General

Zhejiang Yiwu Mall in August this year is very different from the past. It used to be the peak season for Christmas products at this time, but now there is no one to buy. As the world's largest distribution center for Christmas-related goods, it is a strange phenomenon in August.

A salesperson said that the inventory of Christmas products is now running low. Starting from the beginning of this year and continuing until May, many people have come to purchase Christmas products. This year’s Christmas season has moved forward for two or three months. Many Christmas items sold to India and Russia were bought in February and March, and now there are very few left.

Merchants in Yiwu, Zhejiang said that this year’s peak sales season was two or three months earlier than last year. Last year, customers only made purchases in May and June. The amount can reach 8 million to 10 million yuan.

Two-thirds of the world’s Christmas products come from Yiwu, Zhejiang, the largest distribution center for Christmas products. The difference is that the sales were the best in August each year, but now there is almost no one to purchase, and many popular products are sold out. The purchase of Christmas supplies came to an end ahead of schedule.

Not only Yiwu, the Christmas products in Ningbo also ushered in a peak in the second quarter of this year, and the export of Christmas products at Ningbo Port is also overwhelming. The staff of Ningbo Customs stated that the export volume of Christmas products has gradually increased since May, and the export of the entire second quarter has increased by 5 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

So why does this happen?

The traditional Christmas holiday in the West has a long time to come, but now the purchase of Christmas supplies has come to an end. There are many reasons for this. Because of the arrival of the epidemic, the port staff is in short supply, the transportation capacity is very tight, and the terminal is very congested, and the suspension of sailing often occurs.

As the turnover efficiency of ships is very low, supply and demand are severely unbalanced, and there is too much demand for supply to meet. Since the third quarter of last year, the space has been very tight, and it is difficult to get a container. As time goes by, not only has it not improved, but it has become even more in short supply.

Under such circumstances, it is understandable to buy Christmas products in advance. After all, Christmas products are seasonal products. They can only be sold before Christmas. Once the season is over, they cannot be sold. In order to ensure sufficient supply and not miss the time point, It is reasonable to buy in advance.

Only by buying in advance can the goods be delivered in time.

In addition, the price of ocean freight has been rising very rapidly. This year even set a record of up to 500%. A standard container costs 20,000 U.S. dollars in freight. Even though the country is already actively regulating it, it still takes some time to adjust.

In other words, there is still a possibility that shipping costs will rise. The sooner you buy Christmas products, you can not only seize the advantage of transportation, but also avoid price increases to a certain extent.

Coupled with the current resurgence of the epidemic, the sooner you plan, the better, and the epidemic has also become one of the factors contributing to the increase in freight rates. At the current spot price, Shanghai's export container freight index has hit a record high.

It can be said that the emergence of this kind of situation is predictable, but it also shows from the side that China's economic market is stable and plays a vital role in the recovery of the global economy.