AFFLUENT Chinese consumers are displaying a penchant for premium product and some are even happy to pay extra for basic items, according to new survey by McKinsey&Co.

The survey, released yesterday, said 15 percent of consumers were willing to pay more than double the average price for many products, from basic products such as toothpaste and razors to electronics such as cell phones or televisions.

High-income individuals - those with a monthly income of more than 5,000 yuan (US$731) - were in some cases willing to pay three times the average price for several personal care products, it said.

The survey said premium consumers were not confined to China's top-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing - even in tier-3 cities, high-income earners were willing to pay 4.5 times the average price for facial moisturizer.

Younger consumers tended to be especially drawn to premium products. One-third of 18- to 24-year-olds interviewed for the survey claimed they would pay 1.4 times their monthly income for the latest mobile handset model.

The consulting firm has conducted the annual Chinese consumer survey, including attitudes and shopping behavior for more than 100 different product categories, since 2005. Each survey canvasses 5,000 to 6,000 consumers.

While premium products were more sought after, the survey found brand loyalty was falling. The percentage of respondents who said they would continue to buy the brand that they currently buy dropped 25 percent for consumer electronics and 53 percent for food and beverage products from the previous year, the report said.