China’s Golden Week Spending Boom: What 2025’s Consumption Patterns Reveal About the Future
China’s National Day holiday once again offered a vivid snapshot of the country’s shifting consumption landscape.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, sales across key retail and catering enterprises rose 2.7% year-on-year, while foot traffic and revenue across 78 major pedestrian streets jumped 8.8% and 6.0%, respectively.
Beneath those headline figures lies a fascinating transformation.
Micro-level data from Meituan and Ctrip shows that searches for niche travel destinations surged 167% during the holiday. Travelers aren’t chasing landmarks anymore - they’re chasing meaning: cultural heritage tours, archaeological excursions, and border trips. The Chinese consumer is no longer just sightseeing; they’re curating experiences that feel personal, authentic, and alive.
Where the Money Moved: Urban Consumption Frontiers
A closer look at the data reveals how China’s consumption power is shifting from traditional cores to diverse, experience-led zones.
Shanghai
The country’s financial capital recorded 79.6 billion yuan in total online and offline consumption, up 10.2% year-on-year in key commercial districts.
Premium zones such as East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road led growth at over 23%, while nighttime spending at West Bund Dream Center and Wujiang Road–Fengsheng Lane spiked 111.9% and 28.0%.
Bailian Group posted a 6% sales lift and 10% rise in visitors, with jewelry sales soaring nearly 60%.
Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing
The capital’s 60 business districts drew 59.67 million visitors, up 13.9% from last year.
Chengdu’s consumption reached 76.75 billion yuan, growing 11%, while Chongqing’s total rose 8.86% year-on-year.
Wuhan
One of this year’s standout performers.
Wushang Mall drew massive crowds with Central China’s first Dior and Lancôme exhibitions, plus Hubei’s debut MM6 Maison Margiela store. Its Wushang Dream Era complex - the world’s largest commercial center - averaged 180,000 daily visitors, with performance climbing 20%.
At Wuhan Henglong Plaza, Hang Lung Properties reported tenant sales up 70%.
Guangzhou
Offline retail grew 4.7%, and catering jumped 11.9%.
K11’s shopping centers saw sales rise 23%, with jewelry and gold categories up 45%.
The city’s departure tax refund documents for foreign visitors multiplied 25 times, with sales value soaring 3.2-fold.
Shenzhen
Innovation defined consumption here.
Twenty-six monitored business districts drew 19.97 million visitors and 1.95 billion yuan in revenue - both up nearly 20%.
The collaboration between iN City Square and Xinyue Hui on themed events attracted over 60,000 daily visitors combined during the holiday.
Experience Economy 2.0: Culture Over Commerce
The younger generation is rewriting the rules of leisure.
Data from Ctrip shows travelers born after 2000 accounted for 62% of all National Day trips. They value experience over product, meaning over luxury, authenticity over brand names.
Cultural integration is the new currency.
The most successful activations now blend global IP with local storytelling - merging artistry, nostalgia, and place.
At Shanghai’s BFC Bund Financial Center, the Miffy 70th Anniversary Pop-up paired a global icon with the Bund’s architectural allure. Interactive installations turned the space into a shareable, story-driven playground.
Wuhan Henglong Plaza took a similar route, introducing Butter Bear, a beloved IP from abroad, to Central China for the first time. Its Autumn Bakery Workshop and local-exclusive products made the activation both heartwarming and hyper-local.
Authenticity, however, doesn’t always require global polish.
Jingdezhen’s viral rise - sparked by the unfiltered charm of Chicken Steak Brother - underscores the power of sincerity.
Xishuangbanna’s Starlight Night Market, Yanbian’s Water Market mornings, and the Yungang Grottoes’ immersive digital exhibitions now draw young travelers seeking connection and creativity.
At Yungang, visitors can don traditional attire and engage with ancient Buddhist art through interactive technology - turning heritage into living culture.
The Bigger Picture: From Hype to Humanity
Across China’s cities, a quiet but profound shift is underway.
Consumers are rejecting over-curation and rediscovering joy in the genuine - real places, real people, real moments.
Destinations once labeled “niche” are redrawing the consumption map.
Authenticity and emotional resonance now define value more than luxury or status.
In uncertain times, China’s new consumers are choosing meaning over materialism. They want connection, creativity, and comfort.
For brands, that means one thing: the next growth cycle belongs to those who can make commerce feel human again.
