People select cross-border imported goods at a free trade zone commodity experience store in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Nov 15.

Visitors choose imported food during the 2025 CIIE U-Fair Promotion Conference in Shanghai on Dec 19.

An illustration of the Black Friday shopping promotion.

Shopping for goods ahead of festive occasions has been a tradition in China, not only to gift immediate family members, but also for relatives and friends.

To celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, Zhang Ruifang, a white-collar worker in Beijing, bought some items recently — including Chilean cherries, Norwegian salmon, French red wine and New Zealand milk — for her parents.

These were all delivered to Zhang's home in just a few days.

"Cross-border online shopping is very convenient, and the commodities seem worth the price I paid for. I also like to buy all sorts of healthcare products for my friends," she said.

Zhang is not alone in such a pursuit.

Millions of Chinese consumers have exhibited strong purchasing power for imported and foreign-brand products ahead of the Spring Festival.

The festival, experts said, has become a key driver for upgraded consumption fueled by preferential policies such as lower tariffs and an expanded list of imported goods, alongside a gradual improvement in cross-border logistics.

According to a report released by Chinese e-commerce giant JD, people aged between 26 and 35 are the main consumers of imported commodities, accounting for 45 percent of buyers, while consumers in the 46-55 age group have contributed to the fastest growth in purchases of imported products.

Personal care products, cosmetics and skin care, food and beverages, as well as maternity and infant products are the categories most favored by Chinese consumers who purchase imported goods, the report said.

While residents living in first-tier cities have become the primary purchasers of imported products, consumers in small cities have also shown a growing interest in buying such commodities, it added.

JD Cross-Border, the cross-border import e-commerce arm of JD, has kicked off the shopping carnival for the Spring Festival. This has allowed Chinese consumers to select from a wide array of foreign goods across key categories such as electronics, beauty and skin care, apparel, luxuries, food and beverage, and local specialties via cross-border online marketplaces.

China has introduced preferential policies, such as lowering import taxes and expanding the range of goods allowed to be imported, along with the expansion of domestic demand and advancements in emerging retail technologies.

Industry insiders said it is undeniable that China's cross-border e-commerce sector has been growing exponentially over the past few years, as the nation's middle and high-income shoppers are inclined to buy diversified, personalized and niche commodities.

Zhang Zhouping, a senior analyst on business-to-business and cross-border activities at the Internet Economy Institute, a domestic consultancy, said Chinese shoppers have demonstrated rising demand for diversified, personalized and niche overseas products that represent new lifestyles, and are paying more attention to the value of the products they buy.

Cross-border e-commerce has played a significant role in enriching product supply and bolstering the recovery of consumption, Zhang said, calling for greater efforts to further optimize the list of imported retail goods for cross-border online purchases.

He added that selection of products and logistics are the most important factors Chinese consumers consider while buying imported products. Cross-border e-commerce platforms that can offer diverse products at competitive prices, fast delivery and good shopping experiences will gain an upper hand amid the fierce competition.

"The penetration rate of cross-border e-commerce in smaller cities and townships has been increasing in the past few years," said Chen Tao, an analyst with internet consultancy Analysys in Beijing.

Tapping into the consumption potential and upgrading channels and services in lower-tier cities and rural areas are the key measures required to fuel a recovery in consumption in the nation, Chen said.

Cross-border online shopping via livestreaming videos — a quick way for domestic consumers to find detailed information on overseas products — has become popular among the post-1980s and post-1990s generations of shoppers, he said.

Market consultancy iiMedia Research said China's further opening-up, gradual improvement in logistics and deliveries and rising demand for imported goods will provide a big push to consumption upgrade.

Li Yanchuan, head of Amazon Global Store Asia-Pacific and Amazon Singapore e-commerce, said the cross-border shopping behavior of Chinese consumers has undergone significant changes.

"They are no longer simply purchasing low-priced commodities, but paying more attention to online shopping search experiences, the process of customs clearance, logistics and after-sales service," Li said.

He highlighted that young Chinese consumers, especially Gen Z, think and judge independently while choosing brands, and prefer to pursue niche lifestyles and personalized products.

Li said sales of fishing, skiing, camping and other outdoor sporting equipment have witnessed rapid growth, while virtual reality equipment, hand-drip coffee products, tableware and kitchen utensils with unique designs have been favored by Chinese shoppers in recent years.

Online cross-border shopping orders are still mainly being placed in the biggest cities, but residents in second and third-tier cities have shown rapidly growing purchasing power, Li added.

Meanwhile, shoppers overseas displayed strong purchasing power for Chinese-made intelligent tech products, driven by the robust growth of artificial intelligence, steep discounts and free shipping delivery services provided by e-commerce platforms.

JD said digital products such as smart robots and gaming laptops, kitchenware, AI-powered exoskeleton robots, household appliances and home furnishing products have gained in popularity among consumers abroad.

Chen Liteng, senior analyst at the Internet Economy Institute, a domestic consultancy, said with the deepening of globalization, overseas consumers are increasingly purchasing Chinese products, part of a broader shift from "made in China" to "intelligent manufacturing" and "created in China".

"Today, Chinese products are no longer confined to traditional daily necessities. Instead, they have expanded into high-tech sectors such as smartphones, electric vehicles and drones. At the same time, products that incorporate Chinese cultural elements — including hanfu, cultural and creative goods, and traditional handicrafts — are also becoming popular in international markets."

Chen Liteng noted that this trend is driven by multiple factors. First, China's manufacturing sector has undergone sustained upgrading, leading to marked improvements in product quality and innovation capacity. In addition, well-developed industrial ecosystems and highly efficient supply chains have given Chinese products advantages in terms of stability and cost competitiveness, while cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress have made it significantly easier for Chinese goods to reach global consumers.

"The growing popularity of products featuring traditional Chinese cultural elements overseas has, in turn, strengthened cultural confidence at home and stimulated a surge in cultural consumption, creating new growth drivers in the domestic market. As Chinese brands gain recognition in international markets, domestic consumers' confidence in and identification with homegrown brands also increase, with this sense of brand confidence translating directly into stronger purchasing intent," he added.

Pan Helin, a renowned economist and a member of the Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, which is part of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said: "Chinese products have long been favored by global consumers for their strong value for money. The Spring Festival shopping season, which features one of the most concentrated discounts of the year, further amplifies this appeal."

At the same time, domestic consumers are increasingly purchasing products from around the world. By bringing a wider range of global goods — especially distinctive and specialty products — into the domestic market, retailers are able to broaden consumer choice, strengthen purchasing motivation and, in turn, stimulate consumption, he added.

Contact the writers at lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn