The consumer market got off to a hot start in 2026, full of vitality! The just-concluded New Year's Day holiday, with its crowds on high-speed trains, bustling scenic spots, and smart new products in home appliance stores, all testified to the clear momentum of a "good start" in consumption in the new year, with market activity rising across the board.
On January 3, 2026, passengers traveled at Nanchang Railway Station in Jiangxi Province.
Keyword 1: Travel Boom
This "mobile China" trend has once again dominated social media. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, during the three-day New Year's Day holiday, the total number of cross-regional trips exceeded 590 million, with an average of nearly 200 million trips per day. Notably, the opening of the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway has made travel between Xi'an and Yan'an a direct one-hour journey. This surge in passenger traffic has spurred a two-way expansion of the consumer market. Xi'an's fashion trends and vibrant dining scene are extending northward, while Yan'an's revolutionary history, loess landscape, and specialty products are expanding southward. Meanwhile, self-driving travel is also booming, with new energy vehicles becoming the main mode of transportation. This trend is largely driven by the recent national subsidy policy for trading in old cars for new ones. Many families are taking advantage of the policy to purchase new cars, and self-driving tourists are using new energy vehicles to explore nearby scenic spots. Charging stations at highway service areas have become standard, also boosting the demand for charging services.
On January 1, 2026, citizens and tourists in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, welcomed the New Year.
Keyword 2: Cultural tourism is booming
Cultural and tourism consumption is rapidly shifting towards "self-indulgent experiences," with New Year's Eve spending no longer concentrated on dining and gatherings. Instead, unique activities from both the north and south are showcasing their strengths and offering a variety of highlights.
The "Tao Xue Penguin" IP at Harbin Polar Park in the north has garnered countless fans, attracting tourists from all over the country who queue up to take photos. Meanwhile, the Yunshang Grassland Ski Resort in Anji, Zhejiang, in the south is booming, fulfilling the snow-playing wishes of many southern tourists. According to data from a certain platform, winter tourism-related routes accounted for as much as 40% of popular New Year's travel routes, demonstrating a vibrant "two-way flow" in the cultural tourism market between the north and south. At the same time, "spiritual recharge" activities combining cultural connotations and leisure, such as strolling through ancient cities in Hanfu, immersive hot spring baths across cities, and hands-on intangible cultural heritage crafts, continue to dominate New Year's social media feeds. Even more exciting is the brand upgrade of Guangdong's New Year's tangerines, which have become a "top trend in auspicious culture." By combining them with floral-themed cultural and creative products, they have achieved a remarkable transformation from a traditional agricultural product to a new hot-selling item for the New Year, maximizing both the festive atmosphere and the appeal for taking photos.
Nantong, Jiangsu: Trade-in Program Boosts Home Appliance Consumption Recovery
Keyword 3: Technological Renewal
Against the backdrop of increasing external uncertainties, expanding domestic demand, especially boosting domestic consumption, has been placed in a key position. The implementation of a new round of national subsidy policies has directly ignited technology consumption. To meet consumption demand during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival holidays, the first batch of 62.5 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds for 2026 to support the trade-in of old consumer goods has been allocated to local governments. Data from a certain brand shows that during the New Year's Day holiday, nationwide store traffic increased by 110% compared to the previous period, with sales of refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, televisions, water heaters, and many other categories doubling. In terms of 3C products, sales of mobile phones and smartwatches increased by 170% and 115% respectively compared to the previous period. Consumers are now focusing on smart home appliances, with refrigerators with automatic preservation functions, air conditioners that adjust to user movement, and washing machines with precise washing and care features becoming the most popular "smart three items." In a Shanghai new energy vehicle dealership, a model with a cinema function immediately drew exclamations of "So cool!" from foreigners, demonstrating the undeniable surge in "China shopping."
With the upcoming Spring Festival consumption peak season approaching, the consumption pattern of "policy support + demand upgrading + innovation empowerment" will continue. The positive momentum of the consumer market at the beginning of the year not only lays a solid foundation for the development of the consumer market throughout the year, but also indicates that quality and experience will become the core trends of future consumption.
See you next time for Crystal Observation!
