TOPS, the food business under Central Retail (SET: CRC), has released the results of its consumer behavior survey for Chinese New Year 2026, revealing five key trends. The findings show that Thai consumers are increasingly inclined towards ‘Smart Purchasing’, placing greater importance on ‘quality’ over ‘promotions’, while believing that ‘saving must come with auspicious meaning’.
To usher in the Year of the Horse, TOPS launches its major annual campaign, “THE GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026.” This initiative leverages deep customer insights through the ‘Discover Prosperity Together’ strategy, built on the ‘A.C.E’ framework: A – ASSORTMENT: ‘Discover the Finest Fortune’ – A curating the finest auspicious products. C – CONNECT & CUSTOMER EMPOWERMENT: “Discover Your Personalized Prosperity” – Utilizing AI to deliver personalized insights that resonate with individual needs. E – EXPERIENCE: ‘Discover Seamless Celebration’ – Creating an auspicious, seamless celebration experience.
The campaign also enhances auspiciousness through the participation of Mor Chang Tossaporn Sritula, a renowned astrology and feng shui expert, who shares correct worship practices and recommends fully curated offering sets. This is complemented by generous promotions under ‘TOPS Gives 3 Auspicious Rewards for Chinese New Year’, offering exclusive benefits for The1 members from now until 17 February 2026. The campaign reinforces TOPS’ position as a Food Discovery & Destination leader for Chinese New Year, with a sales growth target of over 20% during the festive period.
Mr. Chakkit Chatupanyachotikul, Head of Marketing, Public Relations & CSV of Central Food Retail under Central Retail, said “Although Thailand’s overall retail market in 2026 continues to face challenges amid gradual economic growth—forecast by SCB EIC at 3.7%—we firmly believe that 2026 will be a ‘Year of Recovery and Hope’ for Thai people, following the many challenges of the past year. As TOPS marks its 30th anniversary, we are committed to creating emotional value under the theme of ‘Togetherness’, strengthening the family bonds and revitalizing collective happiness through the cherished traditions of Chinese New Year.”
We anticipate that the spending atmosphere during this year’s Chinese New Year will remain vibrant, as the festival is one of the important annual occasions that consumers value for celebration and enhancing auspiciousness. This is supported by Chinese New Year spending last year, which reached 50 billion baht, reflecting a positive outlook on purchasing power. In addition, the soft power of deeply rooted beliefs and cultural traditions in Thai society continues to serve as an important source of emotional support and a driving force behind continued consumer spending.
“These factors have driven us to develop a campaign that truly resonates with our customers’ ‘Smart Purchasing’ mindset. We offer a diverse range of premium-quality offerings, authentically curated to meet auspicious traditions at accessible prices, paired with even more compelling promotions. We are confident that our deep, customer-centric strategy will transform challenges into market momentum, playing a vital role in stimulating overall economic growth.”
Insights from the previous year’s Chinese New Year reveal that women remain the primary decision-makers, accounting for 75% of total spending. When segmented by age, Gen Y (39.5%) and Gen X (37.7%) emerged as the core contributors, collectively representing over 77% of festive expenditure. Offline channels continue to dominate with a 96% sales share, particularly in Greater Bangkok—a high-potential region that generated nearly 70% of the campaign’s total revenue.
Purchasing behavior reveals a significant surge on ‘Spending Day’ (Wan Chai), with sales skyrocketing by 188% and average basket sizes expanding by 64% compared to typical periods. The top five best-selling categories are led by Cleaning Products—reflecting the tradition of cleansing the home to invite good fortune—followed by Fresh Produce, Cooking Ingredients, Home Care, and Packaged Food. Furthermore, Pre-order sales grew by 6.3%, signaling a shift toward ‘Smart Planning.’ This trend highlights how modern consumers prioritize convenience and seek to ensure they secure premium-quality auspicious items that strictly adhere to tradition.
This year, TOPS also identified emerging consumer behavior trends for Chinese New Year 2026 based on insight surveys conducted via LINE TOPS Thailand and the Personal Shopper channel, revealing the following:
- Gen X & Gen Y as the key decision-makers for beliefs and spending – Gen X (48%) and Gen Y (30%) remain the primary decision-makers during Chinese New Year, mostly within middle-to-upper income groups and living in Greater Bangkok (80%). These consumers place strong importance on strictly observing traditions (44%), including cleaning the home before worship day, wearing new clothes, and avoiding inauspicious language.
- Quality Outweighs Price: auspicious fruits remain ‘Must-Have’ Items – A standout trend reveals that 84% of consumers view auspicious fruits as essential for Chinese New Year, with over 55% willing to purchase them regardless of promotions. This reflects a clear shift in culturally and spiritually significant festivals: freshness and quality now exert a greater influence on purchasing decisions than price alone.
- ‘Smart Planners’ Preparing Ahead Amid Cost-of-Living Concerns – Economic pressures remain a primary concern, with 57% of consumers worried about rising food prices and 36% concerned about overall expenses, particularly among Gen X and Gen Y. Consequently, 40% have adopted strategic budgeting, planning their purchases meticulously in advance, while 36% intend to spend less than last year. A majority of consumers (53%) aim to cap their festive spending at 2,500 baht, prioritizing Food and Beverages (52%) as their top expense, followed by Red Envelopes (29%)
- Eco-conscious celebrations and reduced food waste – Chinese New Year 2026 reflects a shift towards more environmentally conscious celebrations, with 63% of consumers intending to manage offering quantities appropriately to reduce food waste, highlighting the growing importance of sustainability—especially among urban consumers.
- Modern vs Traditional: convenience with meaning – While traditions and beliefs remain central, shopping behaviors have evolved. Consumers now seek convenience and one-stop solutions, making ‘Modern Trade’ the main shopping channel (67%) as it effectively combines traditional correctness with modern lifestyles.
Key customer pain points were also identified, including The Fear of Getting it Wrong —especially among younger generations unfamiliar with correct offerings— The Frustration of the Hunt from multiple locations, Anxiety of a Budget due to rising costs, and The Pressure of Time from fast-paced lifestyles. These insights were incorporated into THE GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026 campaign, shaping product strategies, promotions, channels, and communications to deliver a convenient, comprehensive, and confidence-boosting shopping experience.
For THE GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026, TOPS is driving forward under the ‘Discover Prosperity Together’ strategy, embracing the theme of Recovery & Hope, with a focus on emotional value and togetherness through the three A.C.E pillars:
- A – ASSORTMENT: Discover the Finest Fortune – TOPS elevates its offering of auspicious products that seamlessly integrate belief and lifestyle. Based on consumer insights prioritizing ‘Quality and Authenticity’ over price, products are meticulously curated and endorsed by astrology expert Mor Chang Tossaporn Sritula, addressing Four Dimensions of Auspicious Energy: Luck (The Power of Good Fortune and New Opportunities) Welcoming positivity and auspicious beginnings throughout the year with oranges, duck, persimmons, and Thai steamed cupcakes. Health (The Power of Well-being) Representing balance and good health through pomegranates, red apples, fish, and longevity peach-shaped buns. Wealth (The Power of Prosperity) Enhancing abundance and financial prosperity with red grapes, pineapples, pig heads, and paper offering sets. Love (The Power of Love) Bringing warmth and harmony to the family with red cherries, strawberries, steamed buns, and pink stir-fried noodles. While reinforcing TOPS’ leadership in Premium Freshness through premium-grade auspicious fruits selected for their exceptional freshness—responding to consumers who view fruit as the very heart of traditional offerings. At the same time, the assortment caters to modern lifestyles through the concepts of Convenience & Sustainability, with all-in-one offering sets and curated ritual items designed in right-sized portions to help reduce food waste, one of the key consumption trends increasingly valued by today’s consumers.
- C – CONNECT & CUSTOMER EMPOWERMENT: Discover Your Personalized Prosperity – For the first time, TOPS is fully deploying AI-Powered Lifestyle Segmentation for its Chinese New Year campaign, leveraging data from The 1 Ecosystem to analyze and predict individual consumer needs at a granular level (hyper-personalization). This significantly enhances the accuracy of communications and product recommendations, ensuring they are truly aligned with the purchasing behaviors of each customer segment. Key components include:
- Existing Shoppers: Encourage repeat purchases or purchase upgrades by leveraging purchase history, with AI recommending products that deliver a more engaging and memorable shopping experience.
- Seasonal Patterns (High-Potential Customers): AI identifies customers with a strong propensity to engage in festive spending based on early behavioral cues—such as those purchasing home-cleaning supplies pre-festival—enabling TOPS to deliver timely, relevant promotions that align with their decision-making journey.
- Lapsed Customers: Re-engaging inactive shoppers through hyper-personalized incentives
Furthermore, under the ‘Customer Empowerment Ang-Pao’ strategy, TOPS empowers shoppers with a flexible campaign that allows them to ‘Customize Their Value.’ Whether through instant discounts, points redemption, or cashback credits, this approach is designed to cater to the diverse and specific preferences of every individual.
- E – EXPERIENCE: Discover Seamless Celebration – Elevating the shopping experience by transforming the supermarket atmosphere into a contemporary Chinatown, filled with vibrant colours and festive energy to create clear differentiation and lasting memorability during the festive period. Customer engagement is further enhanced through how-to guide content by ‘Mor Chang’, offering practical guidance on setting up worship tables correctly and preparing to welcome good fortune in line with traditional beliefs, helping to ease consumer concerns and build confidence in their celebrations. In addition, the experience is seamlessly connected through an offline-to-online (O2O) approach, allowing customers to pre-order products and have auspicious items delivered directly to their homes without interruption—perfectly catering to convenience and modern digital lifestyles.
The campaign is further bolstered by the ‘TOPS Gives 3 Auspicious Rewards for Chinese New Year’ promotion. Designed to maximize value and support smarter spending, TOPS offers exclusive privileges to The1 members from now until 17 February 2026.
- Fortune No. 1: “The Great Chinese New Year 2026” Discount Coupons – Enjoy savings of up to 15% when meeting the minimum spending requirements. Coupons are available in three formats:
- Receive one free discount coupon for every 600 baht spent per receipt at TOPS (participating branches), TOPS FOOD HALL, TOPS FINE FOOD, and TOPS ONLINE.
- Receive one free discount coupon for every 400 baht spent per receipt at TOPS (participating branches), all TOPS CARE locations, participating Pet N’Me stores, and Matsukiyo.
- Receive one free discount coupon for every 150 baht spent per receipt at all TOPS DAILY branches.
These exclusive privileges are reserved for The1 members only. Each member is entitled to a maximum of 12 coupons throughout the campaign period.
- Fortune No. 2: Redeem The1 Points for Extra Discounts – Redeem The 1 points equivalent to your purchase amount to receive an additional discount of up to 20% (terms and conditions apply)
- Fortune No. 3: Earn or Redeem for Up to 20% Cashback – Get up to 20% cashback through participating credit cards by earning or redeeming points (terms and conditions apply)
Special Offer for The1 Members! Experience the exclusive “Super Burn” promotion. Enjoy an on-top discount across your entire basket by redeeming The1 points equivalent to your purchase amount. Get an instant 20% additional discount with a minimum redemption of only 800 points per receipt. This offer is available at all TOPS locations and TOPS ONLINE.
For customers interested in pre-ordering Chinese New Year products, TOPS is offering exclusive privileges for orders placed via TOPS, TOPS FOOD HALL, TOPS FINE FOOD, TOPS ONLINE, and the Personal Shopper service. When pre-ordering Chinese New Year products with a minimum spend of 800 baht, customers will receive a 100-baht gift voucher. For pre-orders placed via TOPS DAILY, customers who spend 800 baht will receive an immediate 100-baht discount. The promotion is limited to one entitlement per The1 membership number. Pre-orders are available from today until 13 February 2026, with product collection scheduled for 15 February 2026. For further details, please enquire at participating stores.
In addition, during the Chinese New Year period, TOPS will serve a wide range of Chinese cuisine from renowned and popular eateries, including Khamoo Trok Sung Bangrak , Lee Chim Hia Juikui, Je Daeng Yaowarat, as well as Michelin-recognised street food and authentic Chinese dishes—allowing consumers to fully immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere in one place.
“In 2026, TOPS remains committed to stimulating spending and strengthening confidence in Thailand’s retail sector, while elevating TOPS to become the No1 brand in consumers’ minds across every festival. We are confident that ‘THE GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026’ will be a key driver in helping Thai consumers begin the new year with confidence when shopping at TOPS, with a targeted Chinese New Year sales growth of 20%,” Mr. Chakkit concluded.
Shop smart across Spending Day, Worship Day, and Celebration Day—all in one place—with ‘THE GREAT CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026’, where TOPS has curated a complete range of Chinese New Year products and solutions to deliver both auspiciousness and prosperity. Available now until 17 February 2026 at TOPS, TOPS FOOD HALL, TOPS FINE FOOD, and TOPS DAILY nationwide, as well as online. For more information and promotions, visit www.tops.co.th, Facebook TOPS Thailand, or LINE @TOPSThailand.