Beijing reports record festival sales volume
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-14 10:38

The total sales volume of shops in Beijing in the first four days of the week-long Spring Festival period set a record of 739 million yuan (US$89 million) in the Year of Rooster, according to statistics released Sunday by Beijing Municipal Commerce Information Service Center.

The number of customers to various department stores in Beijing on the third day of the Chinese Lunar New Year (last Friday) increased 15 percent compared with the same day of last year. Traditionally, Chinese exchange visits among family members or stay home in the first two days of the Lunar New Year.

Statistics based on 132 shops of 28 local catering companies showed their total business volume on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year (last Saturday) came to 5.67 million yuan (US$683,500), a year-on-year increase of 30 percent.

As the fifth day is traditionally a day for eating dumplings, Chinese wives thronged into supermarkets from Sunday morning to buy instant dumplings, or made dumplings by themselves at home. Some families went to restaurants to enjoy a "Dumpling Feast".

The Spring Festival, which falls on February 9 this year, is the country's most important traditional festival, or an occasion of family reunion and a grand shopping season.

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