A night view of Nanchang Street [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]
Wuxi, a city in East China's Jiangsu province, has been offering discounts, coupons, and raffles for consumers through online platforms and promoting commercial areas since June.
Sixty million yuan ($8.5 million) in digital coupons have been released to the public on the city services app Ling Xi to encourage locals to spend money. Locals have been able to sign up for the digital coupons on Ling Xi since June 6 and have been able to receive coupons by drawing lots since June 16.
Officials have said that merchants are encouraged to offer online coupons to consumers. The top 30 merchants who earn the most revenue from the coupons will receive a subsidy of 10 percent for the coupon redemption fees.
Commercial areas such as Nanchang Street and Hubin Commercial Street will introduce new shops to attract consumers, and time-honored enterprises that plan to open new chain-stores will receive rent subsidies for the next three years.
In addition, a series of online and offline shopping festivals and international economic, sports, and tourism events are expected to promote consumption in Wuxi.
As the nighttime economy sees increasing popularity in China, restaurants and some scenic areas are being encouraged to extend their business hours. Public transportation such as buses, metros, and taxis are also encouraged to offer more nighttime services.