On February 19th, the third day of the Lunar New Year, inside the Chongqing JD MALL in Liangjiang New Area, Ms. Zhou was beaming as she held her settlement slip. Staff were busy registering information about her old appliance and explaining the installation process for the new one. Throughout the store, posters for the « National Subsidy » program were everywhere, with a steady stream of customers inquiring and placing orders, forming long lines at the checkout counters.
Earlier this year, Chongqing introduced subsidy policies for 2026 covering appliance trade-ins and purchases of new digital and smart products. Coinciding with the Spring Festival consumption peak, the benefits of these policies have been continuously released, invigorating the consumer market.
According to statistics from the Municipal Commerce Commission, in the first five days of the holiday from February 15th to 19th, the city recorded 12,723 transactions related to appliance trade-ins, with government subsidies amounting to 6.5191 million yuan, directly driving appliance sales of 44.1794 million yuan. For subsidies on new digital and smart product purchases, there were 61,466 transactions, with government subsidies of 22.7578 million yuan, directly driving digital product sales of 177.9203 million yuan. These dual surges together composed a vibrant « Spring Festival consumption symphony » for Chongqing.
Trade-ins « Take Center Stage, » Appliance Stores Buzzing with Festive Atmosphere
At 10 a.m., inside the Chongqing JD MALL Liangjiang store, the scene was lively. Many citizens chose to bring the whole family, making a trip to the appliance store a « must-do » activity for the Spring Festival holiday.
« Our old refrigerator has been used for 10 years, and its cooling effect is getting worse. We took advantage of the Spring Festival subsidies to replace it with a new one quickly. » Ms. Zhou’s old refrigerator was valued at 800 yuan. She chose a top energy efficiency double-door refrigerator with an original price of 8,999 yuan. After deducting the old appliance value and a 15% government subsidy (capped at 1,500 yuan), and stacking it with the store’s Spring Festival discounts, the final price was only 6,699 yuan. « Not only did we save money, but the new refrigerator is more energy-efficient and has a larger capacity, perfectly meeting our family’s need to stock up for the Spring Festival. We also get free door-to-door removal of the old unit and installation service, which is so convenient. »
The release of policy benefits has also ushered in a peak sales season for appliance retailers. According to information, during the Spring Festival period, trade-ins for appliances like refrigerators and large-screen TVs saw a slight increase of about 10% compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, in addition to the « National Subsidy » campaign, additional promotions were launched, including 15% subsidies on kitchen appliances, dryers, and small appliances, gifts like phone stands and shoe dryers for purchases above certain amounts, and lucky bag giveaways for festive check-ins. Purchasing sets could save up to 3,000 yuan.
At the Century Xindu Appliance Gallery in the Guanyinqiao business district, cumulative appliance sales in the first four days of the Spring Festival holiday reached 318,800 yuan. Facing the Spring Festival consumption peak, the appliance gallery built a full-channel promotional matrix on top of implementing the trade-in policy. Online, they actively tapped into local lifestyle traffic, simultaneously launching coupon collection channels on Meituan and Douyin. Offline, they focused on core categories, offering diverse discount activities such as gifts for single-item purchases above a threshold and 200-yuan electronic vouchers for purchases over 3,000 yuan in refrigerators and washing machines, effectively attracting crowds.
Digital Products Show Strong « Heat, » New Year Trendy Items in High Demand
While the appliance trade-in热潮 remains strong, the momentum for digital product upgrades is powerful. During the Spring Festival holiday, taking advantage of policy subsidies and free time, many citizens replaced mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other digital products. Digital sections in major stores were extremely popular, becoming another highlight of the Spring Festival consumer market.
On February 18th, in the digital section of Chongqing JD MALL Yangjiaping store, the latest models of mobile phones and tablets from major brands were neatly displayed. Signs reading « Up to 500 yuan subsidy for trade-ins » were particularly eye-catching. Staff were assessing the value of customers’ old phones and explaining the subsidy levels for different models.
Young people are the main force driving digital upgrades. The convenient subsidy process and rich selection of new products fuel their consumption enthusiasm. « I’ve had my eye on this phone since last year and finally bought it
