Retailers, online platforms gear up for New Year shopping rush

SHANGHAI consultant Aurora Huang took part in an online lucky draw to win Nongfu Spring’s bottled water with the pattern of an ox inscribed on a glass bottle instead of a normal plastic one.

“I’ve encouraged family members to take part in the lucky draw, because it’s a fun way to celebrate the Spring Festival and the Chinese zodiac sign is a necessary element for family gatherings,” Huang said.

Around 200,000 sets of the limited glass bottles are available through the virtual lucky draw.

Spring Festival is a long-awaited reunion and leisure time for many Chinese families, and retailers want to impress consumers with Chinese elements and flavors that feature auspicious and promising signs.

After introducing the red velvet bean flavored Oreo cookies last year, this year’s limited red Oreo cookie has orange and lychee flavors, playing on the Chinese word “jili” which means auspicious and promising, a favorite greeting during festive occasions.

Altogether 16 new cookie inscriptions with Chinese characters and auspicious patterns are available in the special package.

Ferrero has partnered with Beijing’s Summer Palace to offer a limited Chinese New Year special package, with traditional Chinese patterns such as golden fans and auspicious signs to celebrate the Year of the Ox.

Ferrero’s sales through JD Daojia — including brands such as Kinder, Ferrero Rocher and Kjeldsens — have more than doubled from a year ago since last September when they began home delivery.

The company expects its latest collaboration with JD Daojia’s home-delivery service to fully leverage the advantage of e-commerce opportunities and drive sales during the holiday.

Online and offline businesses are busy preparing for the holiday that begins on Chinese New Year’s Eve next Thursday.

In the last 10 days of January, Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao reported a 50 percent surge in supermarket deliveries over last year, and the number of import packages from its bonded warehouse rose 70 percent over December.

JD is also working to ensure nonstop delivery throughout the holiday in 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, 300 cities and 1,500 districts and towns as it has done for the past nine years.

Meituan and Ele.me, two major food takeaway and grocery delivery sites, promised subsidies for staff to cope with the peak season.

Since January 1 this year, JD said the number of orders by Shanghai shoppers on behalf of family members in their hometowns has grown 37 percent.

In addition to discounted home appliances, Suning’s home cleaning unit is offering home cleaning and housekeeping services.

Meituan’s specialty section for Chinese New Year-related merchandise has teamed up with more than 100,000 physical retailers.

The number of searches on Meituan for nianyefan, or New Year’s Eve dinner, has more than tripled from a year ago since mid-January.

According to a Kantar Worldpane survey of 1,000 domestic consumers, 22 percent intend to reduce visits to supermarkets and nearly 60 percent will avoid crowds and spend more time on Taobao, JD and Pinduoduo than usual.

The survey found that packaged food, apparels, alcohol, shoes and leather goods are the most popular items for online shoppers ahead of the holiday.