Published on: 2026-10-31
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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During the holiday vacation on the occasion of the founding of the PRC, the “China Haul” trend became popular on foreign social networks. More and more foreign tourists are making shopping lists before traveling to China and even setting off with empty suitcases. Their lists include drones and action cameras, art toys, clothing, and products from Chinese designer brands, and these lists are getting longer. Previously, Chinese consumers purchased goods abroad, but now foreign buyers come to China to find brands that are weakly represented in their own countries, are more expensive, or have not yet entered the local market. Thanks to “reverse shopping,” foreigners’ perception of “Made in China” ceases to be a generalized label and is formed from an acquaintance with specific brands and personal shopping experiences.
Professor Li Yan from the University of International Business and Economics believes that the competitiveness of Chinese goods can no longer be reduced simply to the formula “good quality at an affordable price.” It is now composed of a combination of factors — price, quality, brand, culture, and commercial ecosystem — and forms a comprehensive, indispensable product value.
The first category includes technologically intensive goods — for example, drones and 360° panoramic cameras: they update rapidly, and their software and hardware are closely integrated. The second category consists of Chinese designer brands and fashion items, which cater to demands for aesthetics and emotional value and become symbols of self-expression for foreign youth. Professor Wu Liuny from the Beijing Second Foreign Languages Institute notes that the driving force behind “reverse shopping” is not the benefits of the exchange rate but the expansion of production capabilities and the enhancement of cultural narrative levels. Chinese manufacturing shifts the focus from “price-to-quality ratio” to “sense of value”.
Visa-free entry, convenient payment, and tax refunds make shopping in China more comfortable. In the first half of 2026, the number of foreigners entering the country exceeded 22.9 million — 20.4% more compared to the same period last year; meanwhile, the share of those entering under the visa-free regime reached 77.7%. Regarding payments, the volume of foreign tourists’ transactions via WeChat Pay grew by almost 80% year-on-year. Thanks to the tax refund system reform, the range of stores has expanded, enabling the implementation of mutual recognition of the “buy and get a refund immediately” service across different regions. According to Li Yan, due to the high density of stores, wide product assortment, and convenient payment and tax refund, a consumer ecosystem has formed on the principle of “seeing the product — trying it — buying it — immediately getting a refund.” Now shopping has become part of the tourist experience.
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