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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) — Despite the winter chill, a flea market in southwest China's Chongqing municipality is becoming an increasingly popular destination for young people drawn by the sea of vintage jewelry and mountains of nostalgic trinkets.
"The number of young buyers is growing every year," said Zhang Qiuling, the owner of a used jewelry store at the market. She also notes that vendors there have recently begun seeing more foreign visitors.
Her boutique is part of a larger trend that has transformed the traditional used goods market into a social media hotspot, with a peak of over 20,000 visitors per day.
Once associated with thriftiness, second-hand shopping has become a trendy and eco-friendly lifestyle choice for the younger generation in China.
From a cheap deal to luxury
In the center of Nanjing, the capital of eastern China's Jiangsu Province, a three-story store operated by Xianyu, China's leading second-hand goods trading platform, has become a bustling spot for locals on weekends.
For Nanjing resident Wang, the store serves as a "second classroom" for her eight-year-old daughter, helping her learn about green consumption and financial management. Since its opening earlier this year, the store has received an average of 5,000 items per month for consignment, 70 percent of which were sold within the month of receipt.
The appeal of this retail outlet lies in its unique combination of affordability and the thrill of finding hidden treasures. In the central Chinese city of Wuhan, during a livestreamed sale, refurbished robot vacuum cleaners sold out in 10 minutes at 599 yuan (approximately $85) each, representing less than 20% of the original price.
For Mr. Liu, a budding entrepreneur from Chongqing, a flea market became a lifeline. He was able to significantly reduce the start-up costs of his new barbecue restaurant by purchasing high-quality used kitchen equipment. This saved him over 50% compared to buying new equipment.
Zhang Junyi, a Generation Z blogger, travels around China, visiting flea markets and collecting antiques. His home is filled with such "trophies" as vintage sculptures and old wooden chairs, each telling a unique story.
A TRILLION-YUAN INDUSTRY
The surge in interest in second-hand goods is reflected in the industry's staggering growth. By the end of 2024, the volume of second-hand goods transactions in China will reach 1.69 trillion yuan, 28 percent higher than the figure recorded for the whole of 2023. Over the past six years, the industry has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 12 percent.
Wuhan, a national pilot city for used goods circulation, exemplifies this scale. In the first ten months of 2025, the city's Jinkai used goods market recorded over 130,000 orders. The Qingshan Huarong used kitchenware market, a specialized market, is also expected to generate annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan by the end of this year.
While the industry's rapid growth has brought its share of challenges, local authorities are working to steer it towards a more standardized and "experience-oriented" development.
"The transformation of the second-hand goods market is evident: many physical markets are gaining new life," said He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. He noted that the next step for national pilot projects will be to focus on new formats, such as immersive offline stores.
Chang Dalei, executive vice president of the China Second-hand Commodities Trade Association, believes that thanks to the deep integration of the industry and digital technology, as well as the promotion of green consumption, the sector is poised to enter a new phase of larger-scale, standardized, and quality-oriented development.
For young shoppers in Chongqing and Nanjing, the "circular economy" is no longer just a political term. It's the thrill of finding a vintage watch from 1994, the same year they were born, or the satisfaction of seeing old appliances given a "second life."
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