Solar eclipse proves big business for retailers

The spectacle of the longest solar eclipse of this century also translated into big business for China's tourism and retail industries.

Two days before the solar eclipse on July 22, hotels were full in Yangtze River Delta cities, considered an optimal viewing location.

Scientists, astronomy buffs and tourists crowded into Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou.

The Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration reported that the city welcomed 241 foreign tour groups and estimated that 6,484 foreign tourists came to Shanghai for the viewing.

About 80 percent of those tourists were from Japan, the tourism administration reported.

Large travel agencies in Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou reported that more than 30,000 overseas visitors arrived at Yangtze River Delta destinations before the solar eclipse.

Of that 30,000, 25,000 were Japanese visitors and 5,000 had traveled from the United States, the agencies reported.

Tourism industry watchers estimated the tourists spent about 10,000 each on flights, hotels and food.

Tongling, a little known city in Anhui province, became a household name when the international news media promoted its designation by the National Astronomical Observatories as a top viewing spot.

Tourism industry watchers estimated that the publicity translated into a 50 million yuan windfall in tourist spending in Tongling.

Although people were only able to watch a partial solar eclipse in Beijing, the event proved big business in China's capital, too.

Zhu Jin, head of the Beijing Planetarium, said thousands of foreign visitors came to the planetarium and the Beijing Ancient Observatory in the days before the solar eclipse.

Xiao Qiu, owner of a small store on fashionable Dongsi Street, said he enjoyed strong sales of eclipse-related souvenirs.

"It was not just solar eclipse observation equipment, T-shirts and caps. Mobile phone pendants with a logo or a pattern of a solar eclipse became popular, as well," Xiao said.

Even staff members at a tattoo shop on Dongsi Street reported that more customers were asking for tattoos featuring a solar eclipse or sun pattern.

Eclipse from the clouds

Airlines also scheduled special flights to allow passengers an above-the-clouds glimpse of the solar eclipse.

China Southern Airlines offered 80 special flights.

One passenger who identified himself only by his surname, Liu, said at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport that he was unable to book a seat on a Chengdu-Shanghai flight that day.

"Tickets were sold out weeks ago," he said

A quick search of taobao.com, an Internet auction site that has been called "China's eBay", showed more than 2,000 eclipse-related items for sale.

They included telescopes, solar eclipse sunglasses, special camera lenses and other items ranging in price from a few yuan to more than 100 yuan. Many were listed as "sold out".

Taobao.com reported that in just one week preceding the solar eclipse, 30,000 items were sold for more than 1.5 million yuan.

Zhu Tong, a taobao.com merchant, said he earned 8,000 yuan in two weeks by selling eclipse-related trinkets.

"The most popular items were plastic eclipse glasses. I've been doing business at taobao.com for years, but this is the first time I earned so much money in such a short time," Zhu said.

"Even some luxury glasses with eclipse watching functions, which were a bit unmarketable in the past, were sold," he said.

Another taobao.com merchant, Zhu Yan, said sales of her protective goggles earned her more than 500,000 yuan in two weeks.

"One day I replenished a stock of 1,000 solar eclipse goggles, and 500 sold immediately," she said. A factory in Wenzhou in Zhejiang province began making solar eclipse viewing glasses in April.

At 2 yuan each, the plant sold more than 100,000 pairs of the glasses.

(China Daily 08/03/2009 page1)