Haikou retail sales hit record high in 2021

In 2021, the total retail sales of social consumer goods in Haikou hit 105.7 billion yuan ($16.6 billion), a year-on-year increase of 26.5 percent. It is the first time that Haikou's total retail sales of social consumer goods exceed 100 billion yuan. The growth rate ranks first among the provincial capital cities in the country.

From the perspective of consumption patterns, service consumption in Haikou increased the most last year where the catering consumption revenue increased by 68.8 percent year-on-year, much higher than the year-on-year growth rate of the total retail sales of social consumer goods.

Last year, Haikou added two duty-free business entities, with an additional business area of approximately 49,000 square meters. To date, the operating area of the duty-free shops opened in the city has reached 86,000 sq m.

Haikou actively promotes its duty-free policy such as providing goods delivery service and labeling its offshore duty-free goods with tracking codes, which in turn has promoted the increase of consumption. In 2021, Haikou's annual duty-free sales reached 13.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 53.2 percent.

Last year, Haikou also strongly supported the holding of new energy vehicle themed activities such as the 18th Hainan International Automobile Exhibition. In 2021, the annual sales of vehicles reached 143,200, of which 43,400 were of new energy vehicles with a year-on-year increase of 115.82 percent.

"This year, Haikou will strive to increase the total retail sales of social consumer goods by 11 percent year-on-year." Cai Qiao, director of the Haikou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, said that in 2022, the bureau will enrich consumption activities and strengthen policy support in order to promote retail sales of consumer goods growth.