Local consumer market booming
16/5/2003 17:42
Shanghai's consumer market was brisk last month despite the SARS
outbreak, with the retail volumes of social consumer goods amounting to 16.903
billion yuan (US$2 billion) in April, an increase of 8.4 percent from a year
before, according to the Shanghai Statistics Bureau.
Retail volumes of
food, clothing and daily-use articles reached 6.315 billion yuan, 2.442 billion
yuan and 7.979 billion yuan respectively last month, up 7.2 percent, 6.75
percent and 9.8 percent from a year before respectively.
Local drugstores
reported booming sales last month, with sales volumes increasing by nearly 30
percent from a year before.
Sales volumes in supermarkets, hypermarkets
and convenience stores were up in April, with retail volumes rising by 37.6
percent in the nine key local chain-store companies.
Local department
stores reported a sales decline last month, with retail volumes down 3.3 percent
in six key department stores including the Shanghai No.1 Department Store,
Hualian and Pacific Department Store.
Business revenues in local
restaurants reached 1.185 billion yuan last month, down 12.3 percent from a year
before.
Retail volumes of cars, home appliances and furnishings reached
924 million yuan, 999 million yuan and 488 million yuan respectively last month,
increasing by 22.9 percent, 23 percent and 10.6 percent respectively from a year
before.
Commodities related to preventing SARS sold well, including
tonics to boost the immune system. Cleansing articles reported a nearly 50
percent increase in retail volumes, with retail volumes of electric fans and
microwave ovens rising by 10.7 percent and 39.9 percent respectively last
month.
E-business generated strong interest from the public last month,
with online trading increasing by 83.4 percent from a year before.
Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news
|
