Holiday boom
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Santa is coming in for a landing. |
Though Santa Claus has a long journey from the North Pole, his tiny models will have a much shorter trip. According to the Times, approximately 80 percent of all Christmas decorations in the world are made in China, and this year more of them will be staying here. As more people celebrate Christmas in China and the world market is offering up smaller profits, many of the giant-sized holiday decorations designed for export will be sticking around for sale in the local markets.
Reindeers more than 1.5 meters tall are stationed in front of stores in Dongjiao Market and Tian Yi commodity wholesale market. One Tian Yi shop owner named Lin said that this year's Christmas products are bigger than ever, and some cost hundreds of yuan. For example, the towering reindeer statues cost around 650 yuan each, and a 80-centimeter parachuting Santa Claus can be yours for just 230 yuan.
Haohua ban, or "deluxe version" decorations include a Christmas tree and decoration set with star-shaped gold ornaments, or a giant metal "Merry X-mas" ornament. According to Lin, these "deluxe" products sell for about 20 percent, or 10 to 20 yuan, more than nondeluxe paraphernalia.
When it comes to holiday supplies, tree ornaments are the biggest growth segment of the holiday décor industry. According to Lin, a string of different sizes of "bling beads" costs more than 75 yuan this year, 20 yuan more than it cost last year. And Lin's large-size jingle bells dusted with gold powder have increased in price from 40 yuan to 65 yuan since last year.
Most of the products in Lin's store come from Guangdong or Yi Wu in Zhejiang Province.
"The prices of raw materials like cotton cloth, iron and other metals have gone up, as well as the labor costs in southern cities, so decorations shipped to here would be more expensive, but still sales to companies and stores are good this year," said Lin.
Xu Jingjing, who owns a home décor shop on the East Fourth Ring Road, said she was going to be looking for bigger decorations this year, like the giant reindeer or a pair of crossed red and green flags that are nearly four meters. "Those are new, and they're a good deal since they're the same price as 15 tiny decorations," she said.
Expats looking for less massive or less traditional holiday wares have to look a little harder, but there are options around. An American sales manager named Lisa Smith did her holiday shopping at Wudaokou Textile Market and said, "it is really a good place to buy the decorations. It's much cheaper than other places. And there are so many different products for Christmas, like creative handmade knitting!"
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