China News Service, Hangzhou, February 12 (Xi Jinyan and Hongkai) Shopping for new year’s goods is a “major event” for every household during the Spring Festival. During the Spring Festival, major supermarkets and agricultural wholesale markets across the country are crowded with a large number of citizens shopping for new year's goods, which is very lively. In Zhejiang, a major market province, many farmers' markets have launched New Year's goods festivals. The sales of fruits, flowers and other New Year's goods are booming, and the New Year's flavor is rich.
At the same time, with the growth of "Generation Z", in addition to traditional New Year goods such as fruits and nuts, gold jewelry, outdoor shoes and clothing, and health care products have become the "new top items" in the New Year goods list.
The traditional agricultural wholesale market is booming in both purchases and sales
The traditional agricultural wholesale market has always been a key place for people to buy new year's goods. At eight o'clock in the morning, Aunt Li and his wife took the subway from Yipeng, Hangzhou, to Xinnongdu. "It's very convenient here. The subway will be there in a moment. Every year during the New Year, we always come to Xinnongdu to buy some new year's goods."
Sauce duck, yellow croaker, etc. are popular New Year products. "Look, our flounder is white when cut..." Mr. Jiang, the owner of a shop in Xinnongdu Agricultural Wholesale Market, introduced his products to customers. Yellow croaker, croaker and other products were piled up in the store. At around 6 o'clock in the morning, he came to the store to open for business. He revealed to reporters that he has been in the dry goods business for more than 40 years and has many old customers. Customers from Keqiao and other places will come here to buy his goods.
Fruits such as cherries and dried fruits such as lychees are also best-sellers among the New Year products. Aunt Long, a citizen, bought more than 4 kilograms of dried clove lychees in one go after trying out some dried clove lychees from a store. Store owner Ms. Li said that almost all of the hundreds of thousands of boxes of dried lychees purchased this year have been sold, among which dried glutinous rice lychees and dried clove lychees are very popular with the public. Walking into the fruit street of Xinnongdu, Xinjiang Aksu apples, milk fruits, and sugar oranges are the focus of the store's stockings. As for cherries, which have been slashed in price this year, many citizens are buying them in boxes in small carts.
In a farmer's market in Hangzhou, citizens are shopping for new year's goods. Photo courtesy of Xinnongdu
The popularity of agricultural and sideline products market consumption is also reflected in the data. In January, the agricultural and sideline products market in Zhejiang Province achieved a total turnover of 47.846 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.08%. In particular, the turnover of commodities such as grains, oils, fruits, flowers, birds, fish and insects grew rapidly. For example, the monthly transaction volume of Quzhou Xinnongdu Market reached 1.701 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.75%; the transaction volume of 25 grain and oil markets reached 2.887 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 32.42%.
New trends in New Year consumption
In recent years, more and more young people prefer New Year products with stronger brands than traditional agricultural and sideline products.
The time-honored brand Yao Shengji has achieved good sales on the eve of the Spring Festival by virtue of its brand reputation accumulated over the years. In the Yao Shengji Digital Tourism Factory located in Longgang Town, Lin'an District, Hangzhou City, box transport trucks are coming in and out, and various types of roasted goods are being transported to all parts of the country. "There have been too many orders recently, and the continuous shipments every day cannot keep up with customers' demand for goods. Some customers even come to the factory to rush for goods, wanting to confirm the production progress of the products as soon as possible." Yao Shengji's sales manager said.
The relevant person in charge of Yao Shengji said that the consumption of nut gift boxes has shown a "polarization" trend between affordable and high-end. On the one hand, the discount gift boxes launched by e-commerce platforms are welcomed by consumers; on the other hand, the sales volume of high-end brand gift boxes with high prices and good quality are also increasing.
After being popularized by the athletes of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Hangzhou Sijiqing's "boom" has been online, and it has entered a peak shopping period as the Spring Festival approaches. Various stalls and shops offer special prices on the shelves full of clothes. Hangzhou Sijiqing Clothing Market is extremely popular. Customers carrying large and small bags can be seen everywhere inside and outside the market. In the center of Hangzhou, many integrated markets such as Wulin Yintai and West Lake Yintai compete to hold activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets, guessing lantern riddles, making rice cakes, and making intangible sugar paintings, thereby stimulating high-end consumption. Among them, the "dragon" zodiac economy has driven the gold consumption boom.
"Gold jewelry with 5G technology, handmade filigree, fine workmanship and other styles are especially popular among young people." Zhu Yilei, manager of the Mankalong counter of Hangzhou Wulin Yintai Department Store, said that sales increased significantly during the Spring Festival, among which the "dragon" element Sales of series of gold jewelry more than tripled month-on-month.
"Now young people born after 2000 have become the main consumers of gold." An employee of a gold jewelry store said that more and more young people are buying the "first pot of gold" on the eve of the Spring Festival. In addition to choosing their favorite New Year gifts, , I will also buy gold jewelry as a New Year gift for my family, hoping to preserve and increase its value. (over)