Shopping festival helps JD set sales record of $53b
Beijing-headquartered e-commerce company JD reported a new sales record during a midyear shopping carnival from June 1-18, which exceeded 343.8 billion yuan ($53.1 billion) in total.
According to data from JD’s shopping portal, mobile phones, air conditioners, laptops, refrigerators and flat-panel televisions were among the highest-value categories. Biscuits and cakes, milk and dairy products, tissue paper, condiments and snacks were among the most sold products.
JD data also shows Beijing ranked second among the provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland in terms of residents’ purchasing power. The turnover made on June 18 alone represented around a 30 percent increase compared with the same day of 2020.
During the shopping spree, electronic appliances were a favorite among Beijing residents. Chaoyang, Haidian and Fengtai districts were the top three order sources of JD among the city’s districts in terms of total sales volume.
With efforts by the Beijing government to boost consumption, as well as the effect of Dragon Boat Festival and the e-commerce platform’s promotional activities, people’s desire for shopping and travel are in full swing.
During the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday in June, 100 key enterprises running groceries, supermarkets, specialty stores, restaurants, e-commerce and other businesses in Beijing achieved sales of 3.15 billion yuan, up 30 percent year-on-year, according to the city’s commerce bureau.
The city’s major business districts held nighttime events during the holiday, with a year-on-year surge of more than 40 percent in visitor flow and a year-on-year increase of 21.3 percent in consumer visits.
Food and drink, artistic performance and shopping markets have contributed to a dynamic summer night consumer scene in Beijing.
During this year’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday, activities launched by various shopping malls catered to the needs of parents, children and young customers.
Mobile payment service provider UnionPay’s data show that the number of consumers at night increased by 21.3 percent year-onyear. The visitor flow at Yandai Xiejie, Wudaokou, Xizhimen, Taiyanggong, Dashilar and other key commercial areas in Beijing increased by more than 40 percent year-on-year.
Beijing’s Chaoyang Hopson One shopping mall, which owns the entertainment space 21 Blocks, announced a 70 percent jump in customer visits during the holiday. The auto show and late-night canteen at the 21 Blocks attracted most of the visitors.
In addition, some local online service platforms opened a special section to boost consumption during Dragon Boat Festival.
Food delivery platform Meituan’s data show that since June, the sales volume of zongzi — the signature food eaten during Dragon Boat Festival — continued to rise.
Takeout orders containing zongzi have increased five times compared with those at the beginning of the month. Special zongzi made of meat, egg yolk and crystal jujube were popular among customers.
The 2021 Beijing consumption season started on April 28. More than 500 activities to encourage travel and shopping have been organized.
Online shopping platforms such as JD, Suning, Gome and Meituan have issued shopping coupons, in a bid to benefit a larger number of city residents.
JD handed out consumption vouchers, totaling more than 100 million yuan, to Beijing residents in batches from May 31, offering exclusive discounts.
The consumption season has also set off the trend to promote time-honored brands.
During this year’s May Day holiday, a group of promotions were held in Wangfujing pedestrian street and the Qianmen area, allowing customers a closer look at products from traditional brands.