Policy initiatives, new scene launches, and sustained enthusiasm in offline consumption

Ask AI · How can policy efforts first drive offline consumption to surpass online?

From concerts, sports events, and unique cuisines attracting tourists to a city, to local venues filled with everyday life like vegetable markets, time-honored brands, and bookstores transforming into new leisure and cultural tourism carriers, offline consumption is making a comeback in people’s daily lives, becoming an important part of everyday spending.

A set of data confirms this trend. The latest offline consumption data from the National Information Center shows that from January to February this year, the amount of consumer payment increased by 3.8% year-on-year; the payment data reflecting the consumption heat of small and micro businesses shows that from January to February, the payment amount increased by 5.5% year-on-year, with the growth rate up by 5.1 percentage points compared to December last year, indicating that offline consumption continues to thrive.

— Policy combinations have accurately exerted force, injecting strong momentum into offline consumption.

This year, the central government allocated 250 billion yuan in ultra-long special bonds to support the replacement of consumer goods. During the Spring Festival, driven by the replacement of consumer goods, especially the “Buy New Spring” special activities, the growth rate of offline physical consumption surpassed that of online.

“This is the first time in recent years.” Wang Wentao, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of Commerce, commented.

Taking the pilot program for prize invoices as an example, at the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration of Taxation launched a six-month pilot program for prize invoices in 50 cities. As of March 12, the pilot cities had issued 1.85 billion yuan in prizes, attracting a total of 230 million participants.

Many consumers have been lucky winners while dining and shopping daily, and the enthusiasm for collecting invoices has boosted foot traffic in offline consumption sectors such as retail, dining, and cultural tourism.

— A profound shift in consumption concepts has expanded new development space for offline consumption.

In Beijing’s Shahe market, a girl is tasting specialty snacks. Xinhua News Agency reporter Cai Yang photographed.

Recently, the topic “Why do young people love going to the big markets?” went viral. “It’s visible and tangible, creating an immersive atmosphere that relieves stress and feels comfortable,” said Ms. Li, who frequently visits Beijing’s Shahe market, expressing the sentiments of many consumers.

Data clearly shows the changes in people’s consumption preferences. From 2022 to 2025, China’s service retail sales are expected to grow at an annual rate of 10.4%; a recent survey by the central bank shows that the top three categories residents want to spend on in the next three months are travel, education, and healthcare.

Service consumption, especially experiential consumption, is growing strongly, and people are willing to pay for various new experiences, invest in their interests, and prioritize physical and mental health, further highlighting the unique value of offline consumption.

— Innovative supply quality expansion builds a solid certainty for offline consumption development.

The continued heat of offline consumption is not only due to policy support and changing demand but also benefits from the continuous quality enhancement and expansion of supply, as well as innovative breakthroughs, laying a solid foundation for sustained consumption growth.

New scenarios open broader spaces for offline consumption. Beijing is implementing a “reward for meeting standards” policy for six types of projects, including first-release centers, first-store gathering centers, and flagship brand openings; Guizhou plans to launch a batch of themed consumption scenarios such as intangible cultural heritage night markets and traditional Chinese medicine cultural night markets; Shaanxi is actively cultivating new consumption growth points like AI terminals and smart homes, promoting the “online drainage + offline experience” retail model.

At the same time, the replacement policy is upgrading from a temporary “policy lever” to a long-term “institutional support.” According to relevant deployments, by 2026, the replacement of consumer goods will further increase support for the consumption of green and smart products: the replacement of household appliances will clearly require first-level energy efficiency or water efficiency standards, and the scope of subsidies for new purchases will expand to categories like smartwatches and smart glasses. Various regions are also developing unique implementation plans based on local realities to promote the sustained effectiveness of this mechanism.

“The ‘new’ in replacing is not only about new products but also about guiding through policy support to provide a broader market for new products and new technologies, striving to create new tracks and new industries,” Wang Wentao stated.