Suzhou consumption off to a strong start in 2024

Costumers gather at Blueglass Yogurt store in Suzhou. [Photo provided to Suzhou Bureau of Commerce]

During the New Year holiday, the fourth edition of the "Double 12 Suzhou Shopping Festival" continued its series of consumer-promotion activities.

According to data from the Suzhou Bureau of Commerce, 100 key commercial enterprises in the city are expected to achieve 916 million yuan ($128.2 million) in sales from Dec 30, 2023 to Jan 1, 2024, representing a 16.6 percent increase over the same period last year.

The Suzhou Center hosted the "HELLO 2024" extravaganza, a continuous 36-hour celebration running from 10:00 am on Dec 31, 2023 to 10:00 pm on Jan 1, 2024, ushering in 2024 with non-stop festivities. 

During the festival, the Suzhou Center recorded more than 50 million yuan in sales, a nearly 30 percent year-on-year increase.

In Gusu district, the sales of 10 key commercial monitoring enterprises in the three major business districts increased by 24.9 percent on the first day of the holiday. 

Wuzhong district's key commercial complexes attracted a daily average of 45,000 visitors, a 35 percent year-on-year increase. 

Wanda Plaza in Taicang received over 80,000 visitors per day, achieving sales of nearly 20 million yuan during the three-day holiday. 

The Taicang RT-Mart embraced the festive season, generating sales of over 5 million yuan during the holiday, representing an 8.6 percent year-on-year increase.

Two well-established restaurant brands, Song He Lou and De Yue Lou, saw 72 percent and 304 percent increases in sales, respectively, during the holiday period. Hot pot chain Haidilao reported a sales increase of over 65 percent.