This Spring Festival, the malls in Baoshan District were buzzing with festive cheer, featuring a series of exciting themed events that sparked enthusiasm for shopping and leisure among residents and visitors. The festive spirit lit up the city, and the consumer market in the Year of the Snake kicked off with a strong start.

According to sample data from the Baoshan District Commission of Commerce, during the seven-day Spring Festival from January 28 to February 3, 2025, key shopping complexes and commercial enterprises recorded total sales of 240 million yuan, an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Specifically, 11 shopping complexes generated 208 million yuan in sales, up 21.5% (with a 7.6% increase after excluding two newly opened complexes last year). Supermarkets contributed 41.14 million yuan in sales, a 30% rise. The restaurant industry achieved 6.24 million yuan in sales, up 29.9%, and cinemas saw 8.87 million yuan in sales, a 47.3% jump.

Crowded Plaza

During the holiday, Baoshan’s major commercial districts, shopping streets, and malls capitalized on the festive shopping trends by offering a range of discounts and Spring Festival-themed activities. These areas became popular destinations for relaxation, gatherings, and entertainment, pushing sales to new heights. For example, BaoLand Mall saw sales soar by over 70% compared to the 2024 Spring Festival, with foot traffic more than doubling, while Baoyang PowerLong recorded a sales growth of over 40%.

Sam’s Club, Freshippo, and Aldi in Baoshan were decked out in festive decorations, offering Spring Festival-themed products, special gift boxes, and fresh produce to meet market demand. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, January 28, Baoshan Sam’s Club recorded a sales increase of more than 50% year-on-year.

Offline Sales Surge

Thanks to consumer subsidy policies, the market for home appliances and 3C products kicked off strong in the Year of the Snake, fueling a “New Year upgrade” consumption trend. During the holiday, 13 mobile phone and digital stores including Huawei, Xiaomi, and China Unicom in Baoshan saw 4.43 million yuan in sales, a 29% increase compared to the previous year.

The Spring Festival also saw a surge in cinema attendance, with major film screenings drawing huge crowds. The six cinemas, including China Film Cinema, CGV, and Wanda Cinema, generated 8.87 million yuan in sales, with a 13.7% increase compared to last year.

During the festival, many restaurants introduced limited-time group buys and special festival menus. Commercial complexes such as BaoLand Mall, Paradise Walk, and Wanda Plaza Baoshan attracted crowds with new dining options and discounts. Popular restaurants like One Fifth and MerryLin in Shanghai Sea World saw total revenues surpassing one million yuan.

Spring Festival Celebrations

This year marks the first Spring Festival since China’s successful application for its UNESCO heritage status, and non-material cultural heritage became a key theme in promotional events. Local businesses embraced the Spring Festival celebrations, offering activities such as festival-themed displays, intangible heritage exhibitions, folk performances, and Spring Festival markets. These activities created a unique Spring Festival atmosphere and brought joy and excitement to the community.

In Baoshan Riverside, Shanghai Sea World held the Spring Festival-themed event, featuring multiple stalls showcasing intangible cultural heritage. Visitors could appreciate traditional arts like clay modeling, paper cutting, and sachet-making performed by renowned heritage artisans.

At the Meilan Lake area, the Spring Festival-themed lantern festival added a local cultural touch to the festivities. The newly opened Gemdale Plaza launched a consumption promotion event, where visitors could join in games by simply showing their shopping receipts to win surprise gifts. Other activities, including family fun fairs, DIY workshops, and lion dances, attracted families and tourists alike.

Baoshan Wanda Plaza joined forces with local merchants for the “movie ticket stubs for discounts” event, where movie ticket stubs earned guests discounts on special meals and entertainment experiences.

Baoshan Garden City teamed up with the Douyin live-streaming platform to launch the “FAFA Spring Festival Shopping Festival.” Meanwhile, the Baoshan ASE Mall has collaborated with Dianping.com to introduce the “group-buying vouchers” event. Consumers can purchase various group-buying vouchers online, covering retail, dining, digital products, gold, leisure, and entertainment.

Stable Non-Staple Foods Prices

Baoshan ensured a stable supply of non-stable food during the festival. The Jiangyang Agricultural Wholesale Market saw stable prices of main vegetables and pork throughout the festival. Data from 12 local wet markets showed the retail price and supply of non-staple foods remained steady, with only small fluctuations during the holiday.