The Shuibei market, a gold jewelry manufacturing and trading hub in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, experienced a surge in consumer activity around Mother's Day, which fell on Sunday, with steady growth in sales of pearl jewelry and continued popularity of lightweight gold products despite high gold prices.
Many consumers came to select pearl jewelry with their mothers at the Shuibei market.
"Today is both the weekend and Mother's Day, so I brought my mother to pick out some jewelry. Pearls look elegant and graceful when worn, but most importantly, she loves them," said a consumer.
Chen Miansheng, manager of a pearl jewelry store at the Shuibei market, said sales of pearl jewelry have been increasing with the arrival of Mother's Day.
"This week's total sales increased by 18 percent compared to the same period last year and by 75 percent compared to last week. Eighty percent of customers are coming with their mothers to select pearl jewelry. The most popular price range for sales is around 2,000 yuan (around 276.8 U.S. dollars) for a pearl necklace," he said.
Gold jewelry remains a focal point for consumers during Mother's Day alongside pearl jewelry. Despite recent high fluctuations in gold prices, the festive atmosphere drove strong demand for gold pieces among consumers.
"It's Mother's Day today, so I'm buying some gold jewelry for mom. The prices have gone up compared to the time when we got married, when they were over 300 yuan per gram, but it's a special occasion like Mother's Day, after all," another consumer said.
Yao Chuangwei, manager of a gold jewelry store at the Shuibei market, said that despite recent high fluctuations in gold prices, the overall sales of gold jewelry have remained relatively stable, with a particular preference for lightweight products.
"Currently, we're seeing stronger demand for lightweight pieces over heavier ones. Our floral collections and auspicious hard gold accessories have become top choices for consumers on Mother's Day," he said.
China's Shenzhen City sees pearl, gold sales rise around Mother's Day
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
