Trading sector enjoying fast recovery in Qingzhen

Guiyang Shanshan Outlets in Qingzhen. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

The trading sector in Qingzhen is now thriving once more, which is seen as key to upgrading the area's industrial structure and transitioning to a more modern economic development model.

Since the beginning of this year, Qingzhen city in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province has held various activities to rekindle consumption, including setting up regional consumption centers, and upgrading its entire catering industry in a bid to bolster the high-quality development of its trading sector.

According to preliminary statistics, in the first quarter of 2023, the total retail sales of consumer goods above a designated size reached 572 million yuan ($83.28 million).

Last year, the consumption market slumped due to the downward pressure on the economy and the adverse impact of the pandemic. Yet in the first three months of this year, manufacturing blocks and large-scale supermarkets posted positive results.

For example, Guiyang Shanshan Outlets reported nearly 650,000 visits and more than 150 million yuan of sales during this period.

The fast recovery in overall trade has been credited largely to the supportive measures taken by the Qingzhen government, such as releasing special working plans to spur purchasing activities, issuing shopping coupons and vouchers, and mapping out ways to further tap rural consumption.

With the onset of spring, Qingzhen gave out coupons to access flower-admiring sites for use at a dozen retail stores and eateries located near such attractions.

"We plan to resume holding the Qingzhen ecological food festival this year," said a staff member from the Qingzhen bureau of commerce.