Trending in China: New Year gift boxes are everywhere - including for our adorable pets!

Weekly Skinny

6 Feb

It's that time of the year again – in the build up to the Spring Festival, when supermarkets are heaving with people filling their trolleys with gift boxes for their beloved families. Retail brands, such as Sam's Club, have introduced gift boxes featuring eye-catching and interactive designs this year.

*Sam's Club introduced gift boxes like the 'Super Pine Core,' 'Super Pistachio,' and even a Disneyland-themed one. Images: Xiaohongshu/RED*

*Calbee's snacks packaged in a ‘Super Koi Fish’ in Hema. Images: Xiaohongshu/RED*

KitKat’s New Year Gift Box seen in Sam's Club. People can manually rotate to reveal four different eyes, each with a different symbolic meaning. Short-form video: Xiaohongshu/RED

Hormel's snack gift box seen in Costco

Pets now part of the family for CNY!

It was always going to happen! With pets now an important part of the family, there are also gift boxes specially designed for our furry friends! With the rise of pet equality culture, the phenomenon of pets celebrating has become increasingly common. The variety of New Year gift boxes for pets is expanding, leading many consumers to choose to purchase "pet New Year's Eve dinners" online. When these elaborate "dishes" adorn the pet dining table, it seems like the pet owners who get the most satisfaction. Additionally, to bring more ceremony to the Spring Festival, many pet owners not only buy pet New Year's Eve dinners but also purchase various festive outfits to add cheer to their pets.

In addition to purchasing online, some consumers prefer to take matters into their own hands and prepare pet New Year's Eve dinners themselves. A netizen who has shared content related to "pet New Year's Eve dinners" on RED expressed, "I have noticed the increasing popularity of pet New Year's Eve dinners in recent years. I was somewhat concerned about the quality of ingredients bought online, so I personally selected some ingredients with clear origins. The composition and source of the ingredients are very clear, and the cost-effectiveness is also high."