For billions of Chinese people, it's a custom to go shopping for the Spring Festival holiday, which is traditionally a time for family reunion. This year, holiday shopping has taken on a new hue, as items like mahjong machines for families and New Year clothes for pets are flying off the shelves as an increasing number of people stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average daily sales of mahjong machines rose by over 130 percent on a yearly basis during the holiday shopping season, according to data from Taobao, an online marketplace. Most of the purchases were made in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, southwest China's Sichuan Province and east China's Zhejiang Province, the data showed.

Mahjong, the Chinese tile-based game commonly played by three or four players, has gained so much popularity over time that there are even designated Mahjong houses, where people gather at weekends to test their skill, strategy and calculation.

It was the post-85s and post-90s generations who were the main customers, according to the data, adding that multi-functional mahjong machines, including those with silent tile shuffling function, those that can be folded and unfolded to save space, and those that can be switched to dining tables were the most popular.

New Year clothes for pets are also among the hot items purchased by customers during the holiday shopping.

A Spring Festival holiday shopping report by China's e-commerce giant JD.com showed that the expenditure in pet-related items has seen a bigger growth in comparison with that of past years, when many pet owners used to ask others to take care of their furry friends as they returned to their hometowns to spend the Spring Festival holiday.

Embracing a stay-put Spring Festival this time, pet owners are ready to spend the traditionally family reunion holiday with their pets. There is an internet joke that goes: "one may be accompanied by a dog, but we will also enjoy the Spring Festival holiday."

New Year clothes for pets stood out among pets-related items. The sale of New Year pet clothes rose by 360 percent during the holiday shopping period on Pinduoduo, China's rising online shopping platform. And among the ten new stockings for Spring Festival released by e-commerce giant Tmall, New Year clothes for pets ranked second.

Home fitness equipment including skipping-rope and dumbbells, as well as books, are also among the most purchased items for the stay-at-home Spring Festival.

Some internet users shared their fitness plans to maintain or pursue a nice body during the seven-day holiday when most people expect to gain weight due to family feasts, while some internet users said the holiday provides them a time to read the books they have left aside due to work or study.