(Yicai) Aug. 31 -- Guangzhou, Wuhan, and other Chinese cities home to more than one million college students have launched supportive measures to boost consumer spending among incoming and returning students with the start of the new school year.

Guangzhou unveiled a subsidy program under which eligible 3C (computers, communications, and consumer) electronics qualify for a 15 percent discount, capped at CNY500 (USD74) per item. Combined with discounts and gifts from Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei Technologies, and other brands, total savings can exceed CNY1,000 (USD148) per purchase, driving a wave of back-to-school digital spending.

Wuhan held a launch ceremony and four themed campaigns covering shopping, dining, entertainment, and gifts at a 2026 welcome event for college students on Aug. 29. The city showed technology and innovation initiatives, entrepreneurship and employment policies, and measures such as a tax refund map for departing travelers, while expanding access to government services.

Ranked by the number of college students, Guangzhou led with 1.78 million, followed by Zhengzhou with 1.53 million and Wuhan with 1.44 million. Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Xi'an, and Nanjing are the only other Chinese cities with over one million such students.

This year's back-to-school spending highlights three trends, said Pan Helin, co-director and researcher at the Research Center for Digital Economy and Financial Innovation at Zhejiang University's International Business School. Digital product purchases have expanded beyond the traditional "three items of computers, phones, and tablets" to include cameras, experiential consumption related to do-it-yourself crafts, intellectual property merchandise, fitness, and travel is increasing, and social spending, including dining out, has grown, he noted.

In addition, cross-city consumption is becoming more common as students' activity range expands, Pan pointed out.

Chengdu launched an all-in-one experience card covering food, lodging, transport, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment, allowing new students to enter 27 major scenic spots and museums for free on their first visit, with two accompanying family members or friends receiving a 50 percent discount. It also introduced 10 curated city tour routes.

Nanjing adopted district-specific subsidies, where Qixia district, home to a cluster of universities, partnered with on-demand services giant Meituan to distribute CNY1 million (USD148,660) in dining vouchers, while Xuanwu district rolled out a six-month digital purchase subsidy covering laptops, tablets, and artificial intelligence hardware.

As competition for young consumers intensifies, the core of back-to-school economics has shifted from "selling goods" to "showcasing the city," with a focus on service capacity and development opportunities, Pan noted, adding that a city's ability to turn students' first impressions into lasting emotional ties and provide sufficient high-quality employment opportunities will be key to whether they stay.

Home supply has also drawn attention in some cities, with Shenzhen University posting a notice on the China government procurement website that it will likely buy commercial houses for student dormitories for up to CNY533.6 million (USD79.3 million) next month. In addition, Hubei University's Yanglou campus, Hefei University of Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, and Central South University have all previously made such moves.

Editor: Martin Kadiev