Discounts on offer in citywide consumption campaign

Shanghai hopes to maintain strong momentum in online shopping with promotional campaigns in the next two months as a part of a citywide consumption campaign.

Around two dozen local retailers, lifestyle service platforms and on-demand delivery sites including Meituan, Eleme, Dingdong Maicai, Freshippo and Bailian Group are offering a wide range of discounts covering apparel, fashion, beauty and personal care and lifestyle services.

In the first nine months this year, Shanghai's online shopping transactions volume added 11.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.34 trillion yuan (US$189 billion), said Liu Min, Shanghai Commerce Commission's deputy director.

The new round of promotional activities are expected to further cater to shoppers' diversified needs and promote consumption upgrade, she said at the promotion campaign's launch event on Thursday.

Extra discounts would be available from November 1 to December 31 in addition to price reductions during the Singles Day promotional events, according to city officials and leading online retailers.

Local retail conglomerate Bailian Group's online shopping unit iBailian said online coupons will also be available from November 1 and cover its supermarket chains as well as outlets, shopping malls and pharmacies.

Shanghai's livestreaming e-commerce has been vibrant this year thanks to a rich supply of daily consumer goods and fashion items.

The city's livestreaming retail sales jumped 10 percent in the first three quarters to 293.7 billion yuan, the highest-ranking city around the country, according to the Shanghai Consumption Big Data Lab of Fudan University.

Livestreaming promotional sessions will be staged over the next two months in Changning, Yangpu, Songjiang and Chongming districts to promote local specialty food, import items and fashion merchandise.