Shelftrak launches Year of the Horse Chinese New Year Travel Retail Study

Shelftrak, the AI-powered retail execution and insight platform, has announced the launch of a major new Chinese New Year (CNY) Travel Retail Study to coincide with the Year of the Horse in 2026.

Shelftrak notes that Chinese New Year is the largest annual travel event in the world, driving billions of passenger journeys and representing one of the most commercially important trading periods for the global travel retail industry. Shelftrak’s new study is designed to give brands and retailers a clear, evidence-based view of how CNY is activated across the world’s most influential airports and how those learnings can be used to inform CNY 2027 planning.

“Chinese New Year is one of the most intense and commercially important moments in the travel retail calendar, yet it’s often planned using limited or anecdotal insight,” said Garry Stasiulevicuis, Managing Director of Shelftrak. “This study is about bringing real-world evidence to the table – showing how CNY is actually executed across airports, categories and regions.”

A Global View of CNY Execution

The Year of the Horse Chinese New Year Study will capture one representative store in each of the following key global travel hubs:

Europe - London Heathrow (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Middle East - Doha Hamad (DOH), Dubai International (DXB)

Asia - Singapore Changi (SIN); Hong Kong International (HKG); Beijing Capital (PEK); Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)

North America: Los Angeles (LAX), New York JFK (JFK).

These airports represent critical gateways for mainland China, overseas Chinese communities, tourism and long-haul transit, making them central to understanding global CNY travel and shopping behavior.

“These hubs sit at the intersection of passenger flow, gifting culture and premium purchasing,” added Stasiulevicuis. “They give us a truly global lens on how Chinese New Year is being brought to life in travel retail.”

What the Study Will Cover

Shelftrak’s CNY research program will deliver a highly visual, execution-focused view of how Chinese New Year is activated, including:

• A full photo journey of the passenger and shopper experience

• Airport-wide activations and digital messaging

• In-store execution across key categories

• Brand presence, SKU ranges, pricing and promotional mechanics

• Identification of best-in-class execution and missed opportunities

A dedicated deep dive will focus on Alcohol, Confectionery and Tobacco, some of the most commercially important categories during CNY, covering:

• Number and quality of CNY brand activations

• Seasonal SKUs and gifting formats

• Promotional depth and price positioning

• Regional execution differences

The output will combine interactive online photo carousels by airport with a written report delivering key summaries, qualitative insight and commercial implications.

“This isn’t about abstract trends,” said Stasiulevicuis. “It’s about what shoppers actually see, experience and buy, and how well brands and retailers execute at shelf during a critical seasonal moment.”

Why 2026 Is a Blueprint Year

Chinese New Year planning typically begins months in advance, making 2026 a crucial reference point for future strategy.

“What brands learn from CNY 2026 will directly shape how effectively they plan and execute CNY 2027,” said Stasiulevicuis. “You simply can’t plan the next cycle without understanding what worked, what didn’t, and why.”

Supporting Smarter Seasonal Planning

Shelftrak’s Year of the Horse CNY Study is designed to help commercial, marketing and category teams:

• Benchmark CNY execution across global hubs

• Understand regional differences in activation strategy

• Identify best practice and execution gaps

• Strengthen range, pricing and promotional decisions for future cycles

The study will be released following the 2026 Chinese New Year period.