Curated Goods is not limited to the satisfaction of basic needs. She provided an example: a cup that is both ergonomically designed and equipped with a starry sky projection function on its base not only serves the physical need for drinking but also provides companionship and comfort on a spiritual level, achieving the unity of “Functional Utility” and “Emotional Utility.”
Secondly, at the level of “Aesthetic Utility,” a product’s exterior design and aesthetic expression itself become a form of social capital and status symbol. In a highly visual communication environment, high-aesthetic products not only enhance the user experience but also serve as an important medium for users to showcase their personal taste and lifestyle. For example, a cleverly designed portable coffee cup, while ensuring practicality, has an appearance that acts as a stylish accessory during the user’s daily commute, reinforcing their identity as an “urban explorer.”
The Differentiated Path of “EPWK Curated Goods”: Building Lifestyles with a Curatorial Mindset
Based on a profound insight into contemporary consumer culture, “EPWK Curated Goods” does not position itself as a generic creative product sales channel. Instead, it aims to become a trusted “Lifestyle Curator,” precisely addressing the market gap between mass e-commerce platforms and high-end concept stores.
In its positioning, “EPWK Curated Goods” explicitly rejects the industry status quo characterized by a combination of cheapness and inaccessibility. Compared to the widespread product homogenization problem found in the creative channels of large e-commerce platforms, and the prohibitive pricing of high-end design concept stores, “EPWK Curated Goods” advocates establishing a balance between the two. It focuses on providing goods that are “acceptably priced, cleverly designed, and well functional,” precisely matching the Neo-Pragmatist consumer’s comprehensive demand for quality, value, and design aesthetics.
In its model, “EPWK Curated Goods” builds a trust mechanism with “curation” at its core. Against the backdrop of information overload, user attention and trust have become scarce resources. “EPWK Curated Goods” employs a stringent screening process by a professional team, selecting products from a massive pool based on the “Three Goods” standard: Good-looking, Good-to-use, and Good-surprise. This allows users to reduce their decision-making costs, transforming the shopping process from tedious information filtering into an enjoyable discovery of inspiration. Users are choosing not just the product itself, but the aesthetic guarantee and selection professionalism provided by “EPWK Curated Goods.”
In terms of user experience, “EPWK Curated Goods” is committed to upgrading from a transactional marketplace to a source of inspiration. “EPWK Curated Goods” does not only provide product transaction functions but also guides users to re-imagine their daily life scenarios through themed and contextualized content curation—such as featured topics like “Ten Small Items to Boost Home Happiness” or “Perfect Gifts for Creative Professionals.” Under this logic, consumption is no longer the end point, but the starting point for achieving a higher quality of life and emotional satisfaction.
Core User Profile: Aligning with the Values of the “Urban Life Explorer”
“EPWK Curated Goods” defines its core user as the “Urban Life Explorer” aged 25 to 40. This demographic is primarily concentrated in first- and second-tier cities, represented by white-collar professionals, creative workers, teachers, and young managers. They generally possess good educational backgrounds and stable middle-to-higher income levels. They not only have the willingness and ability to pay for emotional and aesthetic value but also regard consumption as a crucial way to construct identity, resist repetition, and seek belonging.
In terms of identity recognition, in highly atomized urban life, individual consumption choices become a crucial way of self-definition. A designer speaker or a set of eco-friendly tableware is not merely a practical object; it is an external expression of personal taste and values. The high-quality, highly recognizable products offered by “EPWK Curated Goods” are thus becoming powerful tools for users to build and reinforce their self-identity.
In terms of emotional appeal, the fast-paced, high-pressure urban life can easily lead individuals into a state of repetition and numbness. The brand proposition, “EPWK Curated Goods, Illuminating Daily Surprises,” is precisely a response to this emotional pain point. Those products possessing the “Good-surprise” attribute, such as a starry sky projection at the bottom of a cup or a brightly colored ergonomic chair, inject novelty and poetic moments into the user’s life in small yet tangible ways.
In terms of social interaction, as KOL active on social networks, this demographic enjoys sharing and seeking like-minded individuals. The unique products sourced from “EPWK Curated Goods” can serve both as effective conversation starters in social interactions and as “non-clash” gift choices that precisely convey heartfelt intentions. Consumption behaviors rooted in shared aesthetics and values further reinforce the sense of belonging and identity within their social circles.
Neo-Pragmatism: A Rational Expression of a Lifestyle Philosophy
“Neo-Pragmatism” fundamentally represents a contemporary life attitude: rational yet warm, practical yet aesthetic. It reflects people’s legitimate desire for aesthetic experience and emotional resonance, built upon the foundation of pursuing efficiency and function.
Leveraging the profound heritage accumulated by EPWK over more than a decade in the creative ecosystem, “EPWK Curated Goods” serves as the materialized embodiment of this lifestyle attitude. “EPWK Curated Goods” does not encourage aimless consumption; rather, it advocates for a smarter, more conscious way of living, ensuring that every purchase acts as a positive vote for an ideal life and a gentle revolution against daily mediocrity.
Behind this lifestyle philosophy lies the deep synergy between “EPWK Curated Goods” and the EPWK ecosystem. As a natural strategic extension, “EPWK Curated Goods” can directly interface with the massive pool of designers and creative agencies aggregated on the platform. This not only provides a continuous source of innovation for the products but also establishes a unique “Creator Economy” loop. Simultaneously, data feedback from the consumer end will feed back into the creative platform, helping creators accurately grasp market demand, forming a closed-loop of growth that moves from creation to consumption, and then back to driving creation. This is not just product curation; it is the vivid realization of EPWK initiating a strategic upgrade with “EPWK Curated Goods,” dedicated to reimagining the Neo-Pragmatic lifestyle.
Consumers are choosing not just products with excellent designs, but the lifestyle philosophy they represent. To trust “EPWK Curated Goods” is to endorse a belief: that truly “good products,” beyond their functional attributes, should carry human emotion, express human individuality, and illuminate daily life. This is the profound logic of “Useful, and Must Be Meaningful,” and it is the new consumption philosophy that this era is jointly writing.
