AI-enabled spending fuels China’s holiday economy

Shoppers crowded into stores across China to try the latest artificial intelligence (AI) gadgets during the week-long National Day holiday, as smart devices continue to transition from the showroom to the mass market.

At Z·Pilot, an AI experience store in Shanghai, China’s financial hub, a furry AI pet robot drew a steady stream of browsers during the holiday. When the robot was presented with a toy carrot, its digital eyes lit up in a “feeding” expression; a gentle touch revealed a warm surface, close to lifelike.

“Companionship products are doing well,” a staff member said. The fast-selling AI pets offer voice and tactile interaction along with long-term memory, gradually adapting their personality to their owners over time — delivering the feel of a pet without the upkeep.

AI glasses attracted similar interest. “When traveling abroad, if you don’t know how to say something in the local language, you can just translate it directly,” a staff member said while demonstrating a pair of the glasses. Beyond real-time translation, the hot-selling devices offer navigation, teleprompting, photo and video capture, letting users leave their phones in their pockets.

At a JD.com mall in Shanghai’s Qibao area, 3D printers became a magnet for families, with parents and children building model boats and cars on the spot. Many parents said they were buying the printers to bring home what their children had learned in school, turning the devices into hands-on toys for kids to design and print their own models.

Ms. Qi, who brought her child to a robotics store in the city, said she wanted the child to engage with the technology early. “Let children explore hands-on and get a feel for how AI will shape the way they live, learn and work,” she said.

The trend is not unique to Shanghai. In Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, a tech-mall branded as Wensan was a popular spot for locals and tourists to check out the latest gadgets during the break. Serving as a micro tech supermarket, it brought together more than 700 smart products, ranging from AI companion robots and AI glasses to smart rings and exoskeletons, catering to consumers across all age groups.

In Beijing, a robotics and AI experience brand under Shoucheng Holdings now operates eight stores in the city. Its outlets offered more than 200 robot and AI hardware products, and drew long queues of consumers during the holiday. A representative for the brand said in-store feedback pointed to particularly strong performance in companion-style AI products, entertainment-oriented smart devices and interactive robotics.

Retailers say the momentum is measurable. According to data released this week by Chinese retail giant Suning.com, foot traffic at its flagship stores rose 50 percent year-on-year from Oct. 1 to 7, while sales of AI-equipped home appliances climbed more than 40 percent. Smartwatches, AI glasses and action cameras all posted solid gains.

The surge sits inside a broader AI boom built on a wave of homegrown models. Tools such as DeepSeek, Kimi and Doubao have become everyday fixtures for millions of Chinese users.

On the industry side, the numbers are equally telling: China’s AI enterprises surpassed 6,000 last year, with the core AI industry posting strong year-on-year growth.

China had more than 140 humanoid robot developers in 2025, with shipments reaching 14,400 units — accounting for 84.7 percent of the global market, per an industry research report.

Policy support has further deepened the integration of AI and consumption. In June, eight government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, issued guidance to boost AI-enabled consumption, calling for more AI-powered products and expanded AI-driven services.

A subsequent action plan on smart home consumption extended this push, letting localities set their own subsidy categories and standards under the 2026 trade-in policy, including support for whole-house smart home purchases.

“Consumer uptake of AI products is accelerating from a phase of novelty toward mass adoption,” said Fan Chunyan, vice president of Suning.com. “Demand for smart devices, immersive experiences and ongoing services will continue to rise.”