In a DJI store in Dayuwan, Kunshan, Jiangsu, music manager James Yin from the United States opened his backpack and showed reporters from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily the ‘trophies’ he had just acquired: drones, handheld gimbals, wireless microphones, action camera accessories...
‘This time I came to Kunshan, on the one hand it was for work, and on the other hand it was for “overseas shopping”. ’ James said. These devices are not completely unavailable in the United States, but in China, "the models are more complete, newer products are available faster, cheaper, and they can be tested on site, so the price/performance ratio is higher."
This purchase is not a last-minute idea. Before setting off, James had made a list. As an agent, he often needs to shoot tour highlights, short videos and stage materials for artists. A set of Chinese brand equipment can cover multiple scenes such as aerial photography, radio recording, and stable shooting.
‘Many of my colleagues are using Chinese equipment, and everyone will “plant grass” for each other. ’ James said, ‘I used to bring equipment from the United States to show others, but now I come to China to buy equipment and bring it back. ’
James’ experience is a microcosm of the recent ‘China Haul’ craze on overseas social platforms. ‘Haul’ often refers to the concentrated display of ‘trophies’ after shopping. Nowadays, some foreign tourists make shopping lists before coming to China, and some even set out with empty suitcases, incorporating ‘what to buy’ into their travel arrangements. From drones and action cameras to trendy toys, clothing and Chinese design brands, their shopping lists are getting longer and longer.
In the past, Chinese consumers traveled abroad to buy overseas goods; now, some foreign consumers come to China to look for Chinese brands and products that have fewer choices, higher prices, or are not yet available in their home countries. This kind of 'reverse overseas shopping' has also changed their understanding of 'Made in China' from a general label to specific brands, functions and user experience.
From ‘Knowing Made in China’ to ‘Recognizing Chinese Brands’
According to a Reuters report in August this year, in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen, foreign tourists are looking for products such as pocket gimbals, action cameras, handheld imaging equipment, AI glasses, drones and robots. When a Ukrainian tourist evaluates a camera, what he talks about is not its ‘cheapness’, but its low-light performance, multi-angle shooting and convenience for post-editing. The person in charge of a DJI store said, ‘Foreign customers account for about half of our store’s customer flow’.
What’s more noteworthy than ‘discovering good things after arriving at the store’ is that some tourists have already formed brand awareness before departure.
Another Reuters report in August this year stated that at a Yamashita Arimatsu store in Shanghai, about 20 foreign tourists entered the store within half an hour, many of whom came specifically to purchase. A customer from Canada said: ‘Many people are buying this brand and it is already quite famous in North America. ’
Li Yang, a professor at the School of International Relations at the University of International Business and Economics, said in an interview with a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily that the changes in the competitiveness of Chinese products cannot be summarized only as "high quality and low price". ‘At present, the international competitiveness of Chinese goods comes from the comprehensive irreplaceability formed by price, quality, brand, culture, business ecology and other factors, and this irreplaceability is increasing. ’
Li Yang summarized the products that have received attention into two categories. One type is technology-intensive products such as drones and panoramic cameras, which are updated quickly, have a high degree of software and hardware integration, and can meet specific and professional use needs; the other type are Chinese design brands and trendy toys, which not only meet the aesthetic needs of consumers, but also provide emotional value and become a way for young people to express their individuality.
‘Chinese brands are becoming symbols for young overseas consumers to express their individuality. ’ Li Yang said that a complete industrial chain and supply chain allow companies to quickly prototype, trial production in small batches, purchase nearby, and adjust products based on market feedback. ‘Low cost does not necessarily mean poor quality. ’ She believes that lower supporting costs, transaction costs and trial and error costs also make companies more capable of continuous innovation in segmented fields.
At the Xiaomi Automobile Gigafactory store in Beijing, Mohouli Mokonenyane, a technology blogger from South Africa, also talked about similar changes in the automotive industry. He told reporters that Chinese car brands such as BYD, Chery, and Great Wall are entering the South African market with richer configurations and more competitive prices. When consumers sit in the car, see the on-board screen, and experience functions such as seat heating and even massage, they will form an intuitive impression: ‘This comes from a strong and technologically powerful country. ’
South African fashion blogger Letabo Mekoa also mentioned that the challenge of ‘not using products made in China for a day’ was popular on social media, and many participants soon found it almost impossible to do it. She believes that in the past, some overseas consumers associated "Made in China" with cheapness and low quality, but Huawei, Xiaomi mobile phones and Chinese new energy vehicles are changing this impression.
From James making a list of equipment in advance to two South African bloggers re-understanding Chinese cars and technology products, these seemingly different consumer experiences all point to the same change: price is no longer the only factor attracting overseas consumers.
Wu Liyun, a professor at the Chinese Culture and Tourism Industry Research Institute of Beijing International Studies University, believes that a counter-intuitive fact is that there is no obvious price advantage at the exchange rate level, but the visibility of ‘reverse overseas shopping’ is still increasing. ‘This just shows that it is not the exchange rate dividend that drives this matter, but the deeper spillover of industrial capabilities and the upgrading of cultural narratives. ’ She believes that the iterations of Made in China, Design in China and Chinese fashionable goods in the past few years are upgrading ‘cost-effectiveness’ to ‘value’. ‘Customers attracted by cheap prices cannot be retained, only customers attracted by a sense of value will come again. ’
Visa exemption, payment and tax refund make shopping in China more convenient
Just because foreign consumers know Chinese brands does not mean they will definitely come to China to shop. The ability to easily enter China, make smooth payments and complete tax refunds determines whether interest can turn into real consumption.
The continued growth in inbound passenger flow also provides a basis for observing this shopping boom. In an interview with a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily, Wu Liyun cited data from the National Immigration Administration and pointed out that in the first half of 2026, the number of foreigners entering the country reached 22.914 million, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%; of which 17.815 million foreigners entered visa-free, accounting for 77.7% of the total number of foreigners entering the country, a year-on-year increase of 30.6%. ‘The expansion of the visa-free circle of friends is itself a long-term variable. ’
She also noticed that the top 10 source countries of inbound tourists accounted for 62% of the total number of inbound foreigners in the first half of the year, and Asia and neighboring countries are still the main source of inbound tourists to China. “What really supports this round of inbound consumption is the diversified passenger source structure: passenger flow from Asian countries remains stable, passenger flow from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative is growing rapidly, and some European cities are also showing impressive growth. ’
Visa exemption has lowered the first threshold, giving more foreign tourists the opportunity to come to China in person, and also changed the way they understand and talk about China. According to a report by the South China Morning Post earlier this year, approximately 3.16 million Korean tourists will visit China in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 36.9%. Korean content creators have turned Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and other cities into filming locations for travel videos. A Korean video blogger who has lived in China for a long time described: ‘The window is open and everyone wants to take a look inside. ’ Some creators have recorded mobile payments, driverless taxis, high-speed rail and Chinese brand cars in their videos. These records have also transformed ‘Chinese technology’ from an abstract concept into a daily experience that tourists can experience firsthand.
And payment convenience lowers the second threshold. According to a report by the Associated Press in May this year, Tencent plans to first target the U.S. market and allow users of the U.S. digital payment company PayPal to complete QR code payments through the WeChat Pay merchant network. Tencent disclosed that from January to April 2026, the volume of WeChat payment transactions by foreign tourists in China increased by nearly 80% year-on-year. This means that overseas bank cards and international payment instruments are more smoothly connected to China’s QR code payment network.
The tax rebate reform lowered the third threshold. A notice issued by six departments including the Ministry of Commerce in May this year showed that the coverage of tax refund shops in key business districts, scenic spots, markets and ports will be further expanded; starting from July 1 this year, tax refund applications with tax refund sales of less than 10,000 yuan will be randomly selected according to a certain proportion for physical verification. Tax refund applications and tax refund item sales invoices can be confirmed online, and the ‘buy now and refund’ service will also promote mutual recognition in different places.
Li Yang believes that foreign tourists buy more than just a commodity in China. ‘All kinds of technology products and trendy brand products have dense stores, rich products, convenient mobile payment, and convenient tax refunds, which have formed a consumer ecology of seeing now, trying now, buying now, and refunding now. ’ She said that shopping thus becomes part of the travel experience, rather than just completing a transaction.
Make foreign tourists willing to buy again
Filling a suitcase during a trip does not mean that Chinese products have truly won overseas markets.
To convert a purchase into ongoing consumption, a city must first provide an experience worth staying and revisiting. “To convert inbound passenger flow into continued consumption and willingness to revisit, what is most needed is not policies or subsidies, but the adaptability of product supply and consumption scenarios. ’ Wu Liyun said, ‘Inbound tourists, especially young tourists, want to see Chinese stories that are specific, participatory, and can be brought back to daily life. ’ In her opinion, behind a trendy toy, a cup of freshly made drink, a street photoshoot of Hanfu or a technology product experience, there is a specific China. ‘Telling these specific stories and telling them well is more effective than any promotion meeting’.
‘These “reverse overseas shopping” groups are free promoters of our products in overseas markets. ’ Li Yang said that tourists bring products back to their home countries and amplify the brand’s reputation through social media, peer exchanges and actual use, but ‘these effects will not automatically settle into long-term demand’.
According to a Reuters report in July this year, Bubble Mart opened its first overseas themed bakery store in Singapore, turning characters such as La Bubu into desserts. It plans to expand to other markets in Southeast Asia and is also considering entering Europe and the United States. The person in charge of Bubble Mart's baking business said that he hopes to let the company's IP "accompany every aspect of consumers' lives." From blind boxes and plush toys to movies, theme parks and restaurants, the Chinese IP behind trendy toys is trying to enter more daily life scenes of overseas consumers.
‘Based on the instant word-of-mouth brought by “reverse overseas shopping”, it is necessary to deeply explore the potential demand in overseas markets, develop differentiated products in line with the target market, and improve the overseas sales system. In areas with localized production conditions, we can also explore the integration of production and marketing, promote localized production and marketing, and optimize the after-sales network layout. ’ Li Yang said.
Chinese design brands are also accelerating their entry into overseas markets. According to a report by the Financial Times in September this year, Chinese high-end clothing brand Zhihe has opened stores in Paris and Dublin, and plans to enter the London, Milan and US markets. "People are hungry for a different cultural perspective," Bain & Company partner Claudia Dalpizio said in the report. ’
However, opening stores overseas and expanding consumption scenarios is only the first step. Whether the connection between brands and consumers can continue after tourists leave China still determines whether one trip consumption can be transformed into a long-term relationship.
“Tourists come, buy, and go back, but there is no sustainable repurchase and repeat visits. The fundamental reason is that the consumption link is broken. ’ Wu Liyun said, ‘To open up this closed loop, the key lies in three dimensions: First, channels, allowing overseas consumers to buy things they buy domestically through cross-border e-commerce and overseas stores; second, data, allowing brands to identify who are the real “overseas repeat customers” and achieve precise contact; third, experience, making them feel that “coming to China to buy” and “buying locally” are two different things, and the experience itself is a reason to revisit. ’ She further said: “Its sustainability does not depend on how much the visa-free policy can be expanded, but on whether Chinese brands can continue to export value and Chinese cities can continue to provide differentiated local experiences.”
From a more macro perspective, Li Yang calls foreign tourists’ travel shopping in China a kind of ‘travel service export’. She believes that when traditional trade in goods faces more barriers, the movement of people allows overseas consumers to directly contact and experience Chinese products, and also opens up new channels for China to participate in the world economy.
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Wang Ziyuan Source: China Youth Daily
September 23, 2026 Version 08
