Lunar New Year Merchandise Palette年货

年货 — literally “New Year goods” — is the shopping fever in the weeks before Chinese New Year, when households stock up on food, gifts, decorations and clothing. The merchandise palette is slightly different from event branding: it is heavier, more material, built from the colours of lacquerware, dried fruit, amber candy and printed paper. Where festival graphics lean bright, merchandise leans rich — more brown, more orange, more weight — so that a product looks substantial on a shelf.

Crimson and vermilion reds do the aspirational work and should stay the primary note. Amber and lacquer browns — 琥珀, 赭石, 驼色 — add the warmth and depth that make packaging feel premium rather than disposable. A single gold or deep-orange highlight carries the idea of prosperity without tipping into novelty.

Watch the volume: red plus gold plus brown plus orange turns muddy fast. Choose one red as the brand colour, one amber as the support, and keep a clean neutral for breathing room on the pack. As at Spring Festival, avoid white and black as the lead colour, and avoid four-piece gift sets.