Shoppers pounce as Year of the Tiger dawns

For many Chinese consumers, the annual shopping spree at the turn of the year, according to the lunar calendar, became a more flavorful experience as emerging online channels have helped transform purchasing patterns and expand shopping options.

Getting a taste of the new year through food specialties is not enough. Sales of healthy and high-quality products from across China and abroad are flying off shelves due to the convenience of e-commerce and young people's growing appetite for a green lifestyle.

With livestreaming in vogue on e-commerce platforms, China's indigenous brands also jumped on the bandwagon and raked in huge profits with products that incorporate Chinese cultural elements.

Traditional culture has come under the spotlight in the country's consumer market, as guochao, a trend translated as "China-chic", is sweeping across young groups that are obtaining stronger consumption capacity.

Industry data echoed the growth trend. During a recent online shopping festival, more than 200 Chinese time-honored brands sold their products through livestreaming, according to a report released by Taobao under e-commerce giant Alibaba. The transaction value of the flagship store of Churin Leaderfoods, selling a typical type of red sausage from northeastern Harbin, Heilongjiang province, skyrocketed during the event, while To To Kui, a catering brand known for its Cantonese dim sum, also saw its online sales soar.

"China-chic" has played an important role in the festival gift consumption trend for Generation Z, as the order volume of gift box items with Chinese cultural elements more than quadrupled, according to e-commerce giant JD.

"Fancy merchandises for Spring Festival not only bring delicacies into fashion, but also make traditional culture come alive," says Liu Jianghong, vice-head of School of Cultural Industries Management, Communication University of China. Liu adds that these festive goods are not created out of thin air, but come from old customs and people's interest.

Another trend shows that demand from young people for semifinished dishes witnessed rapid growth. Sales of such dishes jumped by over 70 percent on the Ele.me platform.

For young people who have limited cooking skills and cannot reunite with families amid uncertainties arising from COVID-19 that impeded their journeys home, these prepared cuisines are good options that meet their needs for a bumper dinner and retain a sense of ceremony.

The semifinished food industry has gained impetus from the rapid pace of modern life. China boasts more than 69,000 catering firms, whose names or business scope include quick-frozen foods, prepared food, semifinished food, ready-to-eat, and clean vegetables, according to the corporate information provider Tianyancha.

Chinese market volume of this sector topped 300 billion yuan ($47 billion) last year, while the figure is expected to exceed 830 billion yuan in 2025, according to a report by the consulting firm, New Catering Big Data.

Consumers have an eye for purchasing high-quality goods from around China, not only local commodities that used to feature an atmosphere of festivity.

Since the start of the online shopping festival, postal service for specialties saw a fast increase in both scale and frequency, and consumption enthusiasm for upscale food ingredients was ignited in rural regions. In the first week of the shopping spree, such orders grew by 30 percent year-on-year, and their proportion soared by over 50 percent from the usual levels, according to JD.

These orders came mainly from young people, who want to share good food with their parents during the special festival, according to the e-commerce platform Meituan. Among interprovincial orders, more than a quarter were for food and beverages.

On top of domestic specialties, consumer appetites for imported goods are growing.

About 1,800 livestreaming events designed for goods from Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states attracted millions of viewers and raked in nearly 100 million yuan during the online shopping festival.

Xinhua