Consumer goods trade-in policy is being further promoted in rural areas

Since the beginning of this year, the speed of old-for-new appliance replacements in rural areas of counties has significantly increased, with sales of large appliances such as air conditioner sets and wall-mounted washing machines growing more than sixfold year over year. Remote rural areas in Heilongjiang, Hunan, Guizhou, and other regions have seen a substantial increase in orders for government-subsidized TVs, air conditioners, and refrigerators. Behind this surge in appliance replacement orders is JD.com’s establishment of a supply chain and service network covering both urban and rural areas, ensuring that government-subsidized products reach every village smoothly.

Although the policy system continues to improve, there are still several key bottlenecks in implementing rural government subsidies, affecting policy effectiveness and farmers’ sense of gain. Cao Peng, Chairman of JD Group’s Technology Committee, stated, “There are still some obstacles in implementing the ‘Two New’ policies in county-level rural areas, including insufficient publicity and mobilization, lack of dedicated funds, and offline store qualification issues, which prevent many rural consumers from enjoying the benefits of technology and policies.” He suggested increasing publicity for rural government subsidies, establishing a dedicated fund pool for rural subsidies, relaxing registration requirements for offline subsidy providers, and coordinating efforts to activate the rural consumer market.

Lü Shenghua, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association and Editor-in-Chief of China Home Appliance Network, believes that with the implementation of government subsidies this year, more rural consumers will be able to enjoy the benefits of these policies, improving their quality of life, stimulating rural consumption, and injecting more momentum into rural revitalization. Urban consumers have already developed the habit of claiming government subsidy qualifications online and shopping; currently, due to popular promotional activities, some consumers in certain regions are unable to claim online subsidies immediately. He hopes to maintain convenience so that users who are accustomed to online claiming can continue to do so.

Cao Peng recommended establishing a dedicated fund pool for rural subsidies, allocating specific funds within the overall subsidy scheme to support rural markets, and prioritizing companies with rural coverage capabilities and compliance qualifications to participate, especially favoring online rural consumption. Relaxing registration requirements for offline subsidy providers would help more township physical stores offer convenient services to rural consumers. More compliant small and medium-sized enterprises should be encouraged to participate, including county and rural home appliance and 3C digital stores without current subsidy qualifications, expanding the subsidy scope to benefit more rural consumers and boost local retail sales.

Wang Wei, a second-level researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council and former director of the Institute of Market Economy, believes that there are clear differences between rural and urban markets in product functions, usage scenarios, and sales and service channels. Promoting appliance upgrades and stimulating rural consumption requires more targeted and refined policies. On one hand, subsidies for old-for-new appliances should favor rural areas; on the other hand, online and offline (300959) coordinated efforts should expand subsidy coverage, precisely define suitable products for rural markets, and diversify product options. This approach will effectively address the challenges of appliance upgrades in rural areas and activate rural consumption potential.

Jia Nan, former Deputy Director of the National Bureau of Statistics, suggests leveraging the mature supply chain infrastructure and technological capabilities of e-commerce platforms to serve rural subsidies, which can quickly promote affordable prices and support the upgrading of county-level consumption. Additionally, this will drive the development of county e-commerce and improve the digital economy ecosystem in rural areas. He recommends promoting a dual-track model of “online traffic attraction + offline strengthening + county adaptation,” optimizing fund allocation, and improving service systems to ensure policy benefits reach rural consumers while also supporting the development of county physical stores, logistics, and employment stability—achieving mutual empowerment of rural consumption upgrade and county economic development.

“Coordinate efforts to activate the rural consumer market. Through enterprise initiatives and policy empowerment, better support the deepening of rural government subsidies, making old-for-new policies truly benefit hundreds of millions of rural residents,” Cao Peng said.

It is understood that to ensure the government subsidy policy truly takes root in rural areas, JD.com will invest nearly 30 billion yuan in towns and below by 2025, covering product subsidies, logistics fulfillment, offline service network construction, and other areas. Nearly 100,000 township service stations nationwide will become key nodes for implementing subsidies, allowing villagers to enjoy city-level upgrade services at their doorsteps. In 2026, JD.com will continue to allocate resources for the implementation of rural subsidies in towns and below, leveraging its nationwide logistics network and tens of thousands of offline stores to better promote rural government subsidies.