Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
People visit Jiaxiu Pavilion in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 1, 2022.(Xinhua/Tao Liang)
BEIJING,
Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- During the National Day holiday in China, both
online and offline shopping have gained momentum in the country, thanks
to heightened consumer enthusiasm and the implementation of
pro-consumption policies.
During
the seven-day Golden Week holiday, various pro-consumption activities
have been launched nationwide to boost spending and sustain the recovery
of China's consumer market, said Shu Jueting, a spokesperson with the
country's Ministry of Commerce.
Local
governments have come up with diversified measures, including handing
out consumption vouchers, enriching traveling activities and organizing
consumption festivals to boost culture and tourism consumption.
For
instance, Fuzhou City in southeast China's Fujian Province plans to
issue consumption vouchers worth 3 million yuan (about 423,000 U.S.
dollars) during the holiday season to encourage spending, and southwest
China's Sichuan Province will organize over 70 activities such as
cultural and night tours to attract travelers.
"Local
governments have adopted vigorous measures this year, and these are
accessible to a wider range of consumers," said Chen Lifen, a researcher
with the Development Research Center of the State Council, adding that
such moves will further unleash consumption potential.
Travel
fervor runs high during the Golden Week holiday season. According to
Lvmama, a domestic online travel agency, bookings for trips during the
seven-day holiday through their platform increased by over 87 percent
from Sept. 11 to 20, compared with the previous 10 days.
Travel goods have become increasingly popular on online delivery platforms, mirroring the holiday boom.
Data
from Meituan, one of China's online delivery platforms, showed that a
week before the holiday, online searches for travel toothbrushes, travel
sub bottles and travel shampoo packs soared by 1,037 percent, 368
percent and 272 percent, respectively, compared with a week ago.
With
a growing interest in outdoor recreation among the Chinese people,
sales of outdoor equipment have also increased sharply. Two weeks ahead
of the holiday, sales of outdoor photographic equipment, in particular,
increased by over 300 percent compared with the previous two weeks, data
from e-commerce giant JD.com showed.
Along
with the recovery of the tourism sector, the country's catering
industry is also warming up, as restaurant businesses have boomed during
the holiday.
Restaurant
reservations during the National Day holiday via online platforms
increased by 87.6 percent compared with the same period last year,
according to data from Meituan.
The
data also revealed that besides big meals, consumers are showing
greater interest in snacks, beverages, pastries and other food items in
small eateries during the holiday.
Sales
of home appliances have also soared during the week-long holiday,
fueled by subsidies from local governments and generous discounts
offered by e-commerce platforms.
According
to data from the online retailer Suning, on the first day of the
National Day holiday, customer flow in its physical stores surged by
over 200 percent from the day before, and the number of orders placed at
its newly opened stores rose 120 percent compared with the previous
day.
On
the first day of the holiday, online sales of air purifiers, robot
vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and other advanced home appliances jumped
more than 100 percent from the previous day, data showed.
China
has rolled out a raft of measures to promote consumption recovery,
including boosting consumption in key fields such as automobiles, green
and intelligent home appliances as well as catering and accommodation,
among others.
"The
country's consumer market will consolidate the recovery trend and
continue to play a fundamental role in bolstering the country's economic
growth, as pro-consumption measures take effect," said Guan Lixin, a
researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic
Cooperation.
