Are you ready for the Chinese New Year 2025 production blackout?

Let’s start with a question 

What’s worse than slow sales? I’d say it’s being out of stock when you have amazing sales. 

Here’s what to know to prevent this leading into the 2025 Chinese New Year (CNY). 

Factories usually stop working about a week before the holiday. Why? Workers head home early to beat the travel rush. So, mark your calendars: Chinese New Year 2025 is on Wednesday, January 29th.

Many factories will have either no or very depleted production capacity for at least 3 weeks—from as soon as January 20 to into the week of February 10. 

If you work with factories in China or Asia, start by asking your factories their New Year break schedule for both office workers AND production labourers. 

3 important tips  

1.) Don’t split orders before and after the holiday. Many workers don’t come back to their old jobs after the break. New workers might make mistakes on your products.

2.) Book ocean or air shipping several weeks before CNY to avoid delays and high costs. 

3.) Consider ordering extra or importing more stock to a local 3PL to cover possible delays. Have a backup plan, just in case. 

Chinese New Year is a big deal and it can cause headaches if you’re not prepared. Act now to avoid problems later.

Remember to wish your contacts a happy holiday when the time comes.

As always, happy sourcing!