Consumption surges as Spring Festival approaches

"The supermarket is full of festive vibes," said Ms. Zhang who shopped at the Shijingshan branch of Yonghui Superstores in western Beijing, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "With bright decorations and shelves packed with all kinds of goodies for the Spring Festival, it truly feels like the Chinese New Year is around the corner!"

To celebrate the upcoming festival, Chinese retailer Yonghui Superstores has launched its 2026 Spring Festival Goods Festival, offering a wide variety of seasonal fruits and festive ingredients that blend global flavors with local specialties.

People shop for festive goods at a Yonghui store in Beijing. [Photo courtesy of Yonghui Superstores]

According to Yonghui, Chilean cherries, red strawberries and domestic blueberries are the highlights in the fruit section. The meat and vegetable sections cater to customers seeking quality fresh-cut beef, lamb, and hot pot ingredients for their festive gatherings.

Recognizing the importance of cultural traditions, Yonghui has introduced dedicated sections for festive goods in its branches across China. These displays feature traditional essentials like Spring Festival couplets, "Fu" characters, lanterns, Chinese knots, and red packets, alongside creative IP-branded merchandise that are already attracting younger customers.

Business is also booming at the Bairong World Trade Center, where the "New Year Goods Street" — one of Beijing's popular wholesale markets — has seen a surge in sales since mid-January. Year of the Horse-themed decorations are flying off the shelves, with vendors now offering convenient packaging and online shopping options, making it easier for customers to order festive goods for home delivery.

The "New Year Goods Street" at the Bairong World Trade Center in Beijing, Feb. 5, 2026. [Photo by Chen Xinyan/China.org.cn]

To further support this growing trend in consumer spending, the Ministry of Commerce recently announced a nine-day shopping campaign. This will run during the Spring Festival holiday to further boost consumption across various sectors. Dining, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping and entertainment will benefit from this campaign scheduled to begin Feb. 15 and conclude on Feb. 23.