(Yicai Global) Jan. 17 -- Chinese consumers are focusing on the quality rather than price of the food they buy as they stock up on produce for the Chinese New Year, according to data from retail giant JD.Com's logistics unit.

Shoppers care more about the taste, nutritional value, quality and brands of the fruit they buy this year, JD Logistics said in a report on the country's consumers yesterday.

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of China's most important national holidays and typically spans an entire week. It is a time many will spend with families and close friends, with most households preparing large amounts of food prior to the festival so they can entertain guests, which creates a great business opportunity for JD.Com and other e-commerce firms, which run sales around this time of year.

The day of the Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 5 this year, with many workers beginning the holiday on Feb. 4.

The top five sellers among fruits this year have been cherries, tangerines, kiwis, blueberries and oranges, according to the report, which said imported and local brands have both proved popular. Cherries and tangerines have a large price discrepancy but proved popular among shoppers, particularly women aged 25 to 45 years old, who were the main buyers of high-quality fruits and vegetables with short shelf lives.

More and more second- and third-tier cities also showed their potential for bigger spending, with high-priced fruits no longer seen as a luxury for those in China's first-tier metropolises, the report said.

Other Products

The top five best-selling goods in the build up to this Chinese New Year have been fruit, milk, snacks, rice and beverages, the report added, saying outdoor products, home decoration and holiday-themed decorations were the fastest growers.

Consumers are now paying more attention to the quality of rice, according to the report, which shows that rice from China's northeast and basmati rice from Thailand are shoppers' favorites. Salty snacks are also gaining in popularity to challenge the dominance of sweets and candies -- potato chips, cookies, nuts, dried meat and chocolate are the five most-sold snacks so far this year.

The top ten cities in terms of spending were Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xi'an, Wuhan and Hangzhou, while the three cities with the highest growth in spending were Dongguan, Shenzhen and Chongqing.

Consumers born in the 1970s and 1980s are still the main force among online shoppers, and make up 80 percent of consumers buying on JD, according to the report. Those born in the 1990s are also starting to make up a larger portion as they begin to enter the workforce, contributing 10 percent toward total spending on JD so far this year.

Editor: James Boynton