Beijing sees new year shopping spree

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-26 14:45

BEIJING -- The worldwide financial crisis has yet to dampen the shopping enthusiasm of people in Beijing, with 1,904 outlets recording a total turnover of 639 million yuan (about US$85.2 million) on Sunday, the eve of the Spring Festival.

Workers arrange mannequins in a clothing shop window which shows a Chinese character of ox and an image of Chinese paper-cut ox, in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, the Chinese year of ox. The worldwide financial crisis has yet to dampen the shopping enthusiasm of people in Beijing, with 1,904 outlets recording a total turnover of 639 million yuan (about US$85.2 million) on Sunday, the eve of the Spring Festival. [Agencies]

The sales volume is up 13.4 percent from the same period last year, according to sources with the Beijing commerce information center, which monitored the sales of the 1,904 stores.

The Caishikou department store topped the list with a 30 million-yuan turnover, a growth of 74.7 percent from the same day last year.

Beijing's restaurants also had a brisk business as Spring Festival is a time for family reunion. Many of them have been fully booked days before the festival.