Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Yiwu, the renowned small commodities hub in East China's Zhejiang Province, is aiming for a strong start to 2026, offering a revealing glimpse into China's evolving consumer landscape - particularly in the lead-up to the Spring Festival. As one of the world's largest distribution centers for everyday goods, Yiwu's Spring Festival market serves as a microcosm of broader trends, blending traditional cultural symbols with contemporary retail strategies. 

According to Yiwu Fabu, as the Spring Festival draws near, vendors and producers in the city have unveiled many new items. 

Among the standout products this year are novelty items featuring the horse zodiac sign, which have quickly captured consumers' attention. Ranging from blind boxes to figurines and keychains, these products often feature the auspicious "Chinese red," a color symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. 

A horse-shaped doll with a mistakenly sewn mouth recently became an unexpected best-seller in China. First, this product underscores a trend in the Spring Festival market: consumers are increasingly willing to pay for products that offer emotional value, rather than merely functional utility. 

Second, China's Spring Festival market holds immense potential, fueled by a large and diverse consumer base. The challenge for businesses is not a lack of market space, but the need for high-quality, innovative products that align with the evolving demand of consumers.

Third, the impact of digital platforms and e-commerce is increasingly significant. Online retail has become a key channel for reaching a broad audience, particularly younger consumers, gradually reshaping how seasonal products are marketed and sold.

Yiwu's thriving Spring Festival market has created substantial opportunities for imported goods. In 2025, imports through the city grew by an impressive 32.3 percent year-on-year. With Yiwu's extensive logistics, retail, and e-commerce infrastructure, products from around the globe are increasingly making their way into China's holiday market, enabling international brands to capitalize on the growth of the country's festive economy.

Yiwu offers just one glimpse into China's expansive Spring Festival goods market, which is revealing emerging trends that continue to unlock consumption potential. The growth of cross-border e-commerce and the implementation of measures to facilitate imports have fueled Chinese demand for a wider range of foreign products, presenting new growth opportunities for international businesses.

Amid an overall consumption upgrade, China's Spring Festival goods economy is seeing growing demand for high-quality products. Imported items such as fresh fruits, nuts, meats, and seafood are expected to reach a consumption peak during the Spring Festival. Certain imported goods are gaining increasing popularity, helping drive import growth and allowing international businesses to share in the market's benefits.

Fuzhou Customs in East China's Fujian Province has opened a green channel for imports to ensure the efficient entry of seafood, fruits, and other foreign goods. The local port received shipments including squid from Sri Lanka, shrimp from Ecuador, and scallops from Malaysia, all imported through this channel, according to recent local media reports.

Another example is found in East China's Shandong Province, where imported beauty products and other Spring Festival goods are rapidly clearing customs and reaching domestic consumers. In the roughly 10 days following January 1, Yantai Customs inspected and cleared more than 34,000 items imported through cross-border e-commerce, maintaining stable growth.

Cross-border e-commerce is also playing an increasingly important role in the Spring Festival goods market, accelerating the entry of overseas products into China's Spring Festival shopping season, while boosting exports of high-quality Chinese products to more foreign markets during the holiday season.

Northwest China's Gansu Province has launched an online Spring Festival goods shopping festival in recent days. Last year, the event achieved average daily online retail sales growth of 6.2 percent year-on-year.

China's Spring Festival goods market holds considerable potential, supported by a large and diverse consumer base. Emerging trends, such as the growing focus on emotional value in product selection, are influencing consumer behavior. This provides opportunities for both domestic and international businesses to meet the increasing demand for high-quality products.

Yiwu serves as a microcosm of these developments, offering insights into the broader trends shaping the market. As a global hub for small commodities, Yiwu highlights the evolving dynamics of China's festive economy and the opportunities it presents for international companies.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn