Pudong emerges as top shopping destination for visitors

Pudong has emerged as one of the top shopping destinations in the eyes of visitors.

Pudong's Commerce Commission revealed that the district's total retail sales in the first eight months of this year totaled 268.8 billion yuan (US$36.8 million), a 22.3 percent rise over the same period last year.

UnionPay revealed that Pudong received close to 195 billion visitors from out of Shanghai by the end of August this year, a 46.5 percent increase from the average level in the previous two years.

Among them, 337,000 visits were from overseas, including those from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, representing a remarkable increase of 198 percent over the previous average level.

They spent the most on retail. Additionally, they spent more money per day than they did in the prior two years on lodging, entertainment, and food.

The areas surrounding the Pudong airport and Zhuqiao, as well as the regions surrounding the so-called small Lujiazui and Zhangyang Road, are the commercial zones that draw most tourists.

Consumers from the Yangtze River Delta, who make up 37.2 percent of Pudong's entire customer base, are essentially its most attractive demographic.

Beijing, Suzhou, and Nanjing are the top three consumer cities.