This year's Spring Festival has given the Chinese economy another great lift. According to the ministry of commerce, there was a massive increase in sales across the country, with many restaurants, shops and scenic areas reporting significant gains. With consumers now willing to pay more for high-quality services and products, the increased consumption is forcing businesses to up their game. CGTN's Ren Xueqian has more.

Over the past week, the retail and catering sectors across China generated revenue of about 926 billion yuan, or 146 billion US dollars. Looking to meet the seemingly voracious demands of the country's consumers, mega online retailers, such as Suning, JD, and Tmall, have maintained regular business hours during the national break and they've put on quite a spread.

REN XUEQIAN BEIJING "With cross-border e-commerce becoming increasingly popular among Chinese consumers, various sales events for imported products were launched over the holiday to meet consumer demand. According to Suning's latest data, imported goods have so far taken up 63 percent of goods purchased for the Chinese Lunar New Year, with more emphasis on the quality rather than the quantity of the goods."

Suning says there's been a major shift in consumer habits, with shoppers now moving away from conventional New Year goods, such as clothing and jewelry. Instead, they're after electronics, as well as imported food and cosmetics.

CONSUMER "My family purchased a lot of imported sea-food this holiday season.”

CONSUMER "I mainly bought imported vegetables, fruit and wine for this year's holiday, because these are the things I can afford now.”

However, while many consumers are having their heads turned by overseas goods, many are happy to look closer to home.

CONSUMER "I bought a lot of Chinese white wine and traditional desserts for my parents. I'm also looking to buy electronics from Huawei.”

In an effort to boost sales, many electronics companies look to upgrade their products just before the holiday season. Suning says such a strategy improves the competitiveness of the domestic market and, in turn, brings more choice and quality to the consumer.

WANG BO GENERAL MANAGER, SUNING COMMERCE GROUP "I think such an increase in the consumption of imported products is the result of better quality products and rising consumer spending. Our sales events this year aim to diversify product choices for shoppers, and by including different brands, this can help increase overall consumption. So I think both imported and domestic products have a complimentary effect on sales."

In addition to retail, China's culture and entertainment sectors have also recorded gains, with box office revenue topping 5.6 billion yuan over the past week. With shoppers willing to spend more, domestic consumption is expected to grow further, as there's a stronger market for new and improved goods and services.