During this May Day holiday, Sichuan joined the nation in experiencing a feverish tourism and consumption boom, characterized by dense crowds. Regarding the catering sector, Meituan's data reveals that Chengdu leads the nation in dining orders from out-of-town tourists, also underscoring its prominence as one of the most sought-after cities for advance restaurant bookings. Concurrently, leveraging the hosting of major events such as the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 and the Thomas &Uber Cup badminton competition, Sichuan saw a notable rise in the number of out-of-province tourists, which boosts consumption growth. It is worth noting that the comprehensive rollout of trade-ins of consumer goods in Sichuan before the holiday has made green consumption a standout feature of this holiday season.

Indeed delicious

Chengdu tops the nation in out-of-town tourists' dine-in orders

Boosted by a combination of consumption vouchers plus promotional campaigns, along with innovative consumption scenes, consumer demand was further unleashed during the holiday season. Data reveals that the initial 40 "Shu leisure-style" new consumption hotspots across Sichuan attracted over 8 million visitors, generating sales in excess of 5 billion yuan. Capitalizing on the hosting of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 and the Thomas &Uber Cup, Chengdu coordinated a comprehensive strategy across various platforms covering new consumption scenes and introduced the "City Walking Tour in Chengdu" event calendar and consumption map for the "One Expo, One Tournament, One Holiday" period, featuring over 300 cultural performances, 65 exhibitions, and 111 special events. Chengdu's 215 distinctive commercial streets saw passenger traffic of 12.9777 million visits, marking a 25.1 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, 57 key commercial entities achieved sales of 8 billion yuan, reflecting a 6.3 percent annual growth.

Shopping sprees continued to dominate the holiday season. During this break, Sichuan witnessed a marked resurgence in upgrading consumption. Data from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce reveals that mid-to-high-end shopping malls and department stores in the province saw a notable rise in both footfall and sales during the May Day holiday. The sales of categories representing consumption upgrades, encompassing cosmetics, clothing &shoes, and luxury items like gold and jewelry, registered impressive year-on-year growth rates of 10.2 percent, 11 percent, and 9 percent in the province, respectively.

Online dining platforms offer a revealing glimpse into holiday consumption trends. Keywords like "Sichuan cuisine," "Chengdu hot pot," and "Sichuan barbecue" saw a notable surge in search and booking activity across various lifestyle platforms. Meituan data highlights Chengdu as the top city for out-of-town tourist dining orders nationwide, also noting its status as one of the most sought-after destinations for restaurant reservations in advance. Cities like Leshan, Zigong, Meishan, and Ya'an upgraded their local cuisine digital maps, making local delicacies, snacks and eateries accessible through mini-programs and delivery platforms, facilitating online ordering and offline dining experiences for consumers.

In addition, outdoor activities have gained significant popularity among urban consumers. According to monitoring data, the sales of sports and entertainment products in the province increased by 24.5 percent.

Trade-ins

The auto and appliance consumption in the province has increased significantly

On the eve of the holiday, the "Tianfu Tour" trade-ins of consumer goods, guided by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by the People's Government of Sichuan Province, kicked off at Chengdu's Tianfu Art Park. This massive trade-in initiative sparked significant consumer interest in upgrading purchases during the holiday period.

"Upcoming events include the 'Electric Sichuan: New Energy Vehicle Consumption Season,' 'Green Ba-Shu: Smart Home Appliances Consumption Season,' and 'Habitable Tianfu: Home Renovation Upgrading Consumption Season,' which will be rolled out across the province," introduced a leading official from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce.

Over the holiday season, commerce departments across Sichuan held themed events centered on three key trade-in actions of automobiles for energy-efficient models, home appliances for intelligent systems, and home renovations for smart updates, underscoring a significant increase in green consumption. For instance, Mianyang allocated 1.2 million yuan to support Santai County's trial of appliance trade-in programs during the May Day holiday. Ziyang initiated the "Green Ziyang, Citywide Trade-in" campaign and Yibin hosted the "Home Appliance Upgrade Season" event. Energy efficiency and environmental consciousness have gained substantial ground, leading to a notable increase in the demand for green and smart home appliances across Sichuan. Data shows a 12 percent year-on-year growth in the sales of home appliances during the holiday season, with some key companies reporting over 40 percent sales growth for products with level-2 energy consumption.

The travel sector is also witnessing a sustained upswing in consumption. Amidst car trade-in promotions and substantial corporate discounts, the sales of vehicles in the province saw an 8.3 percent year-on-year increase during the holiday period. The uptick in travel, including self-drive and local excursions, led to a 5.6 percent growth in the sales of refined oil products across the province.