When Grace Andrews, a US content creator, packed for her trip to China, she brought along a completely empty suitcase, dedicated solely to her shopping list.

By the time she headed home, that extra luggage was bursting at the seams.

In a video posted to social media earlier this month that received thousands of likes, Andrews unpacked a haul that spanned the spectrum of Chinese retail: delicate antique ceramics nestled next to trendy designer blind boxes, alongside a slew of clothing, shoes and handbags from domestic brands.

As international tourism to China grows, visitors are driving a new social media trend: the “China haul”, to accompany other China-related viral trends, such as “Chinamaxxing”. Drawn by the sheer scale and variety of China’s domestic supply chains, foreign travellers are now increasingly buying everyday consumer goods instead of merely picking up mass-produced souvenirs.

Last year, sales of goods bought through the departure tax refund system – which is primarily utilised by inbound travellers – increased by 95.9 per cent, outpacing the 17.1 per cent increase in the number of foreign tourists during the same period, official data showed.

The surge in retail spending indicated that the “China haul” was more than a viral internet phenomenon, according to Anthony Anastasi, an assistant professor of economics at the Sino-British College, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.

“China’s domestic consumer market is itself becoming part of the attraction of visiting,” said Anastasi.

“China has long produced goods for consumers around the world. What has changed is how easily foreign visitors can access its domestic market,” he added. “Expanded visa-free entry, easier payments and more convenient tax refunds reduce the barriers to visiting and shopping.”“For these tourists, a purchase only needs to beat the price of a similar item back home to feel like a bargain, as travel and lodging are costs they have already absorbed,” he explained. Such deals are easily found in a vast consumer market like China, known for its “considerable variety and, for many products, competitive prices”.

Take cosmetics as an example. An eyeshadow palette from Flower Knows, a Chinese beauty brand known for its princess-style packaging, which has gained popularity overseas in recent years, costs around 100 yuan (US$14.95) on domestic platforms, around half the price on its overseas store.

Aiming to stimulate its economy, China has opened visa-free travel in stages since 2023 to about 50 countries, including Australia, Russia, Singapore and most of Europe.

Meanwhile, the government has ramped up efforts to ease payment hurdles for foreigners – which used to be a pain point for overseas visitors navigating China’s largely cashless society.

Major payment platforms, including Tencent Holdings’ WeChat Pay, UnionPay and Ant Group’s Alipay, have enhanced interoperability with overseas e-wallets. This integration allows tourists to simply scan local QR codes and pay directly using familiar apps.

At the forefront of this retail push is Shanghai. As the top destination for inbound tourists, it has set a target to nearly quintuple tax-free merchandise sales to inbound visitors over the next five years. The city, positioned as an international consumption hub, recorded 4.28 billion yuan in tax-refund sales last year, and aimed to increase that figure to around 20 billion yuan by 2030.

Apart from the price factors, Anastasi added that, for foreign tourists, shopping in China was also about discovering products and taking part in a trend, as social media introduced visitors to items they may not have otherwise considered, against the backdrop of wider interest in travelling in China.

Brooke Carline, a US tourist who travelled to China in early September, spent her shopping budget on modern items like toys, and also traditional teacups. She noted her purchases were driven heavily by the service and in-store experience.

“Every store that I went into when I was in China, everyone was so helpful and so kind and so excited about you shopping in their store,” she said. “Everything that you bought came with a story and an explanation.”

“I had such a good time that it was really important for me to bring back some things that reminded me of the Chinese culture.”In a September report, UBS projected that revenue from inbound travel to China would reach US$470 billion by 2040, driven by tax-refund optimisation and stronger domestic brands.