The Ministry of Commerce introduces four major characteristics of the Spring Festival consumption market in 2026

Li Qiangqiang

People’s Daily Beijing, February 26 (Reporter Qiao Yeqiong) - On February 26, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce, spokesperson He Yongqian introduced that this year’s Spring Festival consumer market was rich in festive atmosphere, lively, and full of vitality, showing the following characteristics:

1. Offline consumption was full of festive spirit. During the nine-day Spring Festival holiday, from urban commercial districts to rural markets, “Happy Shopping for the New Year” was warm and lively. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that during the holiday, the average daily sales of key retail and catering enterprises nationwide increased by 5.7% compared to the same period last year, with the growth rate up by 1.6 percentage points; the foot traffic and sales volume of 78 monitored pedestrian streets (commercial districts) increased by 6.7% and 7.5%, respectively.

2. Service consumption burst with vitality. During this year’s Spring Festival, many regions launched unique temple fairs, spring lantern exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage activities, which significantly boosted travel, theater, and movie consumption. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that ice and snow tourism and cold-weather escape consumption on key platforms increased by 12.1% and 29.8%, respectively, and car rental platform orders increased by 51% compared to last year’s holiday.

3. Technology, traditional customs, and Chinese trends gained popularity. During the Spring Festival, green smart products and AI-based shopping and dining became the choices of more and more people, with “tech New Year goods” gaining favor. During the holiday, sales of smart glasses and embodied intelligent robots on key platforms increased by 47.3% and 32.7%, respectively. Traditional Chinese style and cultural elements also became popular among young people, with well-known Chinese brands and “Year of the Horse” cultural and creative products continuing to sell well.

4. Incoming tourism continued to heat up. During the holiday, many foreign tourists visited China for sightseeing and shopping, deeply experiencing the unique charm of “Shopping in China.” Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that orders for inbound tourism products on key platforms increased by 18.4% year-on-year, and the sales of tax refund services in Shanghai and Sichuan increased by 1.5 times and 3.2 times, respectively.