The downward pressure on China’s consumption persisted over the Lunar New Year holiday, the annual festival when people travel, shop, and give gifts or money.
People in China spent 1.01 trillion yuan ($149 billion) at restaurants, shopping malls and online outlets over the the week-long holiday, according to the Ministry of Commerce. That was 8.5 percent higher than during last year’s festive period, but the slowest increase since at least 2011.
Spending at tourist venues rose 8.2 percent to 513.9 billion yuan, the state broadcaster CCTV said, citing data from the Ministry of Commerce, slower than the 12.6 percent rise last year. Domestic box office revenue was 1 percent higher than in 2018, according to a report in The Paper, which cited statistics from a cinema ticketing service platform of Alibaba Pictures.
Those who are still shopping are increasingly doing it online, with JD.com reporting a 43 percent jump in sales around the holiday versus a year earlier. Cellphones, computers and home appliances were at the top of shopping lists, and there was a surge in purchases of kitchenware and furniture, according to a report from the second largest e-commerce site in the nation.
Spending growth in smaller cities jumped 55 percent on Alibaba Group Holding’s Tmall, faster than in major metropolises, where residents are being squeezed by higher housing prices. Tourists chose Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau as their top overseas destinations, according to Alibaba’s online tourism site. The US was the seventh most popular spot, even amid the trade tensions.
China mainland visitors to Macau reached almost 900,000 during the week-long Chinese New Year holiday, climbing 26 percent from last year’s festive holiday, according to Macau’s tourism office. That was more than double last year’s growth.
Read Original Article
