Foreigners fall in love with China shopping unboxing video——
Why has “China Haul” become a new trend? (Global hot spots)
“Come with me to unbox the fruits of shopping in China” “China has captured my heart and my wallet!”
Recently, videos related to China Haul (Chinese shopping unboxing) have become a craze on overseas social media platforms. Technological products, trendy clothing, beauty products, traditional Chinese medicine and health care products... neatly stacked products that almost overflow the screen occupy the video cover. Many overseas tourists who came to China have posted their "report cards" about their shopping in China and sorted out their shopping strategies in China after returning home. Related videos have received a lot of likes and attention.
Why has “China Haul” become a new trend?
What novelties are hidden in Chinese shopping unboxing videos?
What do you need to prepare before traveling to China? For many overseas tourists, the answer is three empty suitcases. In the footage of many overseas bloggers, they purchased so many good Chinese goods that they were measured in kilograms, and when unpacking them, they filled the entire room; some bloggers continuously posted videos showing off the trendy clothing and accessories they purchased, turning their account content into an "electronic fitting room."
Open the luggage bag, open the express box, follow the blogger's camera to take out the products one by one, and talk about the purchase story and usage experience... In recent years, short unboxing videos with the theme of "Shopping Haul" have been active on social platforms at home and abroad for a long time. Compared with traditional unboxing videos, the "China Haul" Chinese shopping unboxing craze presents some new highlights.
Liu Hui, executive director of the Brand Leadership Research Center of the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that "China Haul" not only means "buy more", but also reflects the new changes in product structure and communication paths of Chinese goods going overseas.
On the one hand, the “list of good things” in China in the eyes of overseas netizens is constantly updated. Pocket gimbals, action cameras, AI glasses and other high-tech gadgets have become the must-have technological equipment for many tourists when visiting China; the well-designed national fashion clothing and new Chinese-style shoes have become the "social currency" sought after by overseas young people; Chinese health products such as Chuanbei loquat ointment and moxibustion equipment are affectionately called "Oriental magic medicine" by overseas netizens; domestically produced beauty products that are popular overseas have even given birth to the exclusive label "C-Beauty".
Bai Xiaoqing, deputy director of the Department of Editing and Publishing at Communication University of China, pointed out that most of these trendy domestic products that are popular overseas are not mass-produced replicas on the assembly line, but products that integrate technological innovation and oriental aesthetics and carry cultural connotations. "China Haul's emergence from the industry has not stripped away its own cultural attributes in order to cater to overseas audiences. Herbal soaps, moxibustion equipment and other products retain a strong local color. Instead, they have become a scarce aesthetic resource, giving the products a unique symbolic premium."
On the other hand, the communication logic of domestic products going global has changed: from companies in the past taking the initiative to promote overseas, to overseas consumers exploring independently. Liu Hui explained that overseas consumers come to China to select products in person and share them with local audiences through short videos and unboxing live broadcasts after returning home, forming a closed communication loop of "experience-purchase-sharing-repurchase". “The identity of consumers has changed as a result. They are not only buyers, but also content creators and brand communicators.”
In addition to the product itself, the "China Haul" video also brings a new viewing experience to overseas audiences. Bai Xiaoqing said that traditional Shopping Haul videos focus on showing personal purchasing power, aesthetic taste, and chasing mainstream fashion. And China Shopping Unboxing is more like a cross-cultural exploration mini-documentary. "Bloggers play the role of cultural explorers. They display not only the products themselves, but also the instructions and packaging designs that make overseas audiences feel fresh. This narrative responds to overseas audiences' curiosity about Chinese culture and embeds Chinese culture into ordinary people's daily consumption scenes."
Why has China become an overseas “sweeping goods” destination?
On overseas social media, discussions about coming to China to shop and unbox Chinese goodies continue to heat up. A large number of overseas netizens have spontaneously created shopping guides. In addition to organizing shopping maps, tax refund procedures, and cross-border logistics guides, they have also figured out many "cheats for shopping."
Australian blogger Sarah shared the "goods come first before people arrive" method - place an order on the e-commerce platform in advance, have the goods sent directly to the hotel where you are staying, and unpack them on the spot upon arrival. There are also bloggers who have explored the packing trick of "replacing old clothes with new clothes" - filling their suitcases with old clothes when they depart, and then donating the old clothes to recycling channels, emptying the suitcases, and then filling them with purchased goods after arriving in China.
Inbound tourism consumption data echoes the “China Haul” craze. In the first half of 2026, the number of overseas tourists applying for departure tax refunds increased by 366% year-on-year, and the sales of tax-refunded goods and the amount of tax refunds increased by 69% year-on-year. Judging from the data disclosed by Alipay, four days before the National Day holiday, the average price of a single tax refund product processed through Alipay+ cooperative wallet was about 7,000 yuan.
Why has China become an overseas “sweeping goods” destination?
Walking into stores in popular tourist cities, choosing Chinese cultural and creative products, customizing traditional clothing, and interacting with smart robots have become check-in items for many tourists... Constantly innovative consumption scenarios make shopping in China more fresh.
Bai Xiaoqing pointed out that the current continuous innovation of Chinese products in technology and design concepts is gradually breaking the inherent stereotypes shaped by the early international trade pattern. Liu Hui analyzed from the supply side and pointed out that relying on the rapid response capabilities of the complete domestic industrial chain, local industries can continue to meet the personalized and diversified procurement needs of overseas consumers, forming comprehensive advantages such as supply chain and scenario innovation.
At the same time, purchasing good things from China has become easier.
"Whether overseas consumers choose to purchase goods from China depends on the comprehensive transaction costs they pay." Liu Hui pointed out that this cost not only includes the selling price of the goods, but also covers many aspects such as information search, consumption decision-making, payment settlement, departure tax refund, cross-border transportation, after-sales service and even brand trust building. Specifically, the 240-hour transit visa-free policy has lowered the threshold for overseas consumers to "come to China"; the continuous optimization of mobile payment "foreign card binding" and "purchase and refund" processes have cleared the obstacle of "how to buy"; digital and physical infrastructure such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses have solved the problem of "how to repurchase after returning to China".
“The combined efforts of the market, policies, infrastructure, and services have allowed ‘unboxing Chinese goodies’ to go from being a taste of a few people to becoming a popular trend on overseas social platforms,” Liu Hui said.
With the changing of hot words, how does “traffic” change into “retention”?
Put on Hanfu and take an in-depth cultural tour in the streets of ancient towns; open the mobile phone app and experience drone takeout delivery; bring your suitcase and pack Chinese goodies home... In recent days, from "China Travel" to "China Cool" to "China Haul", hot words about China on social media have been constantly changing. Through the lens, overseas netizens have gone from "seeing China" to "experience China" and now "possessing Chinese goodies".
Bai Xiaoqing pointed out that the change of hot words reflects the structural deepening of Chinese issues in overseas public opinion fields. The interactive relationship between overseas audiences and China is moving from passive perception to active recognition of Chinese lifestyle. “Many products that incorporate national trends and intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship have become popular choices on overseas netizens’ ‘China Haul’ lists, reflecting the deep binding of products and cultural values.”
Liu Hui said that as Chinese hot words continue to iterate, the multiplier effect they trigger becomes more and more significant. Taking "China Haul" as an example, overseas consumers' shopping in China not only drives product consumption, but also stimulates derivative consumption such as transportation, communications, and cultural experiences. At the same time, the release of unboxing videos also provides Chinese brands with low-cost overseas word-of-mouth marketing channels and product research opportunities. "Unboxing videos are content formed by ordinary consumers based on real experiences. From the likes, forwarding, and comment data of the video, Chinese companies can also understand overseas consumers' preferences for product size, color, function, and price, promote continuous adjustments in product research and development, and transform one-time consumption attempts into sustained commodity exports," Liu Hui said.
As the popularity continues to rise, how can the "China Haul" network become a sustainable market reputation?
“Play well ‘China Haul’s driving effect requires improving internal skills in many aspects.” Liu Hui pointed out that it is necessary to shift from “product exporting” to “brand exporting”, and use stable brand positioning, unified visual system and complete brand story to break away from the concept of “only hot products but no brand”. dilemma; we must keep the bottom line of quality and compliance, and understand the access regulations of different markets in terms of product certification, intellectual property rights, data security, etc.; we must also improve after-sales services and promote the upgrade of overseas warehouses from inventory warehouses to localized service nodes that integrate returns, exchanges, and repairs.
Bai Xiaoqing said that the popularity of "China Haul" cannot only be based on product functions and cost-effectiveness. The brand should also integrate sustainable concepts, Eastern philosophy and other universal value connotations into its design and narrative, continue to improve digital infrastructure, and make "China Haul" closely connected with a more convenient consumption experience and a better lifestyle. "The weight of a suitcase lies not in the weight of the goods it carries, but in the real and vivid China it presents to the world."
