This Sept 16, 2020 photo shows a view of the city of Shenzhen at night. (CHEN YEHUA / XINHUA)

Shenzhen’s consumption market saw considerable growth during the May Day holiday, as the local government launched various measures to boost spending.

According to data by Shanghai-based payment agency ChinaUMS, the total value of consumption in Shenzhen reached over 23 billion yuan ($3.5 billion) from April 30 through May 3, the first four day of the five-day holiday period.

While sales of consumer electronics and home appliances increased 32 percent year-on-year, the traffic volume of visitors among retail stores rose 41 percent.

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“Home appliance sales in our stores grew about 35 percent during the holiday compared with the same period last year, with air conditioners surging 129 percent and refrigerators rising 38 percent,” said Zhu Dongmei, Shenzhen marketing director of major e-commerce platform Suning.com, according to local media.

The Shenzhen government has launched a 100 million yuan subsidy program this month to boost spending as part of its effort to shore up the local economy

The government’s subsidies for the products have raised consumers’ confidence and stimulated their desire for consumption, she said.

Chinese popular milk tea brand Heytea said Shenzhen’s milk tea sales during the May Day holiday topped consumption lists across the country.

The Shenzhen government has launched a 100 million yuan subsidy program this month to boost spending as part of its effort to shore up the local economy. The subsidy targets consumer electronics and home appliances with a total 70 million yuan and 30 million yuan respectively.

Earlier, the government launched a 500 million yuan consumption voucher program to stimulate consumption. The vouchers cover 400 million yuan used in shopping, 60 million yuan in catering, 10 million yuan in tourism and sports, and 30 million yuan as digital “red packets”.

For the travel market, meanwhile, Shenzhen recorded 1.74 million trips by road, railway, air and sea over the five-day holiday from April 30 through May 4, down 55.17 percent from a year earlier as outbreaks of COVID-19 across the country dampened long-haul travel.

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As the government encouraged local residents to stay put to reduce the risk of infection, staycations have become a popular choice. A growing number of people have chosen to take short-haul travel to nearby places.

Shekou Cruise Home Port in Shenzhen said it has received more than 60,000 visitors during the holiday period. Travel to Zhuhai, Macao and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cruise line were among the most popular choices.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com