Chinese New Year Shopping-Trends

According to a recent survey, more than 90% of respondents plan to purchase New Year’s goods this year, with the majority having a 501-2000 CNY budget. The survey also found that “buying health” has become the primary trend in purchasing New Year’s goods and giving gifts. Respondents listed nutrition, health care products, and traditional New Year goods such as snacks, nuts, drinks, fresh fruits, and meat as their top choices.

Consumers are paying more attention to the health factors of these products, such as whether they are purely natural, non-additive, sugar-free or low-sugar, non-fried, or zero fat and zero calories. The ongoing pandemic has accelerated the awakening of consumers’ health awareness, and people’s demand for nutrition and health preservation has also gradually increased.

Quality Remains a Priority

Quality is still a core demand for consumers, and many choose to buy goods both online and offline. Online e-commerce platforms (mainly Taobao, JD, Douyin, and Pinduoduo), instant retail platforms (Meituan), and community group buying (Wechat) have become the main purchase channels for New Year’s goods. Businesses are expected to pay more attention to the development of online markets in the future. Product quality, price, whether the product is healthy and convenience are the main factors that affect consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Pre-prepared Meals Emerge as a Popular Choice for New Year's Eve Dinner

Pre-prepared dishes have also become a new favorite for New Year’s Eve dinner, with 26.91% of surveyed users choosing to buy them. Offline supermarkets and online platforms have seen a sharp increase in orders for pre-prepared dishes. China’s pre-prepared dishes market reached 419.6 billion CNY in 2022, with a year-on-year increase of 21.3%, and it is expected to maintain a high growth rate in the future.

Zodiac and China-Chic Elements Drive Popularity in New Year Product Trends

The recent survey data indicates that most respondents intend to purchase “Spring Festival Exclusive” New Year products, with a preference for those featuring traditional Chinese elements, China-Chic style, and Chinese zodiac elements. It is worth noting that these products, which incorporate China-Chic and Zodiac elements, have experienced a significant price increase. Despite this, most respondents are willing to pay more for these exclusive products as they perceive them to convey New Year’s wishes.