By Jin Lu

The Spring Festival has long been a peak season for consumer spending in Ningbo, and 2025 is no exception. Dining and tourism continued to thrive, while shopping at newly opened flagship stores of major brands and attending recently launched exhibitions emerged as popular options. The latest national subsidies for consumers and over 200 million yuan in retail spending vouchers issued by the city further stimulated Ningbo's consumer market.

On February 4, the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce released data showing that during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, fifty key enterprises across the city, selected as representative samples, recorded total sales of 844 million yuan, marking a 9.26% year-on-year increase.

The latest national subsidies played a key role in encouraging holiday spending.

"Under the new policy, mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, and wristbands priced between 3,333 yuan and 6,000 yuan qualify for subsidies of up to 500 yuan, making these price ranges the most popular. Sales of some phone models surged by more than 500% compared to last year's Spring Festival. Mobile phone sales alone accounted for over 60% of our total revenue," said Qiu Xueqiao, store manager at a Suning Pro store, a physical store of the electronics retail giant Suning.com.

During the holiday, the fifty key enterprises'sales of mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches reached 25.86 million yuan, a 56.3% year-on-year increase, while home appliance sales climbed to 21.71 million yuan, reflecting a 7.7% rise. The city’s automotive sector also saw significant growth, with total sales reaching 130 million yuan, a 72.5% increase.

Dining out, a hallmark of Spring Festival celebrations, remained as popular as ever. At Tianyi Square, A-Mao restaurant was packed from January 23rd all the way to February 4th, with most private rooms fully booked in advance. "This Spring Festival, both our private rooms and main dining area were fully occupied during meal times, with long lines outside," said Mao Kelu, general manager of Ningbo Yinzhou Maozhi Catering Co., the company operating the popular restaurant chain.

"Ningbo's consumer market has been thriving, offering a wide range of options this Spring Festival. This vibrant activity enhanced the festive atmosphere and signals strong economic growth ahead for the city," said a spokesperson from the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce.