China’s Year of the Horse shoppers let emotional satisfaction take the reins

South China Morning PostEN 2 min read 100% complete by Zhu WenqianFebruary 8, 2026 at 03:30 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

As the Year of the Horse nears, Chinese consumers are driving sales of themed merchandise, prioritizing emotional connection over brand prestige. Online retailers are seeing increased demand for playful and soft designs of horse mascots, dolls, and charms. This trend is boosting sales for plush toys, like Pop Mart's sold-out pendants, and gold accessories, exemplified by Chow Tai Seng's enamel Tang Horse collection, which generated over 6 million yuan in sales since early January. Analysts note that emotional value is increasingly important to Chinese consumers, particularly those born in the 2000s, as brand loyalty decreases. Retailers are responding by launching creative, holiday-themed products to attract these festive shoppers.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

South China Morning Post 50% Popocola 50% Taobao 60% Tmall 60% Chow Tai Seng 60% Maggie Xie 60% S&P Global Ratings 60% Pop Mart 70% Alibaba Group Holding 70% China ×290%

Keywords

chinese consumers 90% year of the horse 80% emotional satisfaction 80% retail sales 70% purchasing decisions 60% e-commerce 50% brand loyalty 50% festive shoppers 40% plush toys 40%