It is time again for the biggest and most important festival in China, Chinese New Year! This year marks the Year of the Rat, which is the first zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle.

Chinese New Year, which is also known as Spring Festival, is a time for families to get together and celebrate the festival. It is a custom for families to hold a reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year. Other traditions include the use of firecrackers, fireworks, giving red packets and decorating the house with Chinese New Year decorations.

chinese new year 2020 - year of the rat

Chinese New Year 2020 – Year of the Rat

During this period, many workers will return to their hometown to join their families and friends in festive celebrations. Many workers leave their hometown for the big cities due to better job prospects and the rise of industrialization. Therefore, it can get hectic and busy when traveling around the country.

One of the questions we commonly receive from customers during this period is: “When and how long will factories be closed for?”

Well, many factories and businesses will be closed for approximately 4 weeks, depending on individual schedules. Many companies enforce long closure times to allow their workers to travel to their hometowns and return to the city where they work.

In addition, Chinese forwarders will be closed on 21st January and will resume operations beginning February. However, please note that there will be delays due to the shortage of staff at Customs. Thus, inspections will be slower than usual.

The actual Chinese New Year day falls on 25 January.

Here are a few points to note when dealing with factories in China during the CNY period:

  • Due to the closure of factories, there will be many delays in shipping and production from China. It is good to plan accordingly in advance.
  • Chinese New Year is considered the best time to change jobs as many workers seek better jobs.  This might result in quality problems once workers return to work since the staff managing your order and requirements may have resigned. In addition, factories may rush to complete their orders before the festive season. More mistakes may be made during this time. Therefore, it is important to schedule regular quality control inspections during this period.
  • The cost of shipping an order during the festive period increases drastically. Therefore, you should plan your schedule with your freight forwarder in advance. To lower costs, you can also try to avoid shipping during peak times.

ODM’s office in Zhuhai will be closed from 24th January to 2nd February and reopen on February, 3rd. Dedicated staff will remain in constant communication with factory managers and our QC team for critical projects.

Last of all, with this year being the Year of the Rat, we are proud to announce our new range of Rat socks for our Chinese New Year promotions! Our in-house design team, Mindsparkz, came up with a fresh design in multiple color combinations.

odm rat socks

Chinese New Year 2020- Year of the Rat

Be sure to check out the ODM magazine for new and upcoming updates!

Check out these related blogs for Festive Marketing Ideas:

With Christmas being the season of giving, why not show appreciation to your clients with branded corporate gifts? Read on to discover interesting ideas!

Spread the festive joy by offering gift with purchase! It will definitely help to draw attention to your brand and increase brand visibility.

We love this drinks POS display from Johnnie Walker for their CNY promotions. Read this blog to find out more!