Spring Festival on the Ground | Why is New Year shopping so lively?

In the farmers’ market, red lanterns hang high, while the aroma of roasted nuts, salty cured meats, and sweet fresh fruits intertwine and fill the air, as vendors’ calls echo one after another.

In the home appliance store, slogans like “2026 Old for New ‘National Subsidy’ Continues” scroll across the screens, as families carefully select and purchase their New Year’s appliances.

Inside the gold shop, young people decisively “snap up” their long-desired pendants, rewarding themselves after a busy year…

In 2026, the vibrant New Year market blends traditional charm with modern vitality, with quality living and beneficial policies resonating together, sketching a new picture of Spring Festival consumption.

The festive atmosphere rises, and the streets are filled with the strong scent of the New Year.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, the Daguan Zhuanxin Farmers’ Market in Kunming, Yunnan Province, is already bustling with activity, with the smell of fireworks and food filling the alleys before the New Year’s flavor even arrives.

Consumers select beef jerky at the farmers’ market. People’s Daily reporter Cai Shujing photographed.

“Zhuanxin isn’t the cheapest market in Kunming, but after browsing around, you can find everything you need.” Fifty-year-old Wang Yingchun said as she entered the market, her eyes fixed on various “specialty” goods. She carefully selected items, aiming to pack authentic New Year flavors into her bags to bring home.

Wang Yingchun and her husband are from Yiliang County, Zhaotong City. They have worked in Kunming for over twenty years, raising their two children. In 2025, she and her husband bought a new house and became neighbors with relatives who had moved to Kunming earlier. This Spring Festival, the whole family gathers at their new home to celebrate a reunion in the warm Spring City.

She walks straight to the roasted nuts stall at the entrance, reciting her shopping list: “Pine nuts, macadamia nuts, roasted sunflower seeds, dried sweet potatoes, cashews, walnut kernels—two jin each.” But there are nearly ten varieties of pine nuts alone. The vendor smiles and hands her a handful of original-flavor large pine nuts: “Try these first, and pick what you like.”

“No wonder this is a ‘net-famous’ market—tourists from other places come here especially. It really has everything.” Wang Yingchun sighs. Located in the city center, Zhuanxin Farmers’ Market has long been a popular spot on social media. After multiple upgrades and renovations, it hosts not only daily fresh produce but also various snacks, Yunnan specialties, and even a café in the market. With over 600 stalls and nearly 50,000 visitors daily, and over 100,000 during holidays, its nearly 20 hours of operation showcase the lively fireworks of “a life called Yunnan.”

A few steps away, the sour aroma from the pickled vegetables stall at Dianwei adds to Wang Yingchun’s interest. Dali-style乳饼 (milk cakes), square-shaped and slightly yellowish, along with over fifty varieties of pickled vegetables in bright jars. “Give me a piece of牛乳饼, fried or steamed with ham—my grandson loves this. And two bottles of oil-cooked matsutake—seal them tight, and take them for the kids after the New Year.” She picks and discusses her family’s preferences.

“Pickled chicken feet! Lemon, galangal, spicy, non-spicy—if you don’t like it, don’t pay!” The vendor’s shout draws Wang Yingchun’s attention again, and she picks up two more boxes of pickled chicken feet. Mr. Du, the vendor, came to Kunming from Qujing ten years ago to start his business, relying on his good flavors to establish himself in Zhuanxin. “Usually, I sell over 200 kilograms a day, but during the New Year period, it’s nearly 600 kilograms daily. It’s hard work, but it’s true happiness.” Now, with convenient logistics, “nationwide home delivery” is standard at market stalls, and his loyal customers span across the country.

As evening falls, Wang Yingchun, carrying a bag full of New Year’s goods, already plans her chores at home: marinate the pork for crispy pork, soak the rice cakes in a large barrel, and let the beef jerky dry for a few more days… Passing the couplet stall at the market entrance, she carefully chooses a pair of spring couplets and a few bright red “Fu” characters, adding more festive flavor.

Most of the passersby around her are like her—carrying New Year’s goods, walking hurriedly, but their faces are full of smiles. The bags are filled with authentic flavors and symbolize the simplest care among loved ones.

New Quality, More Benefits—“Renewed” Consumption Is the Right Time

As the Spring Festival approaches, many consumers are busy buying household appliances. Tao, a resident of Yange Garden Community in Qixia District, Nanjing, is one of them. He specifically bought a new TV for his family.

“Our 55-inch old color TV has been used for over ten years. The picture often freezes, and the clarity isn’t good enough,” Tao said. “The Spring Festival is coming, and my grandchildren will be back for winter break. They need to watch TV.”

He calculated: “With the new round of ‘national subsidy’ at 15%, plus store and manufacturer promotions, that 75-inch TV that originally cost over 8,000 yuan can save more than 2,000 yuan. Plus, the old TV removal subsidy of 100 yuan, the final price is only about 5,600 yuan—really a good deal.”

“Replacing small capacity with large, upgrading through exchange, and switching to smart appliances from traditional ones are the new trends in home appliance consumption,” said Zhang Lì, deputy store manager of a major electronics retailer on Daming Road, Nanjing. Since January, sales of TVs, freezers, refrigerators, and other large appliances have increased by over 100% year-on-year, a significant growth.

In addition to large appliances, sales of 3C products have also surged recently. The new round of “national subsidies” continues to support older models but has expanded the scope of supported products to include “digital and smart devices,” such as smartwatches, smart glasses, and aging-friendly home products, which are now eligible for subsidies for the first time.

A customer shops for laptops in the 3C section of the electronics store. People’s Daily reporter Jiang Nan photographed.

In the 3C brand area, sales staff are busy helping customers apply for subsidies, while Mr. Xie patiently waits for assistance in setting up his new device. “My son took advantage of the ‘national subsidy’ to replace my old phone with a new one. He’s even going to teach me how to use it tonight!” Mr. Xie said with a smile.

With the Spring Festival shopping season in full swing, various regions are stepping up efforts to boost consumption and benefit the people—distributing shopping subsidies, hosting special events, and continuing to promote the exchange of old for new, all to stimulate market potential and benefit consumers.

Fu Yifu, a special researcher at the Bank of Jiangsu, believes that the primary effect of local initiatives like subsidies for old products and shopping gift packages is to lower the threshold for consumption, stimulate residents’ willingness to buy, and precisely release both essential and improved consumption needs, which will effectively drive growth.

“Self-love” and “Joy”—Releasing Emotional Consumption Potential

In December, as the New Year’s flavor deepens, a jewelry store in a Beijing mall is warm and lively, with customers browsing for gold jewelry, including many young people.

Li, a “post-90s” worker in Beijing, arrived early to buy a Year of the Horse gold pendant. “I saw a small horse pendant with a coin charm online, and I came to see it in person and try it on. I don’t usually buy jewelry, but for the New Year, I want to treat myself after a busy year.”

The store staff shows Li the pendant, helping him try it on, and explains to the reporter: “This year, small jewelry pieces with ‘self-joy’ and ‘good luck’ meanings have been selling well, especially simple and elegant styles favored by young customers.”

When asked about the recent sharp fluctuations in precious metal prices, Li joked, “Gold prices go up and down, but it doesn’t matter—it’s the New Year, after all. It’s all about happiness and joy. Happiness has no price!”

For this generation of young people, the definition of New Year’s goods is quietly changing—perhaps it’s a spontaneous trip, a long-awaited concert, a gym membership, or a limited-edition milk tea, or a popular co-branded item.

Sun Yixia, an associate professor of marketing at Zhejiang University School of Management, explains that as traditional “New Year’s flavor” becomes blurred in an era of material abundance, young people are actively creating their own festive rituals with new consumption language. Every “self-joy” item behind this list is a way of constructing and expressing personal identity. The changing list reflects a profound redefinition of life priorities, emotional needs, and consumption meaning for a new generation.

“The essence of ‘self-joy’ consumption is a shift from ‘functional satisfaction’ to ‘emotional resonance,’” said Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Information and Communications Economic Expert Committee. As residents’ incomes rise and consumption concepts evolve, emotional value is becoming a core factor in decision-making, which will promote high-quality development of the consumer market. (Video shot by Liu Yingjie, Jiang Nan, Zhuang Zhibin)

Source: People’s Daily