China's floral market is booming ahead of the Spring Festival, with sales surging both online and offline, as the increase in quality, variety, and affordability of decorative flowers is driving demand to new heights.
Data from the China Flower Association and major e-commerce platforms show that this year's market is marked by rising household purchases, a wider variety of high-quality blooms, and more affordable prices.
Popular flowers like orchids and peonies are widely available, while new varieties such as wintersweet and holly are also gaining traction.
Sales of these emerging favorites have soared by over tenfold year on year on platforms like Huayibao, JD.com and Pinduoduo. Meanwhile, roses, lilies, sunflowers, and gerbera daisies -- popular among younger consumers -- have seen sales increases of over 50 percent.
The market is becoming more accessible, with a focus on freshness through cold-chain logistics and same-day delivery.
Flower sales have also expanded significantly into lower-tier cities and rural areas, with purchases in these regions increasing more than tenfold compared to previous years.
At the Dounan Flower Market of Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province, a major floral hub in China, traditional festival flowers like orchids and anthuriums are in high supply, and new varieties such as tulips and Australian plums are also in strong demand.
"Since tulips hit the market, weekly purchases have reached 400,000 stems, equivalent to the annual purchases of 100 physical stores. With cold-chain delivery, customers can receive their flowers the next day after placing an order," said Chen Longlong, a floral procurement manager for an online e-commerce platform.
Despite the surge in demand, prices remain reasonable. Lilies are priced at 10 yuan (about 1.4 U.S. dollars) per stem, while a pot of six to ten orchids costs between 200 and 300 yuan (about 27 to 41 U.S. dollars) -- 10 percent cheaper than in previous years.
China's flower market blooms ahead of Spring Festival
