Spring Festival home decorations run in vogue as fridge magnets, other items become best-sellers in China

Samples of fridge magnet blind boxes with Chinese Lunar New Year elements by POP MART on display at a store in Beijing, January 22, 2025. (Chen Qingrui/GT)

"During the Spring Festival, I would purchase small decorations to create a festive atmosphere at home, and I selected five intricately designed Chinese Lunar New Year couplet fridge magnets here. Turning the couplets into magnets is a creative idea, allowing them to be placed on fridges to enhance the festive atmosphere," a 24-year-old woman surnamed Li told the Global Times on Tuesday after finishing her payment at the Palace Museum.

"Not only are they beautifully crafted, but they also carry rich cultural significance, making them perfect gifts for my friends. Each magnet is priced at around 90 yuan ($12.3)," she said.

With the Spring Festival approaching, small items featuring festive elements are capturing consumers' attention, with fridge magnets being particularly popular. Many stores are bustling with shoppers and vendors restocking their "shelves".

Yiwu in East China's Zhejiang Province, renowned as the "world's supermarket," has been among the first to see a surge of bustling vendors, working tirelessly to cater to the enthusiastic demand of consumers.

"Starting from mid-December last year, daily sales have exceeded 4,000 units. Fridge magnets featuring the God of Wealth and blessings are particularly popular, accounting for about 30 percent of orders. Additionally, clients like temples and museums frequently place bulk orders for customized and creatively enhanced designs," a supplier surnamed Chen from China Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Chen noted that orders are expected to increase further in January as the Spring Festival draws near, surpassing December's numbers. Based on her observations, similar products from other vendors are also experiencing strong sales.

The popularity of Spring Festival-themed fridge magnets has rapidly expanded, driving substantial economic benefits. As demand continues to rise, many other brands, including museums and toy manufacturers, have introduced relevant products, reaping considerable returns.

Recently, the Chinese cultural and creative brand POP MART unveiled a series of fridge magnet blind boxes featuring Chinese Lunar New Year elements, including couplets and Year of the Snake motifs creatively designed around 12 IP characters, which have been enthusiastically received by consumers, POP MART told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"These products are selling out quickly. Stay tuned for restocking alerts in our customer groups, as items are quickly snapped up if not purchased promptly," said a sales representative at POP MART's store in Beijing's China World Trade Centre on Wednesday.

The 2025 Spring Festival marks the first-ever "intangible cultural heritage Spring Festival," sparking new synergies between culture and commerce. Fridge magnets featuring Spring Festival elements, a staple of museum cultural products, have drawn in a new audience.

The Shanxi Museum in North China's Shanxi Province recently introduced over 150 cultural and creative products featuring Spring Festival elements. Among their top sellers are four series comprising 18 fridge magnet designs, which have sold over 5,000 units since their launch, Yao Xiang, the museum's cultural and creative representative told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Moreover, the Palace Museum's online cultural and creative store in Taobao has sold over 10,000 fridge magnets featuring the Chinese character "Fu", with some designs selling over 20,000 units. Many items, including Spring Festival couplet magnets priced between 70 yuan and 90 yuan, have recently sold out due to overwhelming demand, the Global Times learned.

Citing data from Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, sales of cultural and creative fridge magnets have surged by 586 percent year-on-year during its recent cultural and creative Chinese Lunar New Year goods festival, held in collaboration with 50 museums across the country, according to Jiemian.com on Wednesday.

Against the backdrop of China's sustained economic growth, the enthusiasm surrounding Spring Festival consumption offers a glimpse into the country's broader economic vitality. In 2024, significant strides have been made to restore public confidence and spur a noticeable economic recovery.

In 2024, China's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 48.79 trillion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.5 percent, China's National Bureau of Statistics revealed on Friday. Online retail sales of physical goods rose by 6.5 percent to 13.08 trillion yuan, accounting for 26.8 percent of the total retail sales.