---
title: "The Consumer Mindset Behind Lunar New Year Shopping"
description: "In 2023, as pandemic restrictions eased, Lunar New Year shopping rebounded, reflecting a shift from face-saving purchases to health-conscious, quality-driven choices. Young consumers, while nostalgic for traditional brands, are also embracing innovative, culturally resonant products, reshaping the annual ritual."
author: "湃动研究院"
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published: "2023-01-28"
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# The Consumer Mindset Behind Lunar New Year Shopping

> In 2023, as pandemic restrictions eased, Lunar New Year shopping rebounded, reflecting a shift from face-saving purchases to health-conscious, quality-driven choices. Young consumers, while nostalgic for traditional brands, are also embracing innovative, culturally resonant products, reshaping the annual ritual.

**Lunar New Year 2023**
**What New Year goods did you stock up on?**
I believe that for the vast majority of consumers today, the perception of New Year goods has moved beyond merely "saving face." From chicken, duck, fish, and meat to tea, wine, oil, sauces, northern and southern roasted nuts, candies, and dried fruits, the five-thousand-year cultural heritage of the Chinese people has turned New Year shopping into a discipline and an ever-evolving trend.
With the orderly relaxation of COVID-19 prevention policies under the "New Ten Measures" at the end of 2022, the public gradually "healed" both mentally and physically. In this favorable environment, New Year goods consumption has once again flourished.
No matter the era, New Year goods are a significant part of the festive ritual. As of New Year's Eve on January 21, the hashtag #年货 (New Year goods) on Douyin had been viewed over 13 billion times. Across major online platforms, people shared their experiences of carrying bags and bundles home for the holiday. Northern friends showed off boxes of sugar oranges and fresh lamb spine, while southern friends brought Sichuan-style and Cantonese cured meats and sausages. The unique New Year goods from across the country sparked lively online discussions.
Image from Douyin app screenshotIn fact, observing consumer behavior at special times always reveals glimpses of the times' changes. Under new circumstances, the interplay of products, markets, consumers, and merchants catalyzes different phenomena. Although buying New Year goods is an old custom, new concepts emerge every year. New Year goods are a blend of old and new, combining past stories with hopes for the new year. So, how does this year's New Year shopping differ from previous years? As the festive flavor returns, it stirs ripples in people's hearts. This article will delve into the evolution of New Year goods, popular categories, and the consumer mindset behind them, against the backdrop of the new consumption environment.

**Rapidly Evolving Modes of New Year Shopping**
From ancient times to the present, New Year goods have evolved with the times, witnessing the dramatic changes in Chinese life over millennia. As early as the pre-Qin period, New Year rituals were taking shape, laying a foundation for later development. The Han Dynasty saw specific festive foods, such as pepper and cypress wine symbolizing many children and longevity, and peach soup to ward off ghosts. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the variety of New Year goods expanded significantly. The Song Dynasty's "Wulin Old Events" includes a section on "Year-End Festivities," listing items like medicinal pastes, brocade clothing, new calendars, spring couplets, and fruits. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, dedicated markets called "year fairs" were established for commoners to purchase New Year goods.
Image from (Qing) Ding Guanpeng's "Peaceful Spring Market" (detail)After the reform and opening-up, China underwent even more rapid changes. From the lyrics of the past—"a chicken in the left hand, a duck in the right"—where New Year goods were limited to traditional products, to now including modern appliances, health supplements, and electronic gadgets, the list has expanded. In recent years, the maturity of online shopping and the rise of e-commerce platforms have further influenced how New Year goods are purchased. The channels have evolved from offline-only to a diversified model integrating online and offline.

**· Short-Video Livestreaming**
The hustle and bustle of offline markets can now be replicated in livestreams. Major short-video platforms host special events like "Buy New Year Goods" and "Visit the Year Fair," presenting a variety of Spring Festival bestsellers to consumers while adding creative twists. Livestreams have become more integrated between urban and rural areas, with each product showcasing regional and ethnic characteristics. In 2022, the "livestream dark horse" East Buy (东方甄选) chose to host a New Year goods livestream from Sanya, Hainan, featuring local specialties such as coconut juice, golden diamond pineapple, Qingbuliang (a sweet dessert drink), coconut crisps, coconut-flavored crackers, and yellow lantern chili sauce. According to Feigua data, during the livestream, East Buy topped Douyin's weekly livestream sales chart for two consecutive weeks, with sales of 299 million yuan and 249 million yuan respectively.
Moreover, short videos and livestreams have become effective channels for individuals to promote and sell their local specialties. This year, Douyin's "Mountain Goods New Year Festival" helped sell 66.47 million orders of agricultural specialties. Products like Sichuan babao oranges and Changbai Mountain ginseng can be shipped directly from their origins, ensuring quality and satisfying the festive appetites of consumers nationwide.

**· Online New Year Shopping Festivals**
With the rise of cross-border e-commerce platforms, consumers can purchase New Year goods and specialties from around the world without leaving home. Major domestic e-commerce platforms began warming up their New Year shopping festivals as early as late December. The choices on New Year shopping lists have become increasingly globalized. In December 2022, searches for "Spring Festival"-related keywords on AliExpress from users in over 200 countries and regions saw double-digit growth, with searches for "Year of the Rabbit" elements increasing by 141% compared to the previous month. Official Douyin data shows that during the 2023 Douyin Good Things New Year Festival, short videos with shopping carts accumulated 24.4 billion views, and the platform's mall scenario drove New Year goods sales up 308% year-on-year, while search scenarios drove sales up 124%. Kuaishou official data also shows that short-video orders increased by 390% year-on-year, and search transactions rose by 68%. The strong purchasing power during online New Year festivals reflects market vitality and consumer potential. Meanwhile, during the festival, e-commerce platforms like Tmall and Douyin proposed "No Break During Spring Festival," partnering deeply with logistics companies to ensure reliable delivery for merchants and consumers.

**· Offline New Retail Supermarkets**
Offline supermarket shopping for New Year goods shows that more consumers are willing to pay for brands and high quality. The path of premium, one-stop New Year shopping is gaining popularity. Recently, scenes of stocking up at Sam's Club have been flooding social media. Products like Arctic sweet shrimp and steaks have traceable origins, and Sam's supply chain stability and product development capabilities have greatly enhanced consumer brand recognition. Moreover, a single large shopping trip can cover New Year goods for the whole family, alleviating decision fatigue for some consumers.
Image from Sam's Club official video account screenshotDuring the New Year stocking period, Hema Fresh also saw a surge in health and nourishing food sales. Hema's New Year consumption data shows that from January 9 to 15, sales of king crab increased by 85.8% week-on-week, while East Star grouper and tiger grouper doubled. Gift boxes were also popular. Sun Shuo, general manager of Hema X Membership Store, introduced that gift box sales increased by 356% year-on-year, with items like the Hema Xinshen nut gift box and US select grain-fed beef gift box growing over 10 times week-on-week.

**Not Luxurious, but Definitely Healthy**
Have you noticed that in the post-pandemic era, "stability" has become the backdrop of everyone's life? Seeking stability in health is a common mindset. The same applies to product choices: consumers increasingly prefer simplicity over extravagance, valuing practicality and meeting needs over flashy appearances. In New Year goods consumption, health and quality are major trends. People cherish health more, and New Year goods lineups composed of health products have become consumption hotspots. Healthy eating concepts like less oil, no sugar, less salt, fewer additives, and pursuing natural flavors have taken root. Nuts, essential for chatting during the New Year, have been elevated to the "king of New Year goods" due to their nutritional value. Whether it's new gift packs from snack brands like Bestore (良品铺子) and Be & Cheery (百草味), or bulk dried fruits bought at fairs, they are must-haves for home and visiting relatives.
Now, consumers pay more attention to the quality of traditional health products and also follow the iteration of new health foods. According to the "2023 Douyin Product New Year Consumption Insight" by Jushu Suanshu, content related to health foods/dietary supplements saw a 268% increase in views, showing high attention, and health foods became a dark horse category. After the "New Ten Measures" were introduced, it signaled the arrival of the "immunity era." The Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022) emphasize a variety of foods for nutritional balance to enhance resistance, and more consumers are paying attention to product ingredients and quality, forming their own judgments about dietary supplements.
On the consumer side, choices are more rational and personalized. When buying health products, consumers don't just listen to catchy ads; they rationally consider their dietary structure and physical condition. On the brand side, more companies see the potential demand, such as adult milk powder, women's nutrition, and fitness foods. During Tmall's "No Break During Spring Festival," By-Health (汤臣倍健) protein powder topped the bestseller list for immunity whey protein, with the highest-selling product on Taobao receiving over 40,000 monthly orders. For the New Year, domestic infant formula brand Feihe launched its second growth curve product—Aiben premium milk powder—offering new solutions for adult self-protection and New Year gifting.
Image from Tmall's "Whey Protein Bestseller List" during the No Break period

**A New Year Style That Defies Labels**
As they grow up, for some young people, "celebrating the New Year" means increased financial burden and mental stress. There's a voice online suggesting that contemporary young people increasingly dislike the New Year, but such a sweeping conclusion is not entirely convincing. According to CBNData's "2022 Young People's New Year Trends Insight," the main consumers of New Year goods are shifting toward the younger generation, with post-90s and post-95s growing rapidly. Nearly 40% of young consumers set their New Year budget between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan, with some even reaching 10,000 yuan. Although this generation didn't grow up in an era of economic backwardness or material scarcity, "willingness to spend" doesn't simply define them; instead, they seek value for money.
Young people's New Year shopping paths are not limited to offline supermarkets. While they follow "grass-planting" trends on social platforms, many merchants find that their browsing-to-purchase conversion rates are low. They love comparing prices and are extremely savvy, but they aren't easily swayed by consumerism. In fact, when it comes to upholding traditional customs, young people show not conservatism but nostalgia. In New Year shopping, they don't completely break away; rather, they are more willing to pay for designs and sentiments that move them.
On one hand, young people's New Year consumption bears the imprint of the previous generation, influenced by childhood experiences, upbringing, and environment. Most post-90s and some post-00s still remember the jingle "This year, we don't accept gifts," and their memories of the New Year include the goodness of White Rabbit candy, Eclain sweets, and Want Want gift packs. Searching "nostalgic snacks" on Xiaohongshu yields over 20,000 posts. Young people still have a preference for the taste and packaging of old brands from their childhood. They use purchased New Year goods to materialize past memories, paying tribute to the unforgettable festive flavor in their own way.
On the other hand, young people are highly receptive to new products with national trend (guochao) styles and creative designs. Data from Xinhua Net and iiMedia Research indicate that Generation Z contributes 74% of guochao consumption, showing characteristics such as advocating traditional culture and loving retro elements. Meanwhile, brands have realized that New Year goods in the Spring Festival context need to be endowed with emotional value and cultural attributes. White Rabbit candy collaborated with Coca-Cola to launch a rabbit-themed limited gift box "Good Things Come in Pairs" (好事成兔). Snack brand Be & Cheery teamed up with guochao calligraphy artist Zhu Jingyi, leading with the "Taste of the Year" nut gift box series, targeting New Year scenarios, and launching co-branded gift boxes. JD Supermarket joined forces with the popular IP "I'm Not Fat Tiger" (我不是胖虎) and collaborated with brands like Qiaqia and Mead Johnson to create 21 exclusive gift boxes for JD Supermarket, unveiled during JD's New Year Festival.
The new force of youthful consumption is also quickly driving changes on the supply side. New Year goods brands are reinterpreting young people's hearts, trying to integrate brand value with Spring Festival emotions through youthful social symbols. At the same time, new consumer products that closely follow business trends and reflect the characteristics of contemporary youth life are flooding into New Year shopping lists, diversifying usage scenarios. With the rise of the home economy and the popularity of pre-made dishes, single-serving foods like snail noodles and self-heating hot pot, as well as craft beer, smooth fruit wine, and coffee gift boxes, have become favorites among young people. The market also offers a variety of semi-finished New Year's Eve dinners. Taobao search data shows that over 60% of users choose semi-finished New Year's Eve dinner sets priced between 198 and 558 yuan, with dishes mostly including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, spanning southern and northern regional flavors. Gift boxes typically contain eight, ten, or sixteen dishes, including well-known items like eight-treasure duck, braised pork hock, and Buddha jumping over the wall, all available in semi-finished form.
Image from Taobao screenshotSuch gift boxes, which are relatively affordable, easy to prepare, and taste as good as restaurant food, while clearly labeling flavors and portions, are indeed a worthwhile choice for young people troubled by the New Year's Eve dinner.
Clothing is as important as food. The individualistic younger generation not only needs to choose their own New Year outfits but also pays attention to dressing up their pets. Recent sales data from JD's Pet New Year Festival shows that pet New Year decorations sales increased by 115% year-on-year, and pet New Year clothing sales rose by 55%. Pet outfits are no less impressive than human ones, with hot sellers including antique-style Tang suits and Hanfu, red-flowered cotton jackets, and sweaters embroidered with rabbit patterns.
Image from Taobao screenshot

**Epilogue**
Economic changes from ancient times to the present have given rise to new ways of celebrating the New Year. From self-sufficient smallholder farming to the "year fairs" of commodity exchange, from offline shopping with big bags to online shopping across geographical boundaries, the advancement of shopping channels has provided more choices for New Year goods. Of course, as purchasing channels have changed, so have consumption concepts and attitudes toward the New Year—from satisfying basic needs to pursuing spiritual fulfillment, from the "face project" of gift-giving to reflecting on the true value of New Year goods. Finding New Year goods that are both novel and heartfelt is indeed a headache. But in fact, returning to the essence of the New Year, it's not about what you buy, but the family's hopes and blessings for the new year that are woven into the process of stocking up, feeling the arrival of spring.
No matter the era, the tradition of buying New Year goods has always revolved around family reunion, peace, and health. As a carrier of Chinese emotions and ancient culture, New Year goods always bear the warmth of family unity.


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