Perhaps in a few years, the 'Spring Festival goods' in supermarkets will be completely forgotten by people. This Spring Festival, Shen Hao, who lives in Wuhan, still did not go to the supermarket to buy New Year goods. This is the third consecutive 'simplified' Spring Festival he has experienced since just graduating. Of course, apart from not following his parents to the supermarket to pick out favorite snacks and household items as he did as a child, the daily routines of the New Year's Eve dinner, red envelopes, and the Spring Festival Gala are still not missing. There are many young people like Shen Hao, and the childhood favorite activity of going to the supermarket on New Year's Eve is now omitted due to various factors. Moreover, the impact of the internet has also reduced the interest of the older generation in going to supermarkets for New Year goods. The repeated pandemic, the popularity of online shopping channels, and the younger consumer base have all become the real culprits behind the fact that supermarkets are no longer crowded during the Spring Festival. Based on the above phenomena, this article attempts to explore three questions: 1. In 2022, do people still have the habit of going to supermarkets to buy New Year goods? 2. Over the years, what changes have taken place in the way New Year goods are purchased? 3. In the end, who is competing with supermarkets for the New Year goods business?

The 'Neglected' Supermarket "Remember to go to the supermarket and buy two packs of cigarettes for your uncle," Shen Hao's first New Year after starting work was still the same as usual, spending it with his parents, and on the first day of the new year, he began visiting relatives everywhere. In the past three years, perhaps because he has grown up, Shen Hao has become less interested in stocking up on New Year goods at the supermarket. Buying two packs of cigarettes for his uncle, who also lives in Wuhan, is the only interaction Shen Hao has with the supermarket during the New Year. And cigarettes seem to have become one of the most sought-after items among the many 'New Year goods' in supermarkets. However, facing the empty cigarette counter, Shen Hao seemed a bit at a loss. He originally wanted to buy his uncle his favorite brand, Huanghelou (Soft Zhenpin), priced at 65 yuan per pack, but was told by the supermarket salesperson that it was already sold out. (Photo: Qiqupai) Afterwards, Shen Hao visited all the nearby supermarkets, including Wushang and Zhongbai, and the results were similar: popular products in the 400 to 800 yuan price range were already sold out, and some supermarkets only had the Huanghelou 1916 series left. Similar to cigarettes, alcohol products also saw high demand. According to the sales guide, popular liquors such as Tianzhilan, Baiyunbian, and Wuliangye continued to sell well. Cigarettes and alcohol remain the top choices for gifts when visiting relatives during the New Year. In contrast, fruit gift boxes are not as favored by consumers. For example, cherries, which have become a must-have gift for home visits during the New Year, have seen their prices rise again this year. As a major importer of cherries, China previously absorbed 90% of Chile's cherry exports. However, statistics show that the proportion flowing into China has dropped to 70% this year. The decrease in production is one factor, and the repeated pandemic has further increased the already cumbersome import process. The significant slowdown in customs clearance, increased epidemic prevention costs, and freight costs have all contributed to the final cost of cherries. According to statistics, during the Spring Festival, the price of cherries on the market rose by at least 30% compared to early January. Before that, due to the delayed harvest season of Chilean cherries, cherry prices had been falling before 2022, once reaching about 30 yuan per jin, giving consumers hope of achieving 'cherry freedom.' Now that prices have quietly risen again, coupled with the uneven quality of products on sale, the market's 'cherry fever' has begun to cool down. Qiqupai (jioupai) visited the local Aeon supermarket in Wuhan and found that the prices of imported cherries (JJ) 5KG gift boxes and (JJJ) 5kg gift boxes reached 399 yuan and 599 yuan, respectively. (Cherry freedom is still hard to achieve | Photo by Qiqupai) On the online channel JD.com, the price of imported cherries (JJJ) 5kg gift boxes also reached 499 yuan, an increase of 100 yuan compared to early January. According to the Aeon supermarket sales guide, cherry sales during this Spring Festival were not as good as in previous years, and consumers preferred bulk and 2.5kg gift boxes. The best-selling imported cherry (JJ) 2.5kg gift box was priced at 218 yuan, with daily sales reaching 50 boxes, and supply often fell short of demand. In addition to cherries, sales of strawberry and wogan gift boxes were also unsatisfactory, showing that the repeated pandemic has had a huge impact on imported fruits. The news that imported fruits such as dragon fruit had tested positive also once caused consumer concerns. Moving to the traditional New Year goods area, compared to the hard-to-find cigarettes and alcohol and the rush for fruits, snacks, milk, and tea performed poorly. (Deserted traditional New Year goods | Photo by Qiqupai) According to observations, on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year at the local Aeon supermarket in Wuhan, only dozens of customers were shopping in the tea and milk areas. Despite many brands offering discounts and promotions, the final results were not satisfactory. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce's official website, during the seven days from New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month in 2021, national key retail and catering enterprises achieved sales of about 821 billion yuan, an increase of 28.7% compared to the Spring Festival Golden Week in 2020 and 4.9% compared to 2019. Now, in the somewhat lackluster supermarket New Year goods shopping scene, it can be foreseen that the offline retail industry's control over New Year goods is declining.

The Once 'Crowded' Supermarket Shen Hao began to miss the fireworks on New Year's Eve at some point. When the New Year bell rang, he sat in front of the TV with his parents. While listening to the countdown of the Spring Festival Gala, they ate piles of snacks bought from the supermarket and watched the brilliant fireworks outside the window. But on New Year's Eve in 2022, he spent it chatting with friends in front of the computer. At the end of 2013, the newly revised 'Wuhan Regulations on the Safety Management of Fireworks and Firecrackers' was officially promulgated and implemented. This meant that the seven major urban areas of Wuhan, including Jianghan District and Wuchang District, would completely ban the setting off of fireworks and firecrackers. On New Year's Eve in 2014, when the New Year bell rang, what greeted Shen Hao was silence outside the window. And Shen Hao's only remaining joy during the Spring Festival was going to the supermarket to stock up on New Year goods. In fact, in the past, whether it was young people returning from other places or middle-aged people who had been busy all year, everyone looked forward to a supermarket 'sweep' to wash away the dust of the year. This 'expectation' can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, when the prototype of New Year goods was preparing dumpling wrappers and meat filling to make a sumptuous dumpling dinner. By the Song Dynasty, with developed maritime trade and frequent commercial exchanges, the forms of purchasing New Year goods began to diversify, with more products and shopping scenarios. It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that the emergence of New Year fairs gave the purchase of New Year goods a true New Year flavor, and this was the predecessor of buying New Year goods in supermarkets. In the 1980s, although the problem of food and clothing had not yet been completely solved, and most families were still living on a tight budget, the Spring Festival was still a rare time of enjoyment throughout the year. In 1982, the Zhenjiang Daily published a notice about New Year goods, showing that commodity supply was still in the era of food stamps. The New Year goods people stocked up on mainly included sesame oil, liquor, white sugar, and candies and pastries. (Image source: Internet) At that time, whether it was butcher shops, vegetable markets, or grocery stores, they were all scenes of bustling crowds. The earliest prototype of going to supermarkets to buy New Year goods was the Beijing Department Store in 1978, when a huge Spring Festival couplet was hung at the entrance, and the front square was occupied by various New Year goods stalls. Adults led children, in groups, shoulder to shoulder, bustling with excitement. Since then, through the changing times, the tradition of purchasing New Year goods has been passed down. What Shen Hao remembers most is that on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, his parents would always take him to the Zhongbai Warehouse store near his home. Before that, he would plan this year's shopping list like a 'little adult.' "During the Spring Festival of my first year in junior high school, I bought more than 300 yuan of New Year goods with my mother, and the next year I thought about buying more than 500 yuan of things," Shen Hao's joy in buying New Year goods at the supermarket mainly came from the satisfaction of watching the shopping cart gradually fill up. In 1996, China's first Walmart shopping plaza was born in Shenzhen. The emergence of imported products such as cherries, pistachios, and kiwis from abroad made the variety-rich supermarket gradually replace the New Year fair as the must-go place for consumers to stock up. According to statistics, during the Spring Festival in 2006, large supermarkets accounted for 92.9% of people's main shopping places, department stores accounted for 58.6%, and online shopping only accounted for 3.8%. In that same year, fruits, candies, and nutritional health products still held the throne of 'best-selling gifts,' with the former accounting for as much as 81.4% of purchases. Unfortunately, this prosperous scene of supermarkets began to show signs of decline with the rise of the e-commerce era.

Who is Competing with Supermarkets for the New Year Goods Business? "After the fifteenth day, the vendors selling New Year goods in the city are scattered like stars," the bustling scene recorded in the book 'Customs of the Capital' is almost extinct in today's era of rampant e-commerce. Admittedly, the more real-time online channels not only deal a huge blow to supermarkets throughout the year but also gradually occupy a place during the Spring Festival, the most important festival in the eyes of Chinese people. With the continuous upgrading of mass consumption levels, survival-oriented consumption is gradually shifting to higher consumption needs. Ordering online, without queuing or worrying about transportation, and even achieving the scenario of 'gifts arriving before the person' are all advantages. Real-time and convenience have become the reasons why young people, who are gradually taking control of New Year goods purchases, prefer online platforms. From supply and marketing cooperatives and New Year fairs to department stores and large comprehensive supermarkets, and now to major e-commerce platforms, with the upgrading of demand, the main battlefield for New Year goods has also undergone subtle changes. In fact, since Taobao announced the first New Year Goods Festival at the end of 2016, major department stores and supermarkets should have sensed a crisis. (Chart by Qiqupai) Subsequently, JD.com, Amazon, and Pinduoduo entered the market and gradually divided up the majority of the share of the New Year goods market, which is still in its growth phase. As consumption scenarios shift online, the 'new tricks' of New Year goods are also increasing. The once popular fruits and candies have begun to fall out of favor, replaced by nuts and roasted seeds that emphasize taste and health. According to relevant data, in 2017, nut snacks became a key consumption category in the market. Their sales on Taobao and JD.com accounted for 47.2% and 22% of total sales, respectively. In contrast, candy sales declined year after year. This also contributed to the success of snack brands like Three Squirrels, which started online. During the 2016 Taobao New Year Goods Festival, Three Squirrels achieved an astonishing 500 million yuan in sales in just five days. At the same time, items such as clothing, 3C electronic products, and even travel products have been included in the scope of New Year goods purchases. Traditional New Year goods such as fruits from South China, tea from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and aged vinegar from Shanxi have also enjoyed a second spring on the platforms, becoming 'national trends' in the eyes of consumers. The ability to buy foreign goods across borders and local specialties, combined with the combination of technology and New Year flavor, is one of the important reasons why online platforms are gradually defeating offline supermarkets. Another major reason should be attributed to the supermarkets themselves: limited business hours and soaring prices during the Spring Festival. Shen Hao's classmate Chen Kai returned to Wuhan from another place on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month this year. At the same time last year, he planned to go to the supermarket near his home to buy some New Year goods for his parents, but encountered the supermarket closing early. This year, Chen Kai learned his lesson and ordered online in advance. While still on the train, he received a text message and successfully picked up his 'New Year goods' at a courier station near his parents' home. Returning home with a year of fatigue, more young people are adopting this method to fulfill the traditional custom of the Spring Festival. This also includes a large number of remote orders from workers who cannot go home for the New Year. According to statistics, to cater to the needs of young people, the 2022 Taobao New Year Goods Festival lasted 18 days, Pinduoduo's New Year Goods Festival lasted 15 days, and JD.com's New Year Goods Festival lasted nearly a month, covering the important time node of New Year's Eve. (Table by Qiqupai) According to platform data, the volume of 'remote orders' sent to non-residential addresses increased by 30% year-on-year, and the number of 'filial piety orders' nationwide exceeded 3.5 million. The homesickness of young people has been resolved on the internet, a service that offline supermarkets find hard to match. According to a report released by CBNData, 86% of young consumers chose online e-commerce to purchase New Year goods. And online is far from being the exclusive domain of young people. "Do you know how much garlic sprouts cost per jin this year? 12 yuan," Zhang Hui, who had just returned from the vegetable market, complained to her neighbor about the 'ridiculous' prices at the vegetable market and supermarket during the Spring Festival. In 2020, when the pandemic hit Wuhan, Zhang Hui learned to order groceries online under her son's guidance. Now, she has applied this skill to purchasing New Year goods. "After using the coupon, garlic sprouts only cost 6.5 yuan per jin, nearly half the price," after careful comparison, Zhang Hui found that online platforms have a clear advantage over offline supermarkets in vegetable prices, especially for vegetables. Not only that, she also bought nut gift boxes, milk, snack packs, and other New Year goods in advance, preparing for visiting relatives during the New Year. In previous years, buying meat and vegetables, preparing gifts for relatives, and household items often left Zhang Hui exhausted. With rigid prices and business hours, and outdated consumption scenarios, going to the supermarket to buy New Year goods seems to have become an empty shell, inheriting the thoughts of the older generation.

In Conclusion: In recent years, offline retail supermarkets seem to be declining day by day. The sluggishness during the Spring Festival New Year goods period may be just one microcosm. Of course, as one of the main places for purchasing New Year goods, supermarkets still have their reason to exist. According to data from iiMedia Research, in 2021, 71.4% of consumers who spent the New Year away from home purchased New Year goods at large comprehensive supermarkets, and 71.7% of consumers who returned home for the New Year did so at large comprehensive supermarkets. Among those who still insist on choosing offline supermarkets, most expressed the view that 'only by shopping together during reunions can you feel the New Year flavor.' Admittedly, with the rise of online channels, platforms have provided the greatest convenience in the way New Year goods are purchased. At the same time, it has also caused a trade-off, with the New Year flavor dissipating. It can be foreseen that, just like the pre-made New Year's Eve dinner that became popular this year, restaurants are still difficult to completely replace. Similarly, the number of people buying New Year goods in supermarkets may not be as crowded as in previous years, but as long as the concept of 'reunion' does not disappear, supermarkets will not disappear from the scene of New Year goods purchases. Source: Qiqupai (ID: jioupai) Author: Heijialun References:

  1. 'The 40-Year History of New Year Goods: Every Decade, Chinese People Change the Way They Buy New Year Goods' Consumer Report; 2. 'The Evolution of New Year Goods: From North to South, 'Up to the City, Down to the Countryside'' Daozong Youli; 3. 'The Evolution of New Year Goods: From Dumplings to National Trends, A Flowing Consumption Feast' DoNews; 4. 'My Homesickness Was Amused by the Internet' Bullet Finance; 5. 'Sales Prices Jump, 'Cherry Freedom' This Spring Festival Is a Bit Uncertain' China Business News.

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