Technological Innovation Drives China’s Consumption Upgrade in the 15th Five-Year Plan Era
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s consumer market remained the second largest in the world, with consumption continuing to play a fundamental role in driving economic growth. As the country steps into the 15th Five-Year Plan period, technological innovation is expected to become a key driver of consumption, which lies in creating new scenarios, enhancing real experiences and smoothing service chains — ensuring technology is not only "visible" but also "usable", and turning temporary popularity into sustainable consumption.
The just-concluded Spring Festival holiday witnessed a boom in consumer markets across many cities, with rising visitor flows and orders. A range of new technologies have been integrated into daily consumption links such as dining, accommodation, travel, tourism, shopping and entertainment, promoting a shift from "buying goods" to "buying experiences, convenience and services".
Low-altitude performances have emerged as a new engine for urban consumption. In Chongqing, thousands of drones lit up the night sky over Qiansimen Bridge, forming vivid "aerial paintings" and attracting numerous visitors. During the 2026 Year of the Horse Spring Festival, Chongqing’s total consumption increased by 7.8% year-on-year, with night consumption rising by 7.9%. Hotel search volumes near key viewing spots surged by 318% and nearly 800% respectively. Similar drone shows were held in Shantou and Taiyuan, attracting hundreds of thousands of people and breathing new life into traditional culture through digital light and shadow.
Low-altitude economy has entered a development window, with the government work report proposing to build it into an emerging pillar industry. Many cities have incorporated low-altitude performances into urban infrastructure, and future low-altitude applications are expected to cover daily life, making "air services" easily accessible.
Payment innovation has also optimized consumption experiences. In Guangzhou, digital RMB is fully supported across the metro system, making it the first first-tier city in China to realize full-scene digital RMB application in metro services. Nanjing launched digital RMB consumption red envelopes, benefiting thousands of merchants. Nationwide, digital RMB pilot programs have expanded, with 3.48 billion transactions totaling 16.7 trillion yuan by the end of November 2025, reducing payment friction and releasing potential consumer demand.
Embodied intelligence is also integrating into daily life. During the Spring Festival, humanoid robots served coffee in shopping malls and performed in digital blocks, driving a surge in consumer interest. With mature core technologies, embodied intelligence is moving towards large-scale commercial use, with a projected market size of 400 billion yuan by 2030 and over 1 trillion yuan by 2035. It has been included in the national strategic plan as an important part of future industries.
As the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, 2026 has seen policy support extended to emerging digital products such as smart glasses, with sales of smart glasses and embodied intelligent robots rising by 47.3% and 32.7% respectively during the Spring Festival. Experts and deputies emphasize that the core logic of technology empowering consumption is "people-oriented", focusing on meeting public needs.
Technological innovation, from low-altitude performances to digital payments and intelligent robots, is reshaping consumption scenarios and driving industrial upgrading. As technology transforms from a "showpiece" to a practical part of daily life, it will truly become a key driver of China’s consumer market, sustaining the vitality of consumption in the long run.
