Small commodities equipped with smart technologies are proving increasingly popular among international buyers at the Yiwu International Trade Market, the world's largest wholesale market for small goods, located in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Known as "the world's supermarket," the bustling market in Yiwu has enjoyed strong foreign trade growth in the first three quarters of 2025 despite a challenging global trading environment.
Total imports and exports at the small commodities hub rose by more than 26 percent year-on-year during the first three quarters to hit a record high of over 630 billion yuan (around 89 billion U.S. dollars), according to Yiwu Customs.
The robust growth comes as exporters in Yiwu work to secure more orders in emerging markets and look to entice buyers with targeted product lines catered to different countries and regions.
Among the most eye-catching products on display is an innovative doll with a furry body and big eyes which is sure to win the hearts of many young consumers. It not only supports multi-language interaction but can also recognize users' tone of voice and respond to complex questions, making it an intriguing purchase for many.
"It supports a wide range of languages, with Japanese, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, and English being the basic ones. One customer from Spain initially purchased one just for fun, but he returned a couple of days later to place an order for three boxes," said Li Jun, a shop owner.
A range of smart wearable devices are also attracting attention. One of the bestsellers is a multifunctional ring that performs functions typically found in a wristwatch while also collecting and monitoring health data in real time.
Business owners say these innovative offerings are helping drive considerable growth this year.
"This year, our sales are expected to reach 100 million U.S. dollars, which is five times last year's figure. We anticipate a growth of two to three times next year," said Wang Guoxing, another shop owner.
According to the General Administration of Customs, in the first three quarters of this year, China exported over 50 billion yuan (about 7.3 billion U.S. dollars) worth of festive items, dolls, and animal-shaped toys to more than 200 countries and regions.
Many of these products have become big hits overseas, and more and more foreign buyers are flocking to the market to check out the latest items for themselves.
"[I'm impressed by] the robotics stuff, the AI stuff, just all the new stuff really, all the stuff that's developing tech. Very good, it's nothing like anything I've ever experienced before," said Thomas, a British buyer.