Backed by the "longest Spring Festival holiday in history," consumer markets in 2026 are showing strong momentum. The festive atmosphere in rural areas is reflected in vibrant red couplets, the aroma of simmering meals, greetings among neighbors, and packages traversing mountains to reach villages.

"I bought three packs of Pulpy Orange from PDD before the holiday to sell in my shop, as villagers love it for banquets and gifts," said Gao Xia, who runs a small store near Chaohu Lake in Anhui. Since joining PDD's courier station service in late 2025, she now sources snacks, seasonings, clothing, and daily necessities online. "Now, parcels are delivered to the village entrance without extra fees. Everyone prefers shopping online. We received 80 packages daily before New Year's Eve, something unheard of in previous years."

"I enjoyed 10 kilograms of Yunnan snow lotus fruit during the holiday—it's sweet, refreshing, and comfortable to eat," shared Yu Shengmin from the Qinba Mountain area in Shaanxi. His order, placed for just over 40 yuan, arrived in three to four days. "I never imagined fruit from Yunnan could be delivered to our mountains so affordably and conveniently."

The Spring Festival, China's most important traditional holiday, serves as a peak consumption period and a prism reflecting changes in the economy's capillaries. In rural areas, the pattern of "online group buying—village pickup—neighborhood sharing" is becoming commonplace.

This shift is driven by the systematic expansion of national postal infrastructure and e-commerce services. Since piloting "free village delivery" in the fourth quarter of 2025, PDD has deployed end-to-end logistics networks—including county transfer warehouses and village collection points—across many regions. By covering secondary transfer fees for village-bound orders, PDD aims to overcome high logistics costs and low merchant willingness to ship to remote areas, integrating more villages into free shipping zones.

This initiative is part of PDD's "Hundred Billion Support" plan, following projects like "Duo Duo Quality Specialties," "Western Expansion Action," and "New Quality Supply." It also aligns with China's 2026 No. 1 Central Policy, which advocates for shared rural logistics facilities, integrated passenger-freight-postal services, and deepened "courier delivery to villages."

"Guided by national strategies, rural consumption has become an emerging force driving domestic circulation," said a PDD business lead. After successful e-commerce expansion in six western provinces, PDD is piloting free village delivery in additional regions under the support plan. "Rural business is our foundation. We aim to contribute to the dual circulation of 'industrial products to villages and agricultural products to cities,' improving rural livelihoods and balanced urban-rural development."

**Extending Commerce to Village Doorsteps**

Yu Shengmin, who has run Shengmin Store for over 20 years, experienced his liveliest Spring Festival yet. Confined to a wheelchair, his daily routine was once limited to assisting customers and idle moments by the fire. The quiet of his village in Ankang, Shaanxi, was disrupted when he began operating a PDD collection point in December 2025.

"Since taking on the courier service, I feel needed and happy," Yu said. Villagers now frequent his store to collect parcels, chat, and purchase small items. "The store has come alive."

He attributes this change to convenience. For residents deep in the mountains, travel is challenging. Many avoid trips to towns or cities, relying instead on local stores. Previously, unmet needs were compiled into lists for occasional town visits.

"A round trip covers over 20 km, takes an hour by car, and costs 10 yuan," Yu noted. Elderly residents, reluctant to spend or travel, depended on relatives for errands. Now, "I'll pick it up" has replaced "can you bring this?" as a common phrase.

Villagers, enjoying the ease of service, share shopping links with others. Daily parcels grew from a dozen to 30 within a month, surpassing 100 before the holiday. Shelves and floors filled with packages from across the country.

"People bought New Year goods like fruit, clothes, shoes, and appliances from PDD. The store was bustling," Yu said, adding that he purchased snow lotus fruit for family visits.

Similarly, in a remote village near Hefei, Anhui, store owner Gao Xia observed a surge in orders after launching a PDD station. Parcels included New Year decorations, clothing, nuts, frozen goods, and bulk items like corn and milk.

Though administratively part of Hefei, the village is a two-hour bus ride from the city center. Previously, villagers shopped mainly in towns. Now, with free delivery, they pick up parcels during strolls. "Convenience drives more purchases," Gao said, noting that elders now send local products to children in cities via the station.

She observed that shopping became phased rather than rushed. "There’s no need for bulk purchases. People order as needed, with deliveries arriving in about three days."

One local businesswoman collected over 20 packages, including a 100-yuan silk quilt bought on PDD. "Even I was surprised by the scale," Gao remarked. Before the Little New Year, daily parcels exceeded 80, with villagers eagerly awaiting deliveries.

Similar scenes unfolded nationwide: in Shimen, Hunan, villagers adopted electric pruners and kettles; in Wuxi, Chongqing, a station handled hundreds of daily parcels; and in Fufeng, Shaanxi, residents could easily receive packages for elderly parents.

Courier routes and village stations collectively paint a vibrant picture of rural life in the digital age. As county-level commercial systems improve, rural consumption potential accelerates. A Ministry of Commerce official stated, "The Spring Festival holiday saw lively, well-attended markets with strong sales, driven by policy effects and innovative consumption scenarios."

**No Village Left Behind in Free Shipping**

"Unprecedented! Parcel volumes remained high even after the Little New Year," said Jiang Jingniu, a courier with over a decade of experience. Since late 2025, he has delivered to remote villages near Hefei, astonished by rural purchasing power.

Initially, a small van sufficed, allowing early finishes. During Double 11, vehicles were adequate, but Double 12 required a 4.2-meter truck. Before the holiday, trucks were packed. "Loading alone takes an extra hour. Returns happen after dark."

Jiang noted that elderly villagers, once hindered by distance and cost, now eagerly await deliveries. "Before, inconvenience limited buying. Now, they ask if parcels have arrived as soon as I stop."

His transfer hub employs drivers dedicated to far-flung villages. "No matter how remote, we deliver. Mountain residents aren’t forgotten."

Beyond driving, couriers train station operators. "Gao Xia learned quickly. Empowered stations run efficiently, saving us effort," Jiang said.

Sun Wenwen, delivering to Shengmin Store, faced challenges pioneering village routes. As local hub manager, he serves villages on 500-meter-high slopes via narrow, cliffside roads.

"Thirty km linearly becomes 70–80 km of winding mountain paths," he said. After a month of village visits, he expanded services to over 90 administrative villages.

Working mainly with elders shifted his perspective. "It’s not just deliveries; it’s bringing warmth to the mountains," Sun said, inspired by children in new clothes and seniors using smart devices. "However tough, we’ll keep going."

Village accessibility stems from policy support. Since China’s "courier to villages" initiative launched in 2020 and emphasized in 2022 and 2026 central policies, rural logistics have improved through multi-stakeholder efforts.

In late 2025, PDD adapted its "segmented transport + secondary consolidation + fee waiver" model—tested in western expansion—to final-mile village delivery. Merchants ship labeled orders to transfer warehouses, which handle last-leg logistics to village stations.

In Fufeng, Shaanxi, a PDD transfer hub integrated parcels from 11 courier firms via the county logistics center. Using a "county transfer—consolidated sorting—unified delivery" model, it serves 71 village stations. Remote stations now handle over 100 parcels daily.

While boosting goods inflow, PDD’s service aids "local products to cities." Fufeng apples, once hindered by high shipping costs, now reach national markets efficiently via station packaging and shipping support.

National Bureau of Statistics data show rural retail sales surpassed 6.82 trillion yuan in 2025, up 4.1% year-on-year, outpacing urban growth for 46 months. Ministry of Commerce figures indicate rural online retail sales exceeded 3 trillion yuan, rising 6.7%. Online shopping is reshaping rural habits and ecosystems, making villages a resilient, high-potential consumption segment.

As initiatives like "e-commerce westwards" and "free village delivery" materialize as tangible orders, remote western and rural areas increasingly share in the e-commerce era’s benefits.