[Industry Observation] New Consumption Hotspot! Ministry of Commerce: January-February online retail sales of smart glasses increased by 183.5%, window-cleaning robots grew by 1.3 times

(Source: Global Robotics News)

New Consumption Trend! Ministry of Commerce: January-February 2026 Smart Glasses Online Sales Increased by 183.5%, Window Cleaning Robots Grew 1.3 Times

[Beijing Report] On March 25, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce released the operation status of China’s e-commerce market for January-February 2026. Data shows that, under the continuous release of digital consumption demand and the precise support of the “old for new” policy, smart home and wearable devices are experiencing explosive growth, with smart glasses and window cleaning robots performing the most notably.

Data Review: “Star Products” Behind Double-Digit Growth

According to big data monitoring by the Ministry of Commerce, in the first two months of this year, China’s online retail sales maintained steady growth, but some niche smart sectors saw astonishing increases:

• Smart Glasses: Online retail sales increased by 183.5% year-on-year. As AI multimodal interaction technology matures, smart glasses have evolved from geek toys to everyday essentials with translation, navigation, and health monitoring functions. Some brands even saw sales multiply during the Spring Festival.

• Window Cleaning Robots: Online retail sales increased by 130.8% year-on-year. As a typical representative of the “lazy economy,” window cleaning robots are accelerating their penetration from first-tier cities to third- and fourth-tier markets, thanks to more mature path planning and adhesion safety technologies.

• Overall Trend: During the same period, smart appliances with top-tier energy efficiency and embodied intelligence robots also achieved steady growth.

Driving Factors: Policy + Technology Double-Drive

Industry experts analyze that the growth is mainly due to two factors:

Policy Benefits: In 2026, the consumer goods “old for new” policy for the first time included emerging categories like smart glasses in subsidy coverage, with a 15% government subsidy directly reducing consumers’ trial costs.

Embodied Intelligence Implementation: Segmented categories like window cleaning robots benefit from the decentralization of general embodied intelligence algorithms, which not only improve cleaning efficiency but also adapt to more complex household facades.

Industry Outlook: From Single-Point Explosions to Full-Scene Coverage

The Ministry of Commerce pointed out that online retail sales of agricultural products also increased by 17.6% in January-February, and cross-border e-commerce import platforms grew by 7.6%, indicating a comprehensive optimization of online consumption structure. The explosion of smart glasses and cleaning robots signals that 2026 will become the inaugural year for the popularization of “full-scene AI consumption.”

This report is based on data compiled from the Ministry of Commerce’s routine press release on March 25, 2026.